Structural engineering domain is explicitly linked with construction of buildings, complexes, industrial facilities and other civil structures. Structural drafting is the process of preparing construction documents that clearly describe the components involved, their details and structural drawings. A Structural Drafter is also called a computer-aided design (CAD) and drafting expert catering to structural drafting and drawing related needs. The drafter should have strong analytical, mathematical and drawing skills to deliver quality results in rapid turnaround time.
Basic duties of structural drafter involve preparation of as-built plans, construction drawings and reference notes for coordination with project members. Technical details of structures or structural members with their exact dimensions, load calculations and cost-estimates can be found in these drawings. These drawings can be directly used for the fabrication of components and construction of structures like stairs, girders, handrails, partitions and others.
Drafters use AutoCAD, Revit structures and other CAD program to visualize 3D models of structures, detail structural components and deliver final drawings in various formats as per requirements. It is important to note that sometime manual drafting is also performed as per the complexity of structure and availability of time.
Drafters are specialists in drawing and with the aide of computer software can produce high-quality designs and construction plans with minimum or no errors. Modern CAD program such as Tekla and Revit alerts the user for any conflict and correct the errors automatically. The CAD program can reshuffle, modify and replicate parts of structural design, modify drawing’s size and dimensions, view drawings from various angles to suit the needs. The software comes with rich library of structural symbols, template designs, graphic tables and detailing modules.
A structural drafter uses hand-drawn sketches, scribbles and images as provided by the architect or structural engineer. He/she can be an integral part of a construction process or can work independently depending on the size and complexity of project. Architects, Design-build firms and Construction companies hire structural drafters to improve productivity of the in-house staff and free up critical resources to improve profitability.
For any queries related to how a Structural drafter can help you improve processes email us at info@outsourcestructuraldrafting.com
Richard Bose is Structural engineer at OSD â a Rebar detailing firm offering full range of structural services including Structural design analysis, Shop drawings and review services at affordable rates. Contact us at http://www.outsourcestructuraldrafting.com/