A steel detailer needs approved design drawings, the project specification, clear connection requirements, interface information from other disciplines, the governing standards and drawing conventions, and agreed administration rules for numbering, software, formats and review. Missing inputs do not stop detailing outright. They turn into queries, assumptions and holds, and each one adds time and revision risk. Sending a complete package at the start is the cheapest schedule protection you can buy. If you are about to request quotations, pair this checklist with our guide to writing an RFQ for a detailing package.
The checklist
1. Design information
- Structural design drawings at an agreed status (issued for construction, or frozen for the areas to be detailed)
- Plans, elevations and sections with grids, levels and member sizes
- Design model (IFC or native), if one exists, with its revision
- Member and connection forces or reactions, where the detailer is to select connections
- Camber, pre-set and special fabrication requirements
2. Specifications and materials
- Project structural steel specification
- Steel grades for profiles, plates and hollow sections
- Bolt type, grade, coating and tightening category
- Welding requirements and weld symbols convention
- Surface preparation, coating or galvanising system (this affects venting, drainage holes and slip factors)
- Fire protection allowances, if any
3. Connection responsibility and criteria
- A statement, for each connection type, of who designs it
- Standard connection details or design criteria for detailer-selected connections
- Any connections delegated to a fabricator's engineer, and how their calculations are submitted
Under ANSI/AISC 303-22, the owner's designated representative for design must indicate one of three connection options. Under BS EN 1090-2, comparable requirements belong in the execution specification. Whichever applies, it must be written down before modelling starts. Our article on connection responsibility explains the options.
4. Interfaces from other disciplines
- Piping loads, pipe support locations and penetrations (pipe racks, platforms)
- Vendor equipment drawings: footprints, anchor layouts, access and maintenance clearances
- Cable tray, ladder and instrument support requirements
- Foundation and anchor bolt drawings, or confirmation that the detailer prepares anchor plans
- Existing structure drawings or survey data for brownfield tie-ins
- Architectural or cladding interfaces, where applicable
5. Standards and project conventions
- Governing standards and editions named in the specification (for example AISC 360/303, BS EN 1993/1090, or client standards)
- Execution class where BS EN 1090-2 applies. Clause 4.1.2 states "If no execution class is specified EXC2 shall apply", but the class should still be stated
- Client drawing standard: title block, scales, sheet sizes, layering
- Marking and numbering convention
- Tolerance requirements beyond the standard
6. Administration
- Software and version (e.g. Tekla Structures release), and model ownership at handover
- Exchange formats required (native, IFC, DWG, PDF, NC/DSTV)
- Model origin, coordinate system and units
- Review cycle: who comments, the turnaround time, and the comment format
- Issue milestones and priority areas
- Point of contact for technical queries
What happens when detailing inputs are missing?
| Missing input | Typical consequence |
|---|---|
| Connection responsibility | Connections modelled and then rejected; rework across many assemblies |
| Coating system | Wrong hole sizes, no vent holes for galvanising, incorrect slip assumptions |
| Vendor drawings | Equipment supports held; platforms re-cut after the vendor's final data arrives |
| Piping supports | Secondary steel missing from the shop package; added later as site work |
| Drawing standard | Full re-dressing of sheets after the first issue |
Can detailing start with partial information?
Real projects rarely provide everything on day one. A practical approach:
- 1Split the package into areas that are frozen and areas that are not.
- 2Log assumptions in writing, each with an owner and a closing date.
- 3Put holds on drawings where information is pending, and show hold clouds on the issued sheets.
- 4Prioritise anchor bolt plans and long-lead members.
- 5Re-baseline when major inputs arrive, rather than patching piece by piece.
How inputs are recorded
An input register lists every document received with its number, revision and date, and which areas of the model use it. When a revised input arrives, the register shows which drawings are affected. This is the basis for controlled revisions, and it is how PetroHill structures each assignment: inputs are reviewed and gaps raised before production starts. See our quality and delivery approach.
Frequently asked questions
Can detailing start before the design is issued for construction?
Often yes, for frozen areas, with assumptions and holds recorded. The risk of rework is higher and should be priced and scheduled accordingly.
Who supplies anchor bolt plans?
It varies. Sometimes the civil design team does; sometimes the steel detailer does, from the steel base plate design. State it in the scope.
What if the specification conflicts with the drawings?
Raise an RFI. The order of precedence should be defined in the contract documents. The detailer should not choose between conflicting requirements.
Next step
Unsure whether your input package is complete? Share what you have and we will review it, list the gaps and propose assumptions before quoting. Learn more about structural steel detailing.
References
Technical sources consulted. Standards are paid documents; confirm clauses against the licensed edition named in your project specification.
- ANSI/AISC 303-22 · AISC (opens in a new tab)
- Specifying the right Execution Class · New Steel Construction (opens in a new tab)
- Execution of Steel Structures (SN32) · BCSA (opens in a new tab)
