While technical fabrication drawings may look complex at first glance, with a little familiarisation and time you will be able to read drawings quickly and easily. In this guide we show you how to read technical fabrication drawings in four easy steps.
How to Read Structural Steel Fabrication Drawings
Every component, large or small starts with a drawing. From drawing board to construction, technical drawings are referred to at every step to ensure the build stays strictly in line with the approved design.
Every technical drawing must be approved and signed off so there is no disagreement later about the exact design and build of the component, product, , or assembly being created.
Step One: Symbols in Technical Drawings
Technical drawings have a particular set of rules and systems of identification which you should familiarise yourself with.
Shapes as Symbols in Technical Drawings
Many of these will be fairly standard across the. These symbols save time and space and may be used to indicate where there is a change within a metal fabrication drawing, such as where two steel materials meet or where a weld should take place along with the weld specification.
Step Two: Get Familiar with Scale in Technical Steel Drawings
Scale is an integral element of all technical steel drawings. Architectural drawings are reliant on the ability to share and visualise scale, and detailed structural drawings can contain more than one scale in a single drawing. Almost all steel fabrication have part and sections which differ in scale to others, and scale is crucial in technical steel drawings and all forms of technical drawing.
Step Three: Learn Common Abbreviations in Technical Steel Drawings
In a technical steel drawing, you are likely to see a number of abbreviations, some which may appear obvious, some which may not. To read drawings effectively it would be helpful to familiarise yourself with abbreviations used in engineering and technical drawing.
Step Four: Watch for Circled Numbers in Technical Steel Drawings
Any element within a technical drawing with a number next to it is highlighting the fact that there are notes attached to it. They will be listed later in the drawing. When looking to read technical drawings, ensure you check the notes against each element as they will be important.
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