How to Read Construction Drawings | Beginners Guide to Blueprint Reading | Architectural Drawings

Summary

In this educational video, Keaton teaches viewers the fundamentals of reading construction drawings, a crucial skill in the construction and engineering sectors. The tutorial covers various types of architectural drawings, including plan views, elevations, and sections, emphasizing the importance of understanding grid lines and enlarged plan views. Keaton also discusses the significance of general notes and schedules, guiding viewers on how to decipher wall types, door specifications, and material finishes from detailed drawings. The video is designed to help beginners overcome the intimidation of reading complex construction plans and to encourage practice for mastery.

Takeaways

• 🏗️ Learning to read construction drawings is crucial for anyone in the construction and engineering industry.
• 👨‍🏫 Keaton's tutorial aims to help beginners understand the basics of architectural drawings and apply them to various types of drawings.
• 📈 The video covers plan views, elevations, and sections, which are fundamental to understanding the layout and design of a construction project.
• 🔍 Grid lines are essential as they help in locating different elements of the project and serve as a reference for layout.
• 🔎 Enlarged plan views provide more detailed information necessary for construction, beyond what is offered in the overall plan view.
• 📐 Dimensions, wall types, and other specifics are found in more detailed drawings, which are crucial for actual construction work.
• ⚠️ General notes in drawings provide additional information and may direct you to other sheets for further details.
• 🚪 Door schedules列出了门的类型、尺寸和材质等详细信息，这对于确定门的规格和安装至关重要。
• 🧱 Wall types are detailed with specific codes that refer to particular construction methods or materials,影响着施工方法和材料的选择。
• 🛠️ Practical construction tips, such as considering the tolerances of different materials, are shared to ensure the accuracy and feasibility of the construction.
• 🔑 The video emphasizes the importance of reading through all notes and schedules to gather all the necessary information for each part of the project.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the video script?

The main focus of the video script is to teach viewers how to read and understand construction drawings, which is a crucial skill in the construction and engineering industry.

Why is it important to know how to read construction drawings?

Knowing how to read construction drawings is important because it allows individuals in the construction and engineering industry to accurately interpret plans and execute projects correctly.

What types of drawings does the script mention?

The script mentions architectural drawings, including plan views, enlarged plan views, elevations, sections, and various details such as wall types and door specifications.

What is a grid line in construction drawings?

Grid lines in construction drawings are used to show the different locations of elements within a project, and everything is laid out based on these grid lines.

What is an elevation in the context of construction drawings?

An elevation in construction drawings is a straight-on view of a building, as if you were standing in front of it and looking directly at it.

Can you explain the purpose of sections in construction drawings?

Sections in construction drawings are used to show a slice through the building, providing a detailed view of the construction elements as if the building was cut open along that section line.

What additional resources might be referenced in construction drawings?

Construction drawings might reference additional resources such as general notes, material finish schedules, and door or window schedules to provide more detailed information about specific elements of the project.

Why are dimensions important in construction drawings?

Dimensions in construction drawings are important because they provide precise measurements for construction elements, ensuring that the building is constructed accurately according to the design.

What is a reflected ceiling plan and why is it important?

A reflected ceiling plan is a downward view of the ceiling that shows the layout of ceiling elements such as lights, vents, and the height of the ceiling from the finished floor. It is important for understanding the ceiling design and construction.

How do you determine the type of materials used in construction from the drawings?

The type of materials used in construction can be determined from the drawings by referring to the material finish schedules and general notes that provide callouts and descriptions of the materials specified for different elements of the project.

What is the significance of the 'general notes' section in construction drawings?

The 'general notes' section in construction drawings is significant because it provides additional information and clarifications that may not be apparent from the drawings alone, guiding the reader to other relevant details or specifications.

Outlines

00:00

🏗️ Introduction to Reading Construction Drawings

This paragraph introduces the topic of learning to read construction drawings, emphasizing its importance in the construction and engineering industry. Keaton, the presenter, shares personal experiences of feeling overwhelmed when starting in construction due to the complexity of understanding drawings. The video aims to help viewers become proficient in reading architectural drawings by covering the basics and applying these concepts to various types of drawings, such as structural, mechanical, plumbing, and electrical. The presenter encourages viewers to watch the entire video for a comprehensive understanding and to request further tutorials on specific types of drawings in the comments section. The importance of engaging with the content through likes and subscriptions is also highlighted.

