What is steel detailing?  Who is a detailer?

Steel Detailing is the production of shop fabrication drawings and steel erection plans (which facilitate easy and speedy fabrication and precise erection of structural members in shop and field respectively) from architectural and engineering drawings.

A Steel Detailer is an engineering draftsperson familiar with fabrication and erection methods. The detailer must be an expert in welding and must be familiar with various types of fasteners and bolts and their strengths and installation procedures. The detailer must be a top-notch draftsperson, be proficient in AutoCAD or other CAD systems, and be an expert in geometry and trigonometric calculations.

A steel detailer is a person who produces detailed drawings for steel fabricators and steel erectors. The detailer prepares detailed plans, drawings and other documents for the manufacture and erection of steel members

Responsibilities

All steel members required to build the structure are fabricated and erected from shop and erection drawings created by the structural steel detailer.
The steel detailer creates his drawings based on information presented on design drawings created by a structural engineer (structural design drawings) and/or architect (architectural design drawings. In this way the detailer acts as an interpreter of the design drawings for the fabricator. A steel detailer prepares two primary types of drawings: erection drawings and shop drawings. Erection drawings are used to guide the steel erector on the construction site ("in the field") as to where and how to erect the fabricated steel members. Shop drawings, also called detail drawings, are used to specify the exact requirements for fabricating each individual member of a structure, and are used by the steel fabricator to fabricate these members.

The detailer must comply with the requirements of the design drawings and with all industry standards and protocols, such as those established by the American Institute of Steel Construction. (AISC) and the American welding society (AWS). The detailer is not usually responsible for design, including structural strength and integrity (which are the responsibility of the structural engineer) major dimensions of the structure and compliance with relevant building codes (which are the responsibility of the architect). A detailer is generally required to submit his drawings to the structural engineer and/or architect for review prior to the release of drawings for fabrication. In the case of non-building projects there is typically no architect, and detail drawings are reviewed exclusively by the structural engineer of record. This design review ideally assures engineering accuracy and compliance with the design intent.

Techniques

Traditionally, steel detailing was accomplished via manual drafting methods, using pencils, paper, and drafting tools such as a parallel bar or drafting machine, triangles, templates of circles and other useful shapes, and mathematical tables, such as tables of logarithms and other useful calculation aids. Eventually, hand held calculators were incorporated into the traditional practice.
Today, manual drafting has been largely replaced by computer-aided drawing(CAD). A steel detailer using computer-aided methods creates his drawings on a computer, using software specifically designed for the purpose, and printing out his drawings on paper only when they are complete. A basic knowledge of general engineering principles and the methods of structural and miscellaneous steel fabrication, however acquired, is essential to the practice of this discipline.
                                                                                   
A detailer's drawings generally go through several phases. The drawing must also be checked for accuracy and completeness by another detailer (called, for this purpose, the checker). Comments arising from designer review and corrections made during checking must be resolved, and the original drawing must be updated accordingly. After this, the drawing may be released to the fabricator and/or erector for use in construction.

Project Management

Driven by our desire to make the process easier and more efficient for the fabricator, ICS has developed project management strategies which emphasize communication and problem solving.

What can you expect when you contact ICS with a project that needs detailing?

You can expect to receive an estimate for the detailing of your project in a timely manner, usually within a day of receipt of plan documents. Our estimators will work with you to determine exactly what is included/ excluded from the bid, and to negotiate the best price possible to fit within your budget.

You can expect a detailed project schedule for receipt of approval drawings. Our project managers will communicate with you and/or the contractor to determine priorities, and then devise a detailing schedule which can best meet those needs.

You can expect our detailers to understand the building process from foundation to roof, and to be responsive to individual fabrication shop requirements. Our detailers have honed their skills through years of experience with a wide range of building types and through expert knowledge of our 3D modeling software and AutoCad. We detail according to AISC standards and have a thorough knowledge of how to apply the standards to each individual situation.

You can expect that, as the project flows through our detailing room, Requests for Information (RFIs) are forwarded efficiently and every effort is made to facilitate timely communication with engineers and architects, according to your desires, for the quickest handling of questions.

You can expect that, upon completion of detailing, our experienced checkers take a "fine-tooth comb" to the drawings to ensure accurate details. Corrections are made and the drawings reach the fabricator in a cleaned-up fully checked state, ready to be submitted for approval.

You can expect that, during the approval process, our detailers and project managers are always available to answer questions or clarify drawings.

You can expect that, once drawings are received back from approval, they are handled in the most efficient way possible. If few changes are necessary, they are given the final check over and released for fabrication within one week

You can expect that, when the project goes into fabrication and erection, our detailers and project managers will be available to assist in whatever way possible to ensure the smoothest possible fabrication and erection of steel.