BIM Services

BIM Solutions

BIM Consulting

CADD Services

Expertise

Solutions

BIM Capability Assessment

Know your BIM SWAG!

Are you a Starter, Warrior, Achiever or Guru? Discover where your organization stands on the BIM readiness with our complimentary assessment.

Blog

42 Important Building Drawings Used in Construction

November 15, 2024

Share

These drawings are typically produced using computer-aided design (CAD) software, allowing for precise detailing, revision control, and integration with other disciplines’ drawings.

Different types of drawings are needed for building construction. In this article, we have explained 42 types of drawings in detail. Each type serves a specific purpose in conveying critical information to various stakeholders involved in building project design, approval, construction, and maintenance.

Types of Drawings

Architectural Drawings
  • Concept Drawings: Concept Drawings are initial handmade building illustrations that provide an overview of the structure to architects, engineers, and even interior designers. Concept Drawings assist architects in understanding the actual architectural elements of the structure.
  • Site Plans: A site plan is a crucial architectural blueprint depicting the layout of a particular building site. Site Plan also shows the location of the building and the surrounding entities. Zoning is also the part of the Site Plan that defines the site comes under a residential zone or industrial zone.
  • Floor Plans: This more detailed version of the room layout includes both 2D and 3D floor plans, crafted for homes, shops, or commercial projects, regardless of their use in construction. They illustrate room layouts with precise dimensions and asset placements, aiding in understanding how to maximize limited space effectively. Floor plans not only depict spatial use but also help visualize installations, ensuring optimal utilization of room dimensions and functionality.
  • Cross-Sectional Drawings: Vertical views cutting through the building to show internal structure. Cross-sections enable architects to see various aspects of a building from a vertical viewpoint. This two-dimensional representation is invaluable for depicting both the exposed and concealed elements of a structure. The cross-section also shows the nearby things like buildings, drainages, and other present things.
  • Elevation Drawings: The name itself specifies the height of the building or structure, it also includes doors and windows measurements. Apart from the building height it also helps to determine the direction of the wind and sun.
  • Landscape Drawings: The landscape drawing depicts the aerial view of the structure or building, encompassing trees, streetlights, roads, parking areas, gardens, and other exterior elements. In addition, it illustrates everything outside the building in a single view.
  • Finishing Drawings: The finishing drawing and the elevation drawing are closely related as they both depict the finer details of the 3D model. Finishing drawings play a crucial role in enhancing the aesthetic appeal of buildings, encompassing elements such as false ceilings, floor patterns, paint colors, and other features that provide a finishing look to the structure
  • Working Drawings: Engineers and architects develop a working drawing to help contractors and other construction professionals define the project’s scope. Working drawing shows the dimensions, layouts, and other details of the architectural element. Construction methods to be used in the projects are also part of working drawing.
  • General Notes: A general note is not a drawing, but a set of information related to a construction building. General notes include the client’s specification, design intent, codes, length, construction type, assembly guidelines, some abbreviations, and every other information that is used in the construction.
  • As Built Drawings: As-built drawing is a drawing that helps us to compare the original plan and the final output. With the help of As-built drawings, we get to know if the drawings provided by contractors and the final output are the same or have any changes. As-built drawings help contractors spot and fix the issues early.  
  • Single Line Drawings: The single-line drawing shows the structure of rooms in a building. It also shows the size of the room and the positions of the doors and windows. A line plan is a representation of how everything in the room will be planned up.
  • Penetration Drawings: Penetration drawings are intended for structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection systems. They are dimensionally figuring all sleeve/core and shaft penetrations through floors and walls, including the exact opening size and rough-in measurements.
  • Shop Drawings: A shop drawing is an informational document mostly prepared by contractors, subcontractors, and manufacturers which gives information on how to assemble and install the components. The intent of the shop drawing is the technical aspect of construction.
  • Location Drawings: The location Drawing offers a complete outline of a certain region. This architectural drawing shows a clearer picture of the projected development area and the size of adjacent structures such as roads, lanes, and building borders. Don’t get confused this is different from the site plan.
  • General Arrangement Drawings: These drawings depict the size and relationships of several components. These designs may also contain specifications and detailed drawings. The drawing scale indicates the amount of detail, and GA drawings can be created using CAD-based software, hand-drawn sketches, or 3D BIM modeling.
  • Centreline Plan: A centreline provides a better understanding and the perfect position of the columns on the construction site. Normally centreline plan is used to display the circular and cylindrical features in a drawing.
  • Excavation Drawings: The purpose of the excavation drawing is to know the length, width, and depth of the structure to be excavated. Apart from the excavation site dimensions it also helps to understand the removal of soil, the scope of the excavation, and the complete process of excavation. The processes of excavation, types of processes used, equipment used, and the strategies used are also shown in the Excavation drawing.
  • Column Drawing: Column Drawings illustrate the column height, column size, column pattern, and the distance between the two columns. Column drawing is very helpful for the contractors to understand the entire plan of the building.
Architectural Drawings
Structural Drawings
  • Roof Layout: The roof plan depicts a realistic roof view, floors, and other surfaces with precise edge data. A roof arrangement ensures that the roof structure is robust and secure. The major function of roof slabs is to provide a comprehensive description of the roof faces, floors, and other surfaces that require precise edge information.
  • Wall Section: Wall section drawings depict all construction components, from foundation to roof. One may simply obtain the appropriate levels, size, and location. For example, we can see the arrangement of the plinth beam, lintel beams, and roof beams, as well as features like size, and location.
  • Block Plans: A block plan is a design of a wider area specifically near the buildings for example neighboring building boundaries, roads, and other such components. Block Plan helps engineers and builders to do better execution of the building without interfering with others.