05:00

📐 Understanding Plan Views and Elevations

The second paragraph delves into the specifics of reading architectural drawings, starting with plan views that provide an overall perspective of a construction project. It explains the significance of grid lines in laying out projects and the use of enlarged plan views for more detailed information. The paragraph further discusses elevations and sections, which offer straight-on and sliced views of the building, respectively. The video demonstrates how to navigate and interpret these drawings by linking them to specific sheet numbers and details. It also touches on the need to ask questions and seek additional details if the drawings do not provide enough information for construction.

10:00

🔍 Deep Dive into Detailed Drawings and Specifications

This paragraph focuses on the detailed aspects of construction drawings, such as dimensions, wall types, and specific features like louvers and windows. It highlights the importance of reviewing general notes in drawings, which can direct the reader to additional information on other sheets. The video provides examples of how to find and interpret details about wall types, ceiling plans, and room finish schedules. It also discusses the process of understanding door specifications through schedules and notes, which include dimensions, materials, and manufacturer details. The paragraph emphasizes the iterative process of reviewing drawings and schedules to gather all necessary information for construction.

15:02

🛠️ Applying Knowledge to Build Specific Areas

The final paragraph wraps up the tutorial by applying the knowledge gained from the previous sections to build specific areas of a construction project, such as a counselor's office. It stresses the need to understand all aspects of the project, including wall types, stud sizes, paint specifications, and ceiling heights. The paragraph concludes by encouraging viewers to practice reading drawings and to provide feedback on the video's effectiveness. The presenter thanks the viewers for their time and invites them to join the community by subscribing and engaging with the content.

Keywords

💡Construction drawings

Construction drawings are detailed technical plans used in the construction industry to guide the building process. They include specifications for dimensions, materials, and structural elements. In the video, understanding construction drawings is emphasized as crucial for anyone in the construction and engineering fields. The script mentions reviewing architectural drawings and how they can be applied to various types of drawings such as structural, mechanical, plumbing, and electrical.

💡Plan views

Plan views are a type of construction drawing that provides a horizontal view of a structure as seen from above. They are essential for understanding the layout of a building's elements. The script describes plan views as showing the 'overall broad picture' of a project, including grid lines and building locations, which are fundamental for laying out the project.

💡Elevations

Elevations in construction drawings are the straight-on views of a building's exterior or interior walls, showing the height and external features. They are crucial for visualizing the building's appearance from different sides. The video script uses the term 'elevation' to explain how one would view the building if standing in front of it, with a specific reference to 'elevation C1 on sheet A-14.1'.

💡Sections

Sections are detailed drawings that show a vertical 'slice' through a building, illustrating the construction layers and internal structure. They are vital for understanding the building's composition. In the script, sections are introduced as views that show what one would see if they took a slice through the building, looking in a specific direction, exemplified by 'section D1 on A215.1'.

💡Enlarged plans

Enlarged plans are detailed, scaled-up portions of a drawing that provide more specific information about certain areas of a construction project. They help in understanding complex areas that require more detail than what is provided in the general plan view. The video script mentions that one needs to 'dive a little deeper' into the drawings, highlighting the necessity of enlarged plans for detailed construction guidance.

💡General notes

General notes in construction drawings are supplementary instructions that provide additional information not explicitly shown in the drawings. They are important for clarifying details and ensuring the construction is carried out as intended. The script emphasizes checking the 'general notes' section of the drawings, which may direct to other sheets like 'A301.1 and A301.2 for typical floor plan notes'.

💡Room finish schedule

A room finish schedule is a table in construction drawings that lists the types of finishes for different rooms, such as floor types, wall finishes, and ceiling treatments. It is essential for understanding the aesthetic and functional requirements of each space. The video script refers to the room finish schedule to explain how it provides information on finishes like 'what type of floor is in the unit or what the wall finish is going to be'.

💡Exterior wall

Exterior walls are the building elements that enclose and protect the interior from external environmental conditions. They have specific construction requirements different from interior walls. In the script, exterior walls are discussed in the context of 'EW1' detailing, which includes a 'four-inch tall curb' that exterior walls need to sit on, highlighting the importance of understanding these details for proper construction.

💡Door schedule

A door schedule is a tabular representation in construction drawings that lists all the doors in a project, including their types, sizes, and other specifications. It is crucial for door installation and coordination with other building elements. The video script uses 'door G113a' as an example to explain how the schedule provides details like door type, width, height, and thickness, which are essential for construction.

💡Material finish schedule

A material finish schedule is a detailed list that specifies the types of materials and finishes used in a construction project, such as types of paint, carpet, or tile. It is important for ensuring that the correct materials are used in the right locations. The script discusses how the material finish schedule helps in identifying specific products like 'Shaw carpet tile 18 by 36' and 'Sherwin Williams pure white' paint for walls.

Highlights

Importance of learning to read construction drawings in the construction and engineering industry.

The video aims to teach viewers how to read architectural drawings, which can be applied to various types like structural, mechanical, plumbing, and electrical.

Designers may have their own styles, but the fundamental concepts in drawings remain consistent across different sets.

Encouragement to watch the video until the end to grasp all the details and not miss any information.

Invitation for viewers to request more specific drawing reviews, like structural or electrical, in the comments.

The significance of grid lines in construction drawings for layout and project location.

Explanation of plan views, enlarged plan views, elevations, and sections in construction drawings.

The necessity to dive deeper into drawings for more detailed information beyond the broad terms.

How to link different parts of drawings together using references like 'B1 A370.1'.

The importance of dimensions and details in drawings for understanding construction elements.

The role of general notes in providing additional information that may not be apparent from the drawing alone.

How to use room finish schedules and material finish schedules to understand finishes in a construction project.

The process of looking up specific details like wall types and door specifications in drawings.

Practical tips on construction tolerances and how they affect the accuracy of building elements like curbs.

The importance of checking schedules for door and window details to ensure all specifications are understood and followed.

How to interpret column details and how they relate to the finishes on the other side of the wall.

The process of reviewing drawings area by area to gather all necessary information for construction.

The value of spending time to read and understand drawings to improve one's skills in the construction industry.

A call to action for viewers to like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell for more educational content.

Transcripts

so you want to learn how to read some

drawings well you've come to the right

place because today

we're going to be learning how to read

construction drawings with keaton

knowing how to read and understand

drawings is such an important part of

being in the construction

and engineering industry and it's not

something that a lot of us have a lot of

practice with growing up

don't worry i was there too i was so

scared when i first started construction

because

i just felt like i didn't know what i

was doing i didn't know how to read

drawings and i just felt like i was so

behind everybody else

but with enough time and enough practice

and watching these videos

hopefully you'll be able to fast track

your way to being a planned reading

savant

so today we're going to be reviewing

architectural drawings all the basics

are going to be covered in this video

and for sure this can be applied to all

different types of drawings whether it's

structural

mechanical plumbing electrical and so on

and keep in mind that each designer has

their own little way of doing things so

what i show you in this video

will not necessarily look exactly the

same on your set of drawings when you

enter the industry

but without a doubt the concepts will be

the same so be sure to watch all the way

to the end so that you don't miss

anything

and also if at the end of this video you

want me to do another like series thing

where i review structural drawing

electrical whatever

please let me know in the comments below

and if you enjoy these kinds of videos

don't forget to hit that like button

and subscribe down below so you can join

our growing family here on youtube

so without further ado let's start

looking at some drawings and we'll go

into my computer

now so welcome to the computer so here

you're looking at an

overall plan view of the project so you

see here there's not a lot of detail

there's not a lot of things going on but

this kind of just shows you

just overall broad picture of what's

happening

so you'll have your grid lines here each

one and that kind of shows you the

different locations of your project

everything that you do when you lay out

on your project will be off of these

grid lines

so very important so grid lines you'll

have each building

and you see how you have each one of

these little bubbles here

that is an enlarged plan view so it just

kind of goes deeper

gives you more detail things like that

so this drawing purpose is just to show

you the overall elements you don't have

too much to go off of you can't

really build off of this right so not

only do you have your large plan views

but you have something called your

elevations

and you have your sections so i'll go

over them really quickly so your

your elevation shows you just a straight

on view if you were standing here and

staring at the building looking that way

that's kind of what an elevation would

be so if you scroll down here so you see

and how you read this is you'll look at

your elevation and it says

c1 so elevation c1 on

sheet a to 14.1

so since i've already packaged this all

together we know that we're down here

but you see at the bottom right corner

is where you have your sheet number

and it was detail c1 so here's your

elevation of the building and you see if

you're standing and looking straight on

into the building that's kind of what

you would be looking at

so sections as you can see with this

section here

and you see how this line kind of

continues through and there's this

little

i don't know nub thing over here that

sticks out

so that tells you that you're taking

essentially a slice of the job all the

way through here

looking in this direction so here your

section here is section d1

on a215.1 so you see here

a215.1

and then you have your section sorry as

you wait for it to render

so you have your section d point or you

have your section d1

and that's your overall section view

your plan so you have your plan views

your enlarged views

your sections and your elevations and

these are all in very broad

terms so you can't get a lot of detail

out of it so you have to dive a little

deeper

so let's go and do that so here you look

at studio building g

here we go b1 a370.1 and that should

give us a little bit more detail of what

this building is going to look like

so here we are again a370.1

b1 right so that's how everything is

very linked together

so here you can see it's a little bit

more blown up you have a little bit more

details a little bit more

action going on but you can see there's

actually

more enlarged plans within this enlarged

plan

so the key to drawings is you want to

figure out and try to see how you can

build things

on your own if you were to go out and do

it yourself so if you don't have enough

information in the drawings for you to

actually go out and physically know what

to do

then you need to ask more questions you

need more details on the drawings

well let's dive into this little

enlarged plan here so you can get an

idea

of what so you can get an idea of what

the real details you're looking for

in these drawings because you still

don't have enough here to determine

what you're going to be building so here

we go in large plan view is b1

a373.3 so we've arrived we're like two

drawings deep right between

your regular overall view then you're

enlarged and then you're enlarged but

then you're enlarged

so this is where you have the real

details right so now you can see that

you have dimensions for walls

you have a little bit more details about

where where this louver is going to be

um where this window is going to be the

center line of the window

what kind of walls they are so you have

a lot more that you can go off to

actually figure out how things are going

to get built

so other things you want to look at in

this drawing besides your dimensions is

you want to check out this bottom over

here

so in all of your drawings you want to

check out the general notes the general

notes will help clarify some extra

information that may not be apparent

when you first look at this drawing

so here so here you have the general

note that says refer to sheets a301.1

and a301.2 for typical floor plan notes

so that'll tell you some other notes and

more information that you have to apply

to this drawing

601.1 for interior wall types so that

will give you more information

on say these walls here so

1a the ews would be exterior wall so

that would be in a different one this

one here will

is a certain type of wall type so that's

what

a 606.1 should tell you a 606.2 for

exterior partition

so that tells you where to go for these

details three

your a372.1 is your first floor

reflected ceiling plan

and a reflected ceiling plan tells you

your ceiling heights

so it's a downwards view of where all

your ceilings are going to be

and how far they are off of the finished

floor a 604.1 for the room finish

schedule

so room finish schedule or just a

schedule is basically a table

of everything that of additional

information that you need for the job

so a room finished schedule will tell

you what is

what type of floor is in the unit or

what the wall

finish is going to be what the ceiling

finish is going to be

things like that so as you can see you

have to read these notes and they can

direct you to other drawings where you

can get more information that you don't

currently have

so going back to this drawing let's

let's dive a little bit deeper into some

of this stuff right so

let's kind of look at okay what is a

type 1a

wall right or what is a type 1 wall what

do we what does that really look like

so you'll go down to the general notes

and it directs you to the 606.1

page right so here we are a8

a606.1 and you want us to look up wall

type

1a and wall type 1. so what do those

really look like

so you zoom into these details so see a

type 1 wall

type a wall it looks like the only

difference is the type of stud that's in

the wall

a three and five eighths or a six inch

25 gauge stud

so and you can kind of see it depicted

in the drawing this is a little bit of a

smaller stud

that's a little bit of a wider stud this

kind of just shows you what

what the wall is really going to look

like exterior walls

so let's see what in the world is an ew1

so again going into those exterior wall

details

so ew1 very cool

so you see how there's this little curb

here this uh what is this four

inch tall curve so you wouldn't know

right looking at these drawings on the

plan view

that all these walls need to sit on a

curb now if you were in construction for

a while you know that all your exterior

walls you should be lifting them up

because

for water reasons right but these are

these are the details that you look at

to confirm how high is the curve how

wide do you want it to be

and one thing just for a general tip of

the day for construction

so one thing that you look at is the

width of this curve

concrete doesn't have the same

tolerances and the same level of

accuracy

as metal framing or you know interior

wall framing

so if you try to plan for perfection

when you do these curves

you're going to end up chipping out or

have filling in these edges

so just keep those kinds of things in

mind when you review these details

it really matters at the end of the day

when you're out there like shaving off

you know

quarters of an inch or half of an inch

just so that you can make some of these

details work

and you can discuss that with the

designer things like that as the

contractor

just because you should know what your

building tolerances should be

we know where our wall types are we know

some dimensions here

so okay what what kind of doors are in

here right

so we're gonna have to go on to our

schedules now so let's take a look at

this door

door g113a

so door g113a right so you see how the

schedule is set up

as just a table right you have your you

have your room name your door number

your room name

your type width height

thickness of door so all this

information for your door

so 113a counselor's office

so this is a type d door so type d

door means that so you look on the side

is there a d here okay

so vision panel single door right so it

gives you a little bit more details of

what this door should look like as a

type d

door um

okay g113a three foot wide by seven foot

by

inch and three quarter thick the finish

by the manufacturer so usually when you

have some a glass door

the architect will defer to the glass

manufacturer on how they really want

this door to be constructed because

they'll have their certain ways of doing

it

when it's hollow metal or wood you have

a little bit more control over that kind

of thing so they'll

they'll actually specify what they

really are looking for but in this case

they're not

so aluminum aluminum and then you have

some of these door details now

so you see on this different page it

tells you what the detail will be at the

head of the door

the jam and the threshold which becomes

very important when you have different

finishes right so if you have

carpet on this side or concrete on this

side how do they want those two finishes

to

to finish out it becomes more important

when you have tile like greater

thicknesses

just so that you can get those flooring

transitions to marry out the way that

you want

so again as well you have your schedule

notes what

each thing means al is aluminum your

frame construction

you'll have some extra notes here that

you have to make sure that you're

following

right so hollow metal doors and window

frames shall be packed 100

full with mineral or grout so these are

things that you need to know you need to

make sure that you're

reading through all these notes because

if you skip over this you might miss

some of the stuff that you're supposed

to be installing for the project

and that's just one door so imagine you

have to do this for every door on the

job

okay so now you know okay you have to

check out your doors check out your

windows look at the schedule and figure

out all those details and

make sure that you understand all of

that so now we're looking at okay what

are these extra details here so here's

the column details

so let's go to 800.3 on b1

so we'll split this again so here's your

column detail down here right b1

so this shows you exactly how you're

supposed to frame it what kind of

framing you're going to need

and how that will then transition to the

finish on the other side because you can

see you have stone

to probably efus out here right so now

we want to figure out what kind of

finishes are in this unit

what is the floor what's on the walls so

if you remember

if you were listening earlier we're

talking about the room finish schedule

so let's check that out alright so again

the schedule

is just a table and let's take a look at

this counselor's office g113

so you'll look at this so the floor

the fluorine g113 is cpt-3a

okay so what in the world is cpt-3a

anything in here paint all exposed

surfaces

over transitions at all transitions so

again right read all these finished

schedule notes

but i don't see anything in here about

that so

there must be another schedule out there

which will be the just the regular

finish schedule that

tells you what all of these call outs

really mean all right so here's the

material finish schedule

so cpt-3a is a shaw

carpet tile 18 by 36

so and then it's ignite tile with this

sort of type

and then you've got a product number

this is where you need to go to to

figure out what all of those things mean

so i think it called up for pt1 on the

wall so it's a sherwin williams pure

white

and this is the paint number field color

for walls

so that can give you an idea now of

what's exactly in this specific room

and you can do the same thing for the

janitor room and things like that so

now we have a better idea okay all the

finishes in here

where all these walls are going to go

what each wall type

is and then we'll figure we'll finish

out with some extra details here

so like let's check out this section

here a375.3

leave no stone unturned so again you're

making a little cut

through here so you can see here is the

doorway

here i believe this

is this column right here right this

column going up here's the second floor

so this gives you a little bit more of

an idea here's your little curve that

we're looking at earlier for the wall

types right

and then it shows you even the ceiling

in here what that height is going to be

and then this is the column on here so

you can see how this gives you a better

idea

of really what you're trying to build so

yeah that's kind of all there is to it

what we'll so you just basically repeat

this process

for every single area of the project and

researching it again as if someone were

to tell you hey

go out and finish the counselor's office

you would need to know where all your

walls are what kind of walls they are

what is the stud size what kind of board

is on there

what kind of paint are you putting on

there what's the ceiling height

all of those questions you would need to

know in order for you to build it

and that's how you're supposed to be

reviewing these drawings so i hope this

video was helpful for you

if you have any further comments please

comment below or any sort of feedback on

how i portrayed this video if you think

i could do anything better

as you can see reviewing yours takes a

lot of time i mean we focused on just

one little section and we actually don't

even have all the information

of that one small part of the building

so the more plans that you read the more

time that you dedicate to trying to hone

your craft of reading drawings

the better you'll be and if you enjoyed

