The Model Is the Deliverable
The shop drawings your detailer issues are views of a database — the Tekla Structures model that contains every member, bolt, weld, and plate on the project. Fabricators who only ever receive PDFs are leaving most of that value on the table. The model itself can drive shop equipment, planning, and coordination for the life of the project.
What to Request at Handoff
Build these deliverables into your detailing contract so they arrive as a matter of course:
- CNC files (DSTV/NC1) for beam lines, drill lines, and plate processors — cut directly from the model, no re-entry errors
- IFC exports for BIM coordination with other trades and the GC's clash-detection process
- KISS or XML data for your fabrication management software (Tekla PowerFab, FabSuite, etc.)
- Bolt lists and shipping lists generated from the model, not compiled by hand
- A viewable model (Trimble Connect or Tekla web viewer) so shop and field staff can spin the structure in 3D
Use the Model on the Shop Floor
A tablet running a free model viewer at the fit-up station changes how complex assemblies get built. Instead of interpreting a 2D detail of a heavily-connected node, the fitter rotates the actual assembly in 3D, checks bolt orientations, and confirms which side of the plate the stiffener lands on. Shops that adopt this report fewer fit-up errors on exactly the assemblies that used to cause the most rework.
Erection Planning in the Model
The model knows every piece's weight, center of gravity, and connection count — everything an erector needs for crane planning and sequencing. Ask your detailer to attribute the model with erection sequence data and export sequence-colored views. Walking the erection crew through a 3D sequence review before mobilization surfaces access problems and trapped members while they're still solvable on paper.
Own Your Model
Make model ownership and delivery explicit in your detailing agreement: native Tekla files at final release, plus IFC and NC files at each fabrication release. If your detailer resists handing over the model, ask why. At Tectonix, the model belongs to the project — our fabricators get every export format their shop and their erector can use.