92+ Steel & Detailing
Terms Defined.

A three-dimensional digital representation of the structural steel — every member, connection, plate, bolt, and weld mod…

American Institute of Steel Construction — the industry organization that publishes standards governing structural steel…

A drawing showing the exact location, diameter, projection, and embedment of anchor bolts relative to column grid lines.…

The formal package of drawings submitted to the engineer or general contractor for review before fabrication begins. A s…

A document issued by the architect to clarify or supplement contract documents without changing the contract price or ti…

Allowable Stress Design — an alternative structural design method to LRFD. ASD compares actual stresses in the steel to …

A shop drawing that shows a group of individual pieces welded or bolted together to form a single shipping unit. The ass…

American Society for Testing and Materials — the organization that publishes material specifications for structural stee…

A 2D drafting software platform by Autodesk. While 3D BIM platforms have largely replaced AutoCAD for structural steel d…

American Welding Society Structural Welding Code — the governing standard for structural steel welds in the United State…

A steel plate welded to the bottom of a column that distributes column loads to the foundation. Base plates are designed…

A horizontal structural member that spans between supports and carries gravity loads. Beams transfer loads to columns or…

A complete list of all steel members, plates, and hardware required for a project — including piece marks, section sizes…

A structural connection made using high-strength bolts. Bolted connections may be designed as bearing-type or slip-criti…

A diagonal structural member used to resist lateral loads (wind, seismic) through truss action. Braces may be in an X pa…

A process and technology in which a building project is represented as an intelligent 3D model containing not only geome…

A deliberate upward pre-bend introduced into a steel beam during fabrication to compensate for deflection under load. Wh…

A formal modification to the contract scope, price, or schedule agreed upon by the owner and contractor. Change orders t…

The process of analyzing a combined multi-discipline BIM model to identify conflicts between structural steel and other …

An L-shaped steel angle used as a simple shear connection. Clip angles may be shop-welded to the support and field-bolte…

Computer Numerical Control — the use of programmed computer instructions to automate machine operations. In structural s…

AISC 303 — a document establishing the standard of care and practice for structural steel fabrication and erection in th…

A vertical structural member that transfers compressive axial loads from beams and floors above to the foundation below.…

A bolted or welded joint that connects two column sections end to end to achieve the required column height. Column spli…

A groove weld in which the weld metal extends through the full thickness of the parts being joined. CJP welds provide ma…

The engineering process of sizing and detailing the bolted or welded connections between structural steel members to tra…

A combined BIM model that aggregates structural, MEP, and architectural models for clash detection and coordination revi…

A notch cut from the top or bottom flange of a beam to allow it to frame into another member. Copes are detailed on shop…

A heavy structural member specifically designed to support an overhead crane rail and carry the dynamic rolling loads fr…

A process in which the Engineer of Record formally delegates the design of specific elements — typically connections — t…

A document showing planned start and completion dates for key detailing milestones — including model development, IFA su…

Digitale Schnittstelle Transfer von Vereinheitlicht — a standardized neutral file format for transferring structural ste…

The native file format for AutoCAD drawings. DWG files contain 2D or 3D drawing data and are commonly exchanged between …

Drawing Exchange Format — an open file format for CAD data. DXF files allow drawing data to be shared across different C…

A steel plate or assembly cast into concrete to provide an attachment point for steel members. Embeds may be simple plat…

A connection in which a plate is shop-welded to the end of a beam or column, then field-bolted to a matching plate on th…

The licensed structural engineer of record responsible for the overall structural design of the building. The EOR review…

A drawing that shows how individual pieces and assemblies are erected in the field. Erection drawings identify piece mar…

The permitted deviation from theoretical position during field erection of structural steel. Erection tolerances are gov…

A plan showing when each phase of steel fabrication will begin and end, organized by area, floor, or sequence. The fabri…

The permitted dimensional variation from specified dimensions in a fabricated steel member. Fabrication tolerances are g…

The most common type of structural weld — a roughly triangular cross-section weld applied to the intersection of two pie…

A set of written instructions that apply to an entire drawing or drawing set. General notes typically specify material s…

A primary horizontal structural member that supports secondary beams. Girders typically span between columns and carry t…

A weld made in a groove formed between the edges of two pieces being joined. Groove welds are used when full penetration…

A flat steel plate used to connect multiple structural members at a joint — particularly bracing members at columns or b…

