【Haichuan Construction Technology】Points to Note for Reviewing Steel Structure Drawings

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Points to Note for the Review of Steel Structure Drawings The review of steel structure drawings is a crucial step prior to project construction. Its purpose is to identify and resolve issues such as errors, omissions, conflicts, and deficiencies in the drawings in advance, ensuring smooth construction and avoiding rework and financial losses. Below is how we typically conduct a systematic assessment from five aspects: overall review, structural review, feasibility review of construction and installation, coordination with other specialties, and review techniques. 1. Overall and compliance review 1. Completeness of drawings: Check whether the entire set of drawings (including design specifications, foundation plans, embedded parts diagrams, floor plans of steel columns/beams, detailed drawings of components, detailed drawings of joints, stair plans, maintenance system diagrams, etc.) is complete, and whether the drawings bear valid signatures and stamps. 2. Design basis: Verify whether the codes, regulations, and standards cited in the design specifications are currently in force, and whether the values assigned to loads (permanent loads, live loads, wind loads, snow loads, seismic forces, etc.) are accurate and reasonable, in compliance with the requirements of the location where the project is situated. Whether the citation standards and atlases are inconsistent with the drawings themselves, etc. 3. Drawing consistency: · Whether the elevations, axes, and positioning dimensions are consistent among different type of drawings such as architectural drawings, structural drawings, and mechanical and electrical drawings. · Whether the steel structure design drawings match the detailed design (fabrication) drawings. · Are the dimensions, elevations, materials, and other information in the general plan and detailed drawings consistent with each other? 4. Design instructions: Carefully read the general design specifications and the specific instructions for steel structures, paying particular attention to: · The grade and quality level of the steel (such as Q355B, C, D, Q235B). · Performance grade, specifications, and requirements for friction surface treatment of connection bolts. · Welding groove shape, welding quality grade, and inspection requirements. · Rust removal grade, type of anti-corrosion coating and film thickness, type of fire-resistant coating and fire resistance rating. · Special requirements for processing, transportation, and installation. II. Structural System and Node Review 1. Rationality of structural layout: · Whether the column layout meets the building’s functional and operational requirements. · Whether the setting of the support systems (horizontal supports, inter-column supports) is reasonable and complete, whether they can form a stable spatial structural system, and whether the force transmission paths are clear. · Whether the cross-sectional design of the main components (beams, columns) is economically reasonable. 2. Design of key nodes: Nodes are the core of steel structures and must be carefully examined. · Beam-column joint: Rigid or hinged? Whether the node construction (such as the placement of stiffeners) is reasonable and consistent with the assumptions of the computational model. Is the arrangement of bolts or welds in the node area too dense, resulting in construction difficulties? · Column base joint: Is it external, embedded, or exposed? The specifications of the anchor bolts, their burial depth, and the accuracy of their positioning – was consideration given to room for installation adjustments? · Connection joint between primary and secondary beams: is it hinged or rigid? Check whether the dimensions of the connecting plate and the number of bolts are sufficient, and whether the web of the secondary beam needs to be chamfered to avoid collisions. · Splicing nodes: Whether the locations for factory splicing and on-site splicing are appropriate, and whether the connection methods (welding or bolts) are suitable for on-site handling. 3. Stability: Assess whether the overall and local stability of the components is ensured during construction and in service, such as whether the limits for slenderness ratios and width-to-thickness ratios meet the requirements of the codes. III. Feasibility review of construction and installation 1. Processing and transportation: · Do the dimensions of the components exceed the factory’s processing capabilities or transportation limits (such as being too long or too wide)? · Has factory segmentation and on-site assembly for large components been considered, and are the locations of segmentation and the joint methods appropriate? 2. Lifting and installation: · Whether the weight of the components matches the lifting capacity of the tower crane/crane on site. · Is sufficient space for lifting, operation, and adjustment reserved? · Whether the installation of temporary bolt holes and safety lifting holes (lugs) is reasonable and safe. · Is there enough space to tighten the high-strength bolts, and can the electric wrench be positioned properly? 3. Welding accessibility: · Whether the weld location (especially field welds) is convenient for the welder to work on, whether there are any dead corners where welding or inspection is not possible, and the weld grade, etc. · Are there too many weld positions with high difficulty such as overhead welding and vertical welding, and is it possible to optimize them? 4. Tolerances and deformation: · Do the drawings specify the allowable deviations for machining and installation? · Were welding deformation and lifting deformation taken into account, and corresponding process measures (such as counter-deformation) proposed? IV. Coordination review with other specialties 1. With the architecture specialty: · Whether steel columns and steel supports affect building door and window openings as well as interior spaces. · Ensure that the connection points between the wall materials (such as vertically installed colored steel plates, horizontally installed colored steel plates, ALC panels, and composite panels) and the steel structure are well defined. · Does the thickness of the fireproof coating conflict with the building finishing layer? 2. In conjunction with the mechanical and electrical engineering field: · Pipeline penetration: Are openings in the steel beam webs provided for the penetration of mechanical and electrical components (ducts, pipes, cable trays)? Do the location and size of the openings weaken the beam cross-section, and are there any reinforcement measures? · Equipment foundations: Whether the loads from equipment such as air conditioning units and fans are transmitted to the steel structure, and whether their positions are accurate. · Embedded components: Are mechanical and electrical supports, curtain wall embedded parts, etc., accurately indicated on the steel structure drawings to avoid drilling later on. 3. In coordination with the civil engineering team: · Check whether the interface between the steel structure column foot and the concrete foundation is clear, and whether there is any collision between the embedded anchor bolts and the foundation rebar. · Treatment of the junction between steel structure floor slabs and concrete floor slabs. ·Treatment of the connection between door and window openings and the civil structure. V. Skills and Preparation for Drawing Review 1. Pre-review preparation: · Organize relevant personnel from construction, technology, budgeting, and detailed design to review the drawings together and create a list of issues. · Overlay and compare the various professional drawings (architecture, structure, mechanical and electrical) to identify \"collisions\" in advance. · For complex nodes, a simple three-dimensional visualization or modeling can be carried out to verify their feasibility. 2. Strategies for the meeting: · The problem should be stated clearly; it’s best to indicate the location on the drawings (drawing number, axis), describe the issue, and offer preliminary suggestions of your own. · Ask questions in the order of \"first the major aspects, then the minor ones; first the key points, then the secondary ones,\" addressing fundamental issues such as the structural system and major nodes first. · Keep detailed records; the responses from the design agency should be clearly documented as a basis for future construction and settlement. 3. Post-meeting follow-up: · Compile the minutes of the review in a timely manner, and distribute them after they are signed and sealed by all parties, so that they can serve as documents with the same legal validity as the construction drawings. · Reflect the changes in the minutes on the construction drawings. Summary: The key to reviewing steel structure drawings is to \"look at the design drawings from a construction perspective.\" It is necessary to examine not only its theoretical correctness but also its practical feasibility and professional coherence. A successful drawing review can effectively avoid risks, save costs, and ensure project timelines.