Building Construction Plans

Building construction plans are the most important element of the construction process. Without building construction plans, no construction project can ever get started.

For centuries, building construction plans consisted of little more than an artist's or architect's rendering of what the finished product was supposed to look like. As time went on and building design became more complex, mathematical equations were also included in order to ensure the designs would be strong enough to hold up against the stresses placed on it.

In the 20th century, blueprints were developed and gave a new depth to building construction plans. Blueprints could show all aspects of the construction and were broken down to scale, giving a more complete depiction of what the finished product was supposed to look like. Blueprints, also known as technical drawings, included standards for layout, line thickness, dimensioning, symbols and notation so that they could only be interpreted in the correct fashion. Blueprints are created by a drafter, who specializes in creating these technical drawings.

The most modern way to develop building construction plans is on the computer, using computer aided drafting (also known as CAD). Using computer aided drafting, an architect can create a two- or three-dimensional depiction of the project. CAD revolutionized the building construction plans process, as a single CAD designer could work quickly and efficiently enough to replace several drafters. It also allowed engineers to take a greater role in the design process.

Computer aided drafting itself has now been changed with the introduction of Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology to the marketplace. BIM goes beyond CAD as it can do all the work of previous programs, but can do it in real time. It can not only make a complete design of the building, but can correctly show special relationships and includes geographic information. BIM also monitors the quantities and properties of building components, as well as scheduling and budget issues. It contains all information in a single workspace, which supporters say will greatly accelerate the design and building processes.

Leave a Comment

Roughneck Definition

Roughneck Definition Exxonmobil

ExxonMobil is an American gas, and oil company. It became a company in late 1999 when two oil companies merged into one. Exxon and Mobil. The company descended from the former Standard Oil company founded by John D Rockefeller. The merger of Exxon and Mobil to...

read entire definition