A structural bolt meeting ASTM F3125 (formerly A325 or A490) specifications, used in structural steel connections. High-…

Hollow Structural Section — a steel tube section with a square, rectangular, or round cross-section. HSS members are use…

An open, neutral file format standard for BIM data exchange. IFC allows different BIM software platforms to share model …

A single corporate detailing organization that combines project leadership, technical production, and quality control un…

A drawing status indicating that the drawing has been submitted to the engineer or owner for review and approval. IFA dr…

The drawing status indicating full approval — the drawing has been reviewed, all comments incorporated, and it is releas…

A light steel member used to span between beams or walls to support a floor deck or roof deck. Steel joists are typicall…

A meeting between the detailer and fabricator at the start of a project to review drawings, establish drawing standards,…

A specification that defines the degree of completeness of a building model element at various project stages. LOD 300 i…

Load and Resistance Factor Design — the probabilistic structural design method used in AISC 360. LRFD applies separate l…

Annotations, corrections, or comments added to a drawing — either digitally or on paper — indicating changes needed befo…

A simplified list of steel stock required for a project, organized by section size and grade. Material lists are used fo…

Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing — the building systems that frequently conflict with structural steel members. MEP …

An intermediate elevated floor structure built within a larger structure. Steel mezzanines are common in warehouses and …

A category of structural steel work encompassing items not included in the primary structural package — such as stairs, …

The actual software file containing the 3D structural model — typically a Tekla model file (.db1) or SDS/2 model. The mo…

A structural connection designed to transfer bending moment between connected members. Moment connections are used in ri…

A project review and clash detection software platform by Autodesk. Navisworks aggregates models from multiple disciplin…

The common filename extension for DSTV-format CNC data files generated from structural steel detailing software. NC1 fil…

The process of optimally arranging multiple parts on a steel plate or section to minimize material waste during cutting.…

Additional detailing capacity engaged by a fabricator when internal capacity is insufficient to meet project schedule de…

A groove weld that does not penetrate the full thickness of the joined parts. PJP welds have lower strength than CJP wel…

The delivery of approved drawings in prioritized sequences rather than waiting for the entire project to be complete. Ph…

A unique alphanumeric identifier assigned to each individual steel member or assembly in the model. Piece marks are pain…

Quality Assurance and Quality Control — the processes and checks applied to ensure that fabricated steel meets design re…

Handwritten or marked-up corrections made on a printed drawing, typically in red pen. Redlines communicate requested cha…

A document submitted by the contractor to the owner requesting a change order — typically in response to unforeseen cond…

A formal written question submitted by the detailer to the engineer or architect requesting clarification on a design is…

A formal request for pricing submitted to a steel detailer by a fabricator or contractor. A complete RFQ includes struct…

A formal update to a previously issued drawing. Each revision should be clouded (revision cloud marks the area of change…

A graphical indicator drawn on a revised drawing to highlight the area of change. Revision clouds allow reviewers and sh…

The defined body of work included in the detailing contract — specifying which members are to be modeled, which drawings…

A structural steel detailing software platform by Design Data. SDS/2 is widely used in North America as an alternative t…

A headed steel stud welded to the top flange of a composite steel beam. Shear studs transfer horizontal shear forces bet…

A simple shear connection consisting of a plate shop-welded to a support member (column or girder web) and field-bolted …

A detailed drawing produced by the steel detailer showing how individual steel members are fabricated and assembled. Sho…

A shop drawing that shows one individual steel piece — a plate, bar, tube, or rolled section — in complete detail. Inclu…

A written document, typically prepared by the structural engineer or owner, that defines material requirements, quality …

A plate welded perpendicular to a web to prevent buckling or to transfer concentrated loads at connection points. Stiffe…

The comprehensive process of interpreting structural engineering drawings and producing the detailed 3D model, shop draw…

A 3D structural steel detailing and Building Information Modeling (BIM) software platform by Trimble. Tekla is the indus…

A document that accompanies a drawing submittal, listing all drawings included, their revision level, submittal date, an…

A structural assembly of members arranged in a triangular pattern to span long distances efficiently. Trusses are used f…

A permanent joint formed by fusing steel components using heat and filler material. Structural welds are classified by t…

A standardized graphical notation on a drawing indicating the type, size, length, and location of a required weld. Weld …

The most widely used structural steel section — an I-shaped cross-section with flanges that are nearly parallel. Wide fl…