Question 1

What is a structural steel drawing?

Accepted Answer

A structural steel drawing — also called a steelwork, shop or fabrication drawing — sets out the dimensions, materials, holes, welds and connections of each steel component in a project. Fabricators make the steel from them and erectors use them to put it together on site. They are the link between the engineer's design and the finished frame.

Question 2

What drawings do you produce?

Accepted Answer

A full production package from a 3D model: fabrication, fitting and assembly drawings; general arrangement drawings (with the raw DWG); 3D views and erection layouts; CNC/DSTV files; material and bolt lists; clash detection; and IFC or ACIS export for BIM. Everything is issued digitally as multi-page PDFs.

Question 3

Can you work to our house drawing standards?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Send us a couple of your existing drawings and your marking conventions and we'll match them: title blocks, assembly marks, weld notation and layout. Your fitters shouldn't be able to tell the difference.

Question 4

Can we order material before the drawings are finished?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and we'd encourage it. We issue an advance material list of sections, lengths and grades as soon as the model allows, so stock can be ordered from your supplier while detailing continues. Holding-down bolt plans can go out first too.

Question 5

Can you take on work when our own drawing office is full?

Accepted Answer

Yes. A good share of our work is overflow from fabricators with their own drawing office who've hit a busy patch. We fit in with your standards and your systems, so the drawings slot straight into your workflow.

Question 6

How do you handle design changes and variations?

Accepted Answer

Revisions are clouded, given a new revision letter and logged in the drawing register, so nobody cuts from a superseded drawing. Anything outside the original scope is flagged to you as we draw, so you can price it and claim it from your client.

Question 7

What information do you need to quote?

Accepted Answer

Up-to-date drawings and calculations from the structural engineer and the architect, plus survey information if the new steel connects to an existing structure. Send what you have — if anything critical is missing, we will tell you. Quotes are free.

Question 8

What if we don't have full working drawings?

Accepted Answer

We issue a request for information (RFI) listing what we need — floor levels, construction methods, connection forces and so on. Further RFIs follow until the critical information is settled, so nothing is guessed.

Question 9

Who prepares structural steel shop drawings?

Accepted Answer

Specialist structural steel detailers. We take the architectural and engineering information and turn it into drawings and NC data that a fabrication shop can work from directly.

Question 10

Do you design connections?

Accepted Answer

We don't produce connection design ourselves, but we work with any structural engineer you choose — or arrange the design through a consultant we work with regularly — and keep the model in step with the calculations.

Question 11

How do you send the drawings?

Accepted Answer

Digitally. Drawings are issued as multi-page PDF sets alongside DWG, DSTV/NC and IFC files as required. Large incoming files can be sent to us through our Dropbox upload link.

Question 12

Do you work outside West Yorkshire?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We are based in West Yorkshire and detail for fabricators across the UK. Everything is issued digitally, and site visits and meetings can be arranged where they are needed.

Question 13

Is any project too small?

Accepted Answer

No. No project is too large and none too small — a single beam for an extension gets the same care as a multi-storey frame.

Question 14

Is our project information kept confidential?

Accepted Answer

Always. Confidentiality is one of our core commitments. Anything we share publicly, such as Sketchfab models, is only uploaded with your agreement and fully anonymised.

Steel detailing, explained.

Everything fabricators ask us.

Got a steel job that needs drawing?

Steel detailing, explained.

Everything fabricators ask us.

Q01What is a structural steel drawing?

Q02What drawings do you produce?

Q03Can you work to our house drawing standards?

Q04Can we order material before the drawings are finished?

Q05Can you take on work when our own drawing office is full?

Q06How do you handle design changes and variations?

Q07What information do you need to quote?

Q08What if we don't have full working drawings?

Q09Who prepares structural steel shop drawings?

Q10Do you design connections?

Q11How do you send the drawings?

Q12Do you work outside West Yorkshire?

Q13Is any project too small?

Q14Is our project information kept confidential?

Got a steel job that needs drawing?