Steel Detailing and the Essential Tools You Need

How do you know the next skyscraper you drive by is not going to topple and crush you to bits? Steel Detailing. That’s the process of creating a metal skeleton to keep all monuments and establishments standing upright. This is when we thank all the design engineers for doing their job and ensuring public safety. If you’re overflowing with gratitude too and would like to lend a hand to this area,  you need to know what steel detailing is and how it works.

So, how do you begin modeling and creating these steel details? Well, it depends on what you are working with. This article will walk you through some of the steel detailing essentials that you need to know before you get started.

What are the types of steel detailing?

There are several applications of steel detail modeling techniques. From your local bakery shop to the skyscraper that you pass by on the highway, it all relies on accurate design engineering. There are three ways this modeling works.

Erection Drawings

These drawings are guides for the steel erector used in the construction site. These include illustrations of steel members or the material used for construction. These drawings specify the kind of work that needs to be done, such as welding, anchoring, bolting, etc.

Shop Drawings

Modeling for shop drawings covers the material used, the size of members, and the dimensions of bolts, welts and other steel structures. Since this type of drawing is made for fab shops, they don’t contain any information or images of the establishment that’s going to use them. Those are included in the erection illustrations.

Computer-aided Drafting

It’s unsurprising that manual drafting for structuring has now been replaced by modeling software. That’s what most pots use anyway. The standardized industry tools for steel detailing are Tekla Structures and SDS/2. These software are used to create 3D models of the steel skeleton and bearings that will be used in the establishment.

What tools can you use for your steel detailing project?

There are several automation tools that have completely transformed the way in which steel detailing works. Let’s take a closer look into some of them:

AutoCAD

This is arguably the most popular industry-standard software used for steel detailing automation. It is used to create both 3D and 2D models of columns, beams, and bridges for any structure needing intricate steelwork, really. This software is great for creating highly accurate models, which can then be manufactured in a fab shop.

SDS/2

This software is designed specifically for highly specialized structural steel detailing. It creates highly accurate 3D models with little to no margin for error. SDS/2 also comes with tools for creating bills of materials, drawings and CNC files.

Tekla Structures

Like the previous two, Tekla also creates 3D models of beams, columns and other cylindrical structures.  You can also make detailed illustrations of more intricate designs, which you can then send to the fab shop.

Wrapping Up

That brings us closer to what steel detailing is and the essential tools you’ll need in order to dip your hands into it. Any building, industrial plan, bridge, or large or small establishment needs this design process for its stability. It’s the job of a steel detailer to interpret these structural and architectural engineering drawings. And with the information in this blog, you’re good to start!