Drawings are crucial in the construction industry for communicating the viewpoint and philosophies of the designer to site workers. Construction uses a variety of drawings, including architectural drawings, structural, electrical, plumbing, mechanical drawings, and finishing drawings. These blueprints offer construction details and layout designs for every building component. The drawings can show how the project will look, inside and outside, or they can include exact measurements and other construction-related information.
Learn more about the functions of mechanical drawings in construction documentation in this article. Keep on reading to learn more!
Mechanical Drawing: Definition and explanation
A technical painting, known as a “mechanical engineering drawings or mechanical drawings,” displays details on the building’s heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and transportation systems (elevators or lifts and escalators). It is an effective tool for analyzing intricate systems. All HVAC work must have these plans, frequently a set of comprehensive drawings needed for construction projects. They are based on the architect’s floor and reflected ceiling plans.
The job of Mechanical Drawings
MEP BIM drawings are frequently composed of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing drawings. A specific type of technical drawing is mechanical drawing. It presents data on numerous mechanical systems, including HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning).
Mechanical engineering drawings or mechanical drafts are responsible for precisely identifying all geometric aspects of the machine component. It comprises several orthographic views to transmit to the manufacturer all information about the product.
Types of Mechanical Drawings
- Manual Drawings: Manual drawings or shop drawings are done by hand using protractors, rulers, pencils, and sheets, as well as other tools.
- Drawings created using computer-aided design (CAD) software: CAD drawings are becoming the norm. They fall under the categories of 2D and 3D CAD. A method known as Building Information Modeling (BIM), which is becoming mandated by law in many regions, occasionally includes 3D CAD.
- 2D CAD: AutoCAD is frequently used for 2D CAD. You can create curves and straight lines with AutoCAD. Additionally, the software makes it simpler to fix errors.
- 3D CAD: 3D CAD systems include Rhino 3D modeling services, SolidWorks, and Autodesk Revit. These systems produce both smaller mechanical systems and larger mechanical ones. The software offers section views, projected views, and orthographic projections.
Applications of drawing in construction documentation
All building systems cannot be depicted on a single drawing without making it cluttered and difficult to read. Take offices as an example. Above the dropped ceiling are lighting fixtures, electrical wiring, air conditioning ducts, and communication networks. A better strategy is to produce distinct drawing sets for each building system; this clarifies the design requirements and reduces the chance of misinterpretation. Construction drawing plans are broken down into sets like the ones below to make them easier to understand:
- Architectural drawings
- Structural drawings
- Electrical drawings
- Mechanical drawings
Before a building permit is obtained, all building designs must be submitted to a local authority to be reviewed for code compliance and zoning regulations. Only a Professional Engineer (PE) or Registered Architect (RA) may submit plans for approval in the Department of Construction.
Applications of mechanical drawings in the construction industry
A construction project is a complex process, and it involves lots of activities. The mechanical engineering drawings are one of the most important documents that help understand the total work involved in a project. Mechanical engineering drawings are used for both design and construction works. They provide information about materials, equipment required for construction, details such as pipe size or length, etc.
All drawings are not required for all designs
You may be in a situation where you need to draw a design and have no experience or tools. If this is the case, it is possible to create your drawing using paper and some pencils. You can use this method for small projects such as designing furniture or home decorations but only if you have enough time on your hands because it takes several hours for each drawing!
CAD applications provide accuracy
CAD applications are used to create accurate drawings. The designer can change the design and then change the drawing, which updates automatically.
CAD systems must be appropriately used to achieve desired results
CAD systems are used to design and document construction projects. They allow the user to increase productivity, reduce errors by providing automated calculations, and improve quality control by allowing users to check their work before it goes out on the job site. The following are some of the most common types of CAD programs:
- MicroStation (MS) – A general-purpose structural 3D modeling engineering program allows users to create 3D drawings from 2D information such as photos or blueprints.
- Catia V5 – Used mainly in manufacturing industries where it is more commonly known as CATIA than its official name. This program offers several options for creating parametric models based on industry standards, including ISO 10001 guidelines for product design specifications and ISO 9000 certification standards, ensuring quality controls throughout production processes once finished products hit store shelves!
Designers should also be aware of the limitations of drawings
Mechanical drawing is a method used to communicate ideas and concepts. However, it’s not the only way to communicate those ideas. Designers should also be aware of some limitations of drawings:
- Mechanical Drafts are not always accurate or complete. They can be expensive to produce, difficult for others to read or understand, and difficult for designers to maintain over time as they become outdated or outmoded by new technology development in the construction industry (e.g., computer-aided design software).
- Drawing updates may require significant effort from the designer because they must revisit their original drawings and make changes based on new information learned during construction projects being designed today. These updated versions could need further revision before being distributed among project teams responsible for executing them properly.
Mechanical drafts are not only a way to communicate the idea but also help maintain good details of the work that can be useful even after the completion of the project.
Drawings are a way to communicate the idea and help maintain good details of the work. It is beneficial even after the completion of the project, as it provides detailed instructions for future use. It can be applied to many other industries like construction or manufacturing.
Conclusion
Construction blueprints are essential for the duration of a building’s life. They provide effective project requirements communication to contractors and their workforce alongside technical specifications. Construction plans are beneficial for maintenance tasks or system upgrades while facilities are already in use; make sure the drawings are updated after each change. If you are looking for experts for best MEP drawings for your upcoming projects, Getra Innovation is all you need! Make your upcoming construction projects successful with Getra Innovation!