  • Framing Plans: The framing plan provides detailed information on the size, framework, and position of the beam, columns, and walls. Framing plans are useful for builders as they get to know them and make the plan floor, roof, and other structures where needed.
  • Component Drawing: The drawings provided by a product manufacturer are referred to as component drawings. They give an understanding of the markings and other sub-parts and views from various angles.
  • Fabrication Drawings: Fabrication drawings give the actual information on the fabrication of different MEP components. Fabrication Drawings are very important for any construction and manufacturing industry. Fabrication Drawings help fabricators and welders to do their work accurately and correctly.
  • Assembly Drawings: The two structural components how co related to each other explained by the Assembly drawing. The components are prefabricated and installed at such a position that they fit there perfectly.
  • Design Drawings: The design drawing shows the design intent and the building specification, design drawings are like concept drawings. Sections, Elevation, and MEP designs are part of the Design drawing. They may also be used to offer design ideas to stakeholders and then provide an overview to design teams for consideration.
  • Foundation Plans: Foundation plans convey the size, position, shapes, and location of beams, as well as various structural aspects of a building. These plans are crucial not just for the building’s base but for every floor throughout the structure.
  • Mould Drawings: Mould drawings are necessary for manufacturers to comprehend prototypes of products or columns since they define concrete casting measurements and sizes inside a design utilizing a mold. This approach speeds up concrete element manufacture and makes on-site assembly easier by including detailed instructions in the design.
  • Erection Drawings: Erection drawings show how precast structural components are erected on-site. Each structural part has a unique ID and that unique ID is also specified in erection drawings, along with the corresponding erection sequence, which aids in speedier and error-free onsite construction.
  • Installation Drawings: Installation drawings help contractors visualize the installation of ventilation, heating, and cooling systems. They serve as visual guides to pinpoint the location of MEP systems with interconnections. Installation drawings minimize errors, reduce misinterpretations, and ensure streamlined implementation. So, a plan to help with all kinds of installation can be useful to the contractors and the development team.
1
MEP Drawings
  • Electrical Drawings: The electric drawing shows all the electric connections and all other things related to electric connections including TVs, Fans, AC, Lighting, and many other electric components. Electric drawing helps the electrician to make all electric connections properly.
  • Plumbing Drawings: Plumbing drawings show the Layout of pipes, fixtures, and plumbing systems to help plumbers locate the taps, showers, water pipe, and drainage pipe in the proper place. Plumbing drawings are as much important as electrical drawings.
  • Drainage Drawings: Drainage drawings show the fresh water and the wastewater going inside as well as outside of the building. It also shows the size of the pipe with different color coding so that it will be easy to understand the purpose of the dedicated pipes.
  • HVAC Drawings: HVAC or Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, HVAC is a part of mechanical engineering which is why it is also called mechanical drawing. HVAC is used to maintain the temperature inside the building in any season with the help of the Thermostat, Heat Pump, Air Conditioner, Air Filter, etc. All the above-mentioned things are shown in the HVAC drawings.        
  • Fire Protection Drawings: Fire protection drawings not only map out the precise locations of water outlets, fire hoses, and firefighting points but also outline comprehensive fire prevention strategies that must be taken and safety systems to be installed. Fire protection drawings outline the safety element’s location like the fire exit, fire extinguisher, etc, and help to reduce the risks at the site.
  • Detail Drawings: A detail drawing in construction is like a map that shows exactly how each part of a building should be put together, ensuring everything fits perfectly and works smoothly. It’s the architect’s careful plan brought to life, ensuring every detail is just right for a safe and beautiful structure.
mep drawing 1
Miscellaneous Drawings
  • Perspective Drawings: Perspective word is derived from the Latin word “perspicere” which means “to see through” The itself defines what is perspective drawings. Perspective drawings show three-dimensional views on a two-dimensional flat surface which seems realistic.
  • Production Drawings: Production drawings demonstrate how to build a product. Production Drawings work as a complete guide to construction professionals which includes dimensions, materials, finishes, tools required, methods of assembly, etc. Workers and managers on the shop floor or production line make use of them as instructional reference documents to help them make the necessary supplies.
  • Submission Drawings: Construction of any building cannot be directly started, first, they must get permission from the local authority. To get construction permission they must submit a set of documents to the authority and these documents are called Submission Drawing it is also known as permit drawings. The drawing includes floor plans, sections, index plans, elevation drawings, etc.
  • Environmental Plans: Environmental plans are used to make the construction eco-friendly without harming any natural resources including soil, trees, rivers, etc. In short environmental planning is to balance human activities and the environment. With the help of environmental planning, we can find the areas where the development can take place with less negative impact on the environment.
  • Presentation Drawings: Presentation Drawings are used to convey the design intent to stakeholders, clients, and colleagues. Presentation drawing shows the aesthetic view and key features of a building to be constructed including conceptual sketches, renderings, plans, elevations, and sections.
  • Survey Drawings: Survey drawing shows the measurement of land or a building. To get an accurate measurement of a building architects work with an accurate set of survey drawings.

All building design drawings shown above are part of the building drawing. In every type of construction, these drawings are used. When these drawings did not exist raw building sketch was the only option but now with the help of technology and skilled personnel easy building drawings are made possible.

To execute any construction project smoothly building drawings are the most important thing. From the ground floor to the top floor of any building construction drawings work as a guide for contractors and every construction professional.

Latest Posts

Collaborate with Excelize

On a mission to make AECO community future-ready
and successful with technology

Contact us
Copyright © 2024 Excelize
Get a quote