Quality checks in steel detailing are essential for ensuring that every deliverable—drawings, RFIs, or reports—is accurate, complete, and aligned with the client’s expectations. At ESD Solutions, we believe that systematic checks embedded at key workflow stages are the cornerstone of minimizing costly errors, boosting efficiency, and fostering stakeholder trust. This article will share how we approach quality checks, why they matter, and the principles we follow to ensure every project’s success.
When You Should Perform Checks?
Accuracy and completeness are the foundation of high-quality work in steel detailing. They ensure that deliverables are reliable, practical, and professional. Anything less invites costly mistakes, delays, and frustration.
For the best quality, each piece of work should be checked and… checked again! This applies to all important stages of our projects:
“For Approval” Release
Before submitting erection & shop drawings to the design team, verify that all details align with the design intent and meet the project requirements.
Each “For Approval” Resubmittal
Carefully review updated drawings to ensure all mark-ups are applied and tracked. Approver comments often impact other areas of the project, so it’s vital to analyze potential ripple effects on the overall building system.
“For Construction” Release
Final checking of drawings for fabrication to ensure they are fabrication-ready and include all necessary information, such as dimensions, weld symbols, and other critical details.
Any Types of Revisions and Updates
Verify that the drawings are revised to include any changes or updates in the design. Track how these revisions impact neighboring structures and the overall building idea.
Field Requests
Use site-specific adjustments by thoroughly reviewing field requests to ensure that all required dimensions for modeling are accurately specified and highlighted by “VIF” labels. This prevents the fabricator from needing multiple trips to the construction site for measurements, which can be costly and time-consuming. Ideally, people should be able to capture all necessary dimensions in a single field visit, streamlining the process and minimizing disruptions.
Request for Information (RFI)
Well-define RFIs, providing all necessary clarifications to prevent misunderstandings or an additional round of questions & answers.
Focusing on accuracy and completeness at every step ensures smooth project execution, avoids errors, and builds trust with clients and stakeholders.
Types of Quality Checks in Steel Detailing
Based on our years of experience, we divide quality checks in steel detailing into two main categories. Both are essential for a successful project.
1. “Algorithmic” Checks
These are systematic and checklist-driven checks, basically for straightforward comparisons like:
- Does this dimension match the design?
- Are all required sections included in the drawing?
- Does the top-of-steel elevations match the structural set?
Algorithmic checks ensure consistency and address clear, measurable criteria, making them efficient for standard elements. These checks are basically a bunch of simple questions we ask ourselves, looking at each element piece by piece. Discipline is the key to success here.
2. “In-Depth” Checks
Detailed checks involve reasoning and a better understanding of the project. These are most of the time unique to specific designs and therefore, check:
- Constructability
Can the steel frame be erected as planned?
- Site Compatibility
Are there conflicts with existing site conditions?
- Project Dependencies
How does this change or revision affect steel or other parts of the building?
While algorithmic checks answer “Does this match the design?” in-depth checks tackle broader questions like “What could go wrong here?” and “Does this solution make sense?”
Core Principles for Algorithmic Checks
Algorithmic checks ensure that the design, Erection, and Shop drawings are in complete harmony. The key principles are:
- Everything in the design must appear in the drawing. Make sure everything from structural plans, sections, and notes shows up. Adjacent structures, dimensions, and connections must also be correctly represented.
- Everything in the drawing must have a reason. Text, graphics, and annotations need to align with the design or approved changes. Nothing irrelevant should be present.
- Aesthetic quality matters. Drawings should be visually clear and professional, minimizing confusion for the end user.
Core Principles for In-Depth Checks
In-depth checks are guided by “engineering intuition” and logical reasoning. They focus on the broader context of the design and its practicality.
- No issues with constructability. Ensure that all the elements are sized, located, and connected so that they can be constructed as intended
- No issues with usability. Verify that the structure can function as intended without causing problems during its lifetime
- If something looks wrong, it probably is. Trust your professional intuition. Any detail that seems wrong or unsafe should be carefully reviewed and resolved.
Who Performs the Checks?
At ESD Solutions, quality checks involve several layers of responsibility, ensuring every detail is reviewed thoroughly. Our process begins with the detailer carefully reviewing their own work. Only after they ensure it meets all requirements is the work considered complete and passed on to the team lead. The team lead then conducts a second, thorough review before delivering it to the client. This multi-step process not only improves accuracy but also creates efficiencies throughout the workflow. While this is how we approach quality assurance, your process might look different—but the goal is the same: delivering precise and reliable results.
Why Use Multiple Layers of Checks?
- Cleaner Drawings for Team Leads. Having detailers review their work first ensures that team leads receive cleaner drawings, reducing the time required for high-level checks.
- Different Perspectives, Fewer Errors. Two sets of eyes often catch details that might escape one person. This diversity in perspective helps identify non-obvious issues and minimizes oversight.
- Overall Reduction in Errors. By layering the review process, the likelihood of errors making it to the final deliverable is significantly reduced, improving quality and trust.
Roles in the Process
- Detailers: Every detailer is responsible for an initial review of their work. This includes checking dimensions, welds, and compliance with standards.
- Team Leads: Acting as the second layer of review, team leads ensure all algorithmic and in-depth checks are performed, catching anything the first review might miss.
By building layers into the quality assurance process, our team ensures that every deliverable meets the highest standards, saving time and costs for our clients.
Why Quality Checks in Steel Detailing Are Crucial
Quality checks are not just about avoiding mistakes but about delivering work that reflects professionalism and expertise. When performed efficiently, these checks save time and reduce costs by minimizing reworks. They prevent delays in the overall project flow and help maintain trust with clients through high-quality deliverables.
Quality checks will also ensure the confidence and skill of team members to handle complex projects more efficiently. By combining systematic precision with thoughtful analysis, teams can achieve accurate, reliable, and efficient results.
