How Delegation Works in Practice
The EOR's structural drawings show member sizes, member locations, and design loads at each connection. The structural notes or specifications contain a statement like 'connection design delegated to fabricator's engineer.' The fabricator engages a licensed structural engineer (which may or may not be the same firm as the detailer) to design the connections using the loads provided and prepare stamped calculations. The calculations are submitted to the EOR for review, and the connections are detailed per those calculations.
Liability Implications of Delegation
When connection design is delegated, the fabricator's engineer assumes engineering liability for those connections. This is a specific PE responsibility that requires a licensed structural engineer to sign and seal the calculations. A steel detailer who is not a licensed PE cannot accept delegated connection design — they can detail connections that others have designed, but they cannot sign the engineering calculations. Fabricators who agree to delegated design without engaging a PE are accepting engineering liability without the professional qualifications to discharge it.
What the EOR Must Provide for Delegation to Work
Delegation only works when the EOR provides: design loads at each connection (shear, moment, and axial force), the governing structural standard (AISC 360, AISC 341), the seismic design category if applicable, the required prequalified connection types for seismic frames, and notation that specific connections are EOR-designed vs. delegated. Missing any of these forces the delegated engineer to make assumptions — which is the cause of most delegation-related RFIs.