Structural Steel Detailing
Structural Steel Detailing Checklist Before Issuing Drawings
A practical issue checklist for structural steel detailing: input, geometry, connections, marks, BOM, finishes, revisions and transmittal.
A detailing checklist is not a substitute for judgement. It is a way to stop the same omission leaving the office twice. The best checklists are short enough that people use them and specific enough that a tick means something was actually looked at.
This list is organised in the order a checker can work through a set: input, geometry, connections, fabrication data, then issue control. Adapt the items to your shop standards, but do not delete an item just because it is rarely a problem. Rare problems are expensive.
For approval-only issues, also use the approval drawing submission checklist. For the wider process, see the detailing process.
How to use the checklist
Tick items only after you have evidence. “I always put north arrows” is not a check. Open the sheet. If two people check, split by discipline (geometry vs fabrication data) rather than both scanning everything and assuming the other person caught holes.
Input and references
- Structural issue letter matches the drawing list
- Architectural backgrounds that affect openings are the current issue
- Specification notes for bolts, welds, steel grade and finish are extracted onto the notes sheet
- Connection design responsibility is stated
- Open RFIs are listed; none are silently assumed
Geometry and member layout
- Grids, levels and slopes match the design drawing
- Member sizes and grades match the design or an approved substitution log
- Openings, cranes, equipment and facade attachments are shown or held
- Bracing workpoints are drawn
- Clashes with doors, ducts and stairs have been reviewed
Connections and fabrication data
- Typical details have a stated range; exceptions are marked on plans
- Hole type, bolt grade and shop/field flags are complete
- Welds have size and type; inspection notes appear where the spec requires them
- Copes, blocks and cutting clearances were checked against the actual section
- Base plates match the foundation/anchor layout
Marks, BOM and issue control
| Item | What “done” means |
|---|---|
| Piece marks | Every plan mark exists on a piece drawing or schedule |
| BOM | Quantities match plan counts; grades and lengths are filled |
| Revisions | Clouds, letters and descriptions match the transmittal |
| Hold stamps | Unfrozen zones are obvious at plot scale |
| Files | PDF, model and CNC data share the same revision letter |
A practical workflow
- Print or display the drawing list and tick each sheet as it is checked.
- Run input checks once for the whole package.
- Check geometry on plans and elevations before opening piece drawings.
- Check connections and fabrication data.
- Reconcile marks and BOM.
- Prepare transmittal, revision descriptions and file names together.
Engineering tips
- If you automate anything, automate the drawing index so it cannot disagree with the title blocks.
- Check plots at the scale the shop will use. A note that is only readable at 400% is not a note.
- Record who checked. Unsigned checklists become folklore.
Common mistakes
A 90-item list nobody finishes
Cut it until it is used. Put rare specialist items on a second list for those jobs.
Checking CAD layers instead of the plotted sheet
The shop receives the plot or the CNC file. Frozen layers that still plot will be built.
Signing the checklist before the last revision
A late “small text change” can alter a grade note. Re-tick issue control after the last save.
Issue-day short list
If you only have fifteen minutes, these items prevent the most public failures.
- Client name, job number and revision letter are correct on every sheet
- Drawing index matches the PDFs in the transmittal
- North arrow and scale are present on plans
- No live “TODO” or previous-job text remains
- Hold areas are stamped
- BOM date matches the drawing issue
- File names match the drawing numbers
- Transmittal lists every sheet and the requested action (for approval / for construction / information)
Frequently asked questions
Should the checklist be on the drawing?
A short issue block can live on the cover sheet. The detailed checklist is usually an internal quality record. Do not clutter fabrication sheets with office process.
Can software replace this?
Clash detection and automated BOMs catch some items. They do not read the specification, judge a typical detail’s range, or write an honest hold note.
How often should the list change?
When the same error escapes twice. Add that error. If an item has not failed in a long time and slows every job, move it to a specialist list.
Is this the same as an approval submission checklist?
No. This list is about detailing quality. The approval submission checklist is about whether the reviewer has a complete package.
Where this leaves the work
A checklist only works if ticking it is slower than skipping it is dangerous. Keep it visible at issue time, and treat an unticked item as a hold.
When the same items fail repeatedly, move from checklists to quality control procedures with assigned roles.
This article provides general educational information. Project-specific structural design, calculations and drawings should be reviewed by appropriately qualified engineering professionals and checked against applicable project requirements and standards. StruTools does not replace engineering judgement or professional design review.