Structural Steel Approval Drawing Submission Checklist

Submission day is when tired teams skip the boring parts: zip contents, index letters, and who is supposed to comment. Reviewers then spend their time on file hygiene instead of engineering. That is a wasted review cycle.

This checklist is for the hour before you upload. It assumes you already ran how to check approval drawings. If the engineering check is not done, do not use this list as a substitute.

A complete, boring submission is one of the cheapest ways to look like a serious fabricator or detailing office.

Files

• Every index sheet exists in the upload
• File names match drawing numbers and revisions
• No extra leftover PDFs from last issue in the zip
• Combined PDF (if required) has sheets in index order
• File size and format match the portal rules

Control documents

• Cover purpose says FOR APPROVAL (or the correct purpose)
• Index matches files
• Transmittal lists sheets, revisions, purpose, and comment due date if agreed
• Design drawing issue referenced
• Holds listed on cover and transmittal

Reviewer logistics

Tell the reviewer who to ask, how to mark up, and whether this is a full or partial issue. If calculations or reaction tables are part of the submittal, point to them. Do not assume they will hunt the last email.

After upload

Confirm the portal shows the new revision as current. Save a copy of the transmittal and a screenshot if needed. Tell the shop that the set is for approval, not for cutting, unless a partial release is written.

A practical workflow

1. Engineering check complete.
2. Build the zip/combined PDF from the index.
3. Write the transmittal.
4. Upload and verify the portal.
5. Notify internal shop/purchasing of status.

Engineering tips

• Have a second person open the zip on another computer before the client does.
• If the portal strips revision from file names, put the letter in the title block large enough to see in a viewer.
• Keep a submission log: date, revision, recipient.

Common mistakes

Uploading only the changed sheets without saying so

The reviewer may think the rest vanished. Say PARTIAL and list what remains current.

Password-protected PDFs the reviewer cannot mark up

Follow their rules. Security that blocks review delays steel.

CC nobody internal

Then purchasing does not know a set went out and mill-orders from an older file.

Submission-hour ticks

• Engineering check signed
• Index vs files
• Transmittal complete
• Holds listed
• Portal verified
• Internal copy stored
• Shop told the status
• Comment due date recorded

Frequently asked questions

Combined PDF or individual sheets?

Whatever the reviewer asked for. If they did not say, individual plus a combined is usually kind — but check file-size limits.

Do we submit native CAD?

Only if the contract requires it. Native files without a plotted PDF are hard to stamp.

Should we submit the comment log from last cycle?

Yes on a resubmittal. It shows what you think is closed.

Can automation assemble the zip?

Yes, and it should, so the index cannot disagree with the files. A person still opens it once.

Where this leaves the work

Submission is a product. Package it like one. The reviewer should spend their time on the frame, not on finding sheet 14.

After comments return, use how to respond to comments.