Architectural Drafting is Key for Construction Drawings & As-built Drawings

Though construction design is a multi-layered arena, full of multidimensional features, multiple tasks and multiple outputs, certain features, tasks and outputs assume critical importance. At the final curtain of the construction design performance, construction drawings and, later, as-built drawings take a bow, and it is high quality architectural drafting behind the scenes that both enables the show and takes the story forward. To better understand the concept, consider exactly what construction drawings and as-built drawings really are.

Take, for example, construction drawings. What are they? When are they developed? How are they useful?

Before construction begins, a construction project passes through several phases of design. Briefly, they are the Concept stage, the Schematic Design stage, the Design Development stage and the Construction Documentation stage. Construction drawings are developed at the Design Development stage and include specifications and architectural drawings necessary for construction. These drawings are then carried forward to the Construction Documentation stage, which will also include submissions for permissions from local zonal authorities and any other legal documentation to constitute construction documentation (CD) sets. In general, construction drawings include:

· Title sheet specifications

· Demolition plans

· Schedules

· Foundation, floor and roof plans

· Sections & elevations

· Wall sections and details

· Interior elevations & details

· Cabinetry details

· MEP details

· Structural details

· Ceiling plans

Construction drawings are, simply put, drawings and written records of design phase decisions. They specify every detail of the project, involving the structure and trades to the textures and colours. Both builders and on-site workers can use these drawings to communicate design changes.

Looking at construction drawings in more detail, they contain:

1: A1 Sheets — Demolition Plans

These set of drawings show the current state of an existing building and includes notes for elements that need to be removed, protected or preserved for new construction.

2: A2 Sheets — Floor Plans

Floor plans show an overview of the location of every building element and include dimensions, keynotes, door, window and wall type tags.

3: A3 Sheets — Elevations & Sections

Drawings of the outside faces of a building from each side, elevations show heights of building elements, exterior material details and include important notes on the façade. Sections refer to drawings that show the interior of a building if an imaginary line is cut through it from left to right or top to bottom, showing wall and foundation, floor to ceiling heights and the heights of inner and outer ground planes in relation to each other.

4: A4 Sheets — Finish Plans

Finish plans include a variety of plans, such as the reflected ceiling plan, or RCP, which traces the view up to the ceiling. Typically, these plans show wall, floor and ceiling materials, such as drywall, plaster, wood cladding, pressed tin, etc. They also show the locations of lights and their switches. These drawings consist of power plans that show the locations of outlets, data points for cable TV or the Internet, appliance power outlets. Larger projects may have a separate electrical plan.

5: A5 Sheets — Interior Elevations

These drawings show the inside vertical views and include wall finishes, built-in furniture, locations of lights, switches, power outlets and the heights of elements.

6: A6 Sheets — Schedules & Wall Types

In this context, schedules are a spreadsheet that monitors detailed project information for finishes, sizes and types of doors, windows, walls and kitchen equipment, including dimensions, materials, finishes, handles, etc.

7: Ad Sheets — Details

Standard building details, such as how types of flooring transition between each other, are part of these drawings.

8: S Sheets — Structural Drawings

Plans for each level, showing concrete footing information, steel and wood framing locations and sizes, structural sections and connection details.

9: M Sheets — Mechanical Drawings

Mechanical drawings show the locations and sizes of all mechanical equipment, ductwork layouts and all air handling system specifications.

10: E Sheets — Electrical Drawings

Electrical drawings include all power, data outlet, light and switch locations and specify the wiring and light and power boxes.

11: P Sheets — Plumbing Drawings

Plumbing drawings include the locations and sizes of pipes providing fresh water, pipes removing waste and vent risers that safely allow sewer air out of the building, without any unpleasant odour.

Once completed, these drawings are added to other documents for approvals from the relevant local authorities. Now that construction drawings have been detailed, it’s time to pay attention to as-built drawings. Now, what are they?

As-built drawings are a result of . . . well, real life. Construction drawings detail how a building should be constructed, ideally. Sometimes, after construction begins, changes may occur on site resulting from sudden changes in the surroundings, changes in the site itself, financial delays or constraints, changes in existing laws or even a building owner’s change in perspective.

This means that construction drawings are necessarily revised, perhaps several times. The final building may have several changes compared to the approved construction drawings. Drawings that incorporate real-time changes and show the actual construction details are known as ‘as-built’ drawings. The changes reflected could be shop drawing changes, design changes, field changes and approved construction changes. As-built drawings contain the project components’ dimensions, geometry and location. They are 2D floor plans that typically include changes in the locations of walls, doors, windows and plumbing fixtures and are composed by architects and designers.

Two as-built plan types are ‘as-built floor plans’ and ‘existing condition plans.’ As-built floor plans include structural changes and basic layout changes. They include things like the location of walls, doors, windows and staircases. Existing condition plans consist of the locations of electrical outlets, HVAC ductwork, plumbing runs and sprinkler lines. Section plans can show the furnaces, hot water tanks and their model and serial numbers.

Every change in design that the building project has adapted to during execution is included in as-built drawings. As-built drawings are essential to safety procedures. Process hazard analysis and safety management can be devised more easily. Plans that are part of as-built drawings show the locations of equipment shut-off valves, helping the management develop emergency evacuation procedures, install safety equipment and set up emergency plans around the building’s perimeter.

Future repairs and renovations are dependent on as-built drawings. Maintenance work requires details of the actual structure and components included in as-built drawings. In case of structural renovation, the as-built drawings function as construction drawings for renovations and help ensure efficient retrofits.

As-built drawings include electrical as-built, mechanical as-built and plumbing as-built drawings, providing accurate references for faster repairs. In the absence of as-built drawings, it would be time consuming, expensive and potentially disastrous to determine where installed components are located, what material they are manufactured with and how they should be repaired. In fact, one of the main advantages of having as-built drawings is that they visualise not only the changes made, but how those changes may affect the remainder of the project.

Other typical features of as-built drawings include:

– written explanations to detail changes

– written dates in all the individual as-built drawing sheets

– clear handwriting

– maintaining the same scale on all as-built drawing sheets

– primary colors for color codes of added, deleted or changed items

In addition to maintenance and safety reasons, owners can use as-built drawings to get accurate square footage estimates or for real estate appraisals. Real estate agents representing building owners can use as-built drawings for both leasing and selling property. As-built drawings are vital to have during the installation of security systems, outdoor fencing or for insurance purposes.

Both construction drawings and as-built drawings require near precise architectural drafting services. Increasingly, these services are found to be of high quality and easy on the pocket when they are sourced overseas. A preferred option is to find architectural drafting services in India. Technically savvy and industry-certified professionals from India are easily available and have sound experience with the requirements and detailing of both construction drawings and as-built drawings used in Western countries. To conclude, with the high quality, precise architectural drafting and thorough knowledge available globally, the development of both these kinds of essential building design drawings has not been easier.