Construction Drawings Vs Shop Drawings Vs As-built Drawings: For An Efficient & Smart Building

By Author: William Cooper
Total Articles: 14
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Being a professional from the AEC sector means hearing the terms ‘Shop drawings’, ‘Construction drawings, and ‘Architecture drawings’ quite often. All these compose the backbone of any construction project and are utilized right from the beginning of the concept to the end of the project.

Before the first brick of foundation is laid in a construction project, there's a massive amount of paperwork done in the form of architectural drawings. Every wonderful construction you see around you has undergone a detailed process to get to where it is now. The design is the first step in this procedure. Various shop drawings for construction are produced all through the process. Each has its own set of benefits, significance, and applicability. These building plans are essential for constructing the large edifice and ensuring that everyone understands their role in it.

The art of designing and constructing a structure is a complicated undertaking that demands many sets of drawings and documentation throughout the lifecycle. Thus, a ...
... full portfolio of architectural drawings is vital for a building’s construction and ongoing upkeep.

Let’s get to the basics of these sets of drawings and their role in a construction project.

Purpose of Architecture Drawings
Architecture is all about creating spaces. The process, however, is not simple. It begins with an idea which is then converted into a set of construction drawings to begin the process. It must progress from a concept to a finished product. And without shop drawings for construction, no designer or builder can achieve it. An architect must go through several steps before beginning construction on a project.

When the concept freezes in its early stages, the fundamental functional designs and features linked to it must be placed on paper to turn the imagined spaces into practical designs. These architecture drawings help to comprehend the needs and determine the measurements and scale for the commencement at the grassroots level.

Construction Drawings
Construction drawings often referred to as working drawings, are generated to visualize the design aspects of a structure before it is built. It covers all of the architecture and design part requirements and it is documented while being visually portrayed for decision-making throughout the design process.

These plans are considered the lifeline of every construction project. Each project undergoes various stages before on-site construction begins. All the specifications, as well as design documents, are included in the design process. The set of construction drawings must be generated while taking into consideration the materials, methods, and relevant standards that must be considered to build the structure efficiently. These documents assure the correctness of data for all building works on-site and are crucial in gaining government clearances.

The Role of Construction Drawings
These drawings are beneficial in a variety of ways.
• The basic role of construction drawings is to visually depict what is going to be built on-site. The architectural execution may be hampered if these illustrations do not contain adequate information.
• Simple and detailed construction drawings help to avoid complexity and misinterpretation.
• Disruptions and clashes can be prevented by properly arranging the designs in construction drawings.

Shop Drawings
The Shop drawings or prefabrication drawings depict the detailed representations of the architectural design to aid the manufacturing and installation of every construction component. Shop drawings for construction are more than just details. Each component must be expertly produced and integrated following industry standards and rules.

Shop drawings, in comparison with design and construction drawings, give more detailed and exact information, and they represent the next phase in the prefabrication process once the architectural drawings and requirements are completed. These may be thought of as a more detailed version of construction drawings. The elements of a shop drawing range from beams, truss, and concrete panels to elevators, machinery, cabinets, ducts, and electrical schemes.

The Pros of Shop Drawings
Shop drawings are frequently regarded as the foundation of all production processes, and advantages they offer for the completion of all building and renovation projects are:
• Measurements, quality standards, and manufacturing specifications for modular components are mentioned in the shop drawings.
• Shop drawings are important for the industry to accomplish timely, budget-friendly, and clash-free implementations.

As-Built Drawings
As design keeps evolving, the end product and shop drawings might have some variations due to the multiple revisions. At this stage, as-built drawings come into the picture. When a development or building is finished, the contractor submits an updated set of drawings called as-builts.

They provide the precise measurements, form, and location of all elements of the project completed under the deal, as well as any changes made to the specifications and construction drawings throughout construction.

The Role of As-Built Drawings
These drawings are the final updated version of the project.
• In the long run, owners must have access to these drawings to make the restoration projects or the maintenance of the structure easier.
• It’s easier to get insights into safety and security systems with these plans with the exact locations mentioned.
• It results in the enhanced operation of the structure.
• The detailed MEP drawings can be extracted for better functioning of each domain.

What do these sets of Drawings include?
We know how important these drawings are for better construction. Let’s briefly go through the different sets of details included in each type of drawing.

Construction Drawings
• MEP Drawings
• Floor Plans & Elevations
• Building Section Drawings

Shop Drawings
• Detailed Drawings for Prefabricated Elements
• Material Specifications
• Details for Installation
• Modification from Proposed Design

As-Built Drawings
• Revised Set of Drawings
• Changes in Sizes and Materials
• Annexure for All Shop Drawings
• Further Changes

Shop Drawings Services to Attain Perfection
Shop drawings for construction are vital at various building phases to produce the final structure. The behind the scenes work done on the shop drawings for construction is crucial to achieving precision and perfection. Conversations, ideation, changes, and hard effort by the entire team end in such large and eye-pleasing buildings. And construction drawings lay the foundation for these.

Detailed shop drawings, MEP drawings, and construction drawings, among other things, play a significant part in the flawless construction of enormous structures. For fine constructions, devoting money and effort to these intricate details and shop drawings services are well worth it. To make your premises more beautiful, get a set of architectural drawings that are precise and detailed. If the basis is clear and thorough, visualization may be mirrored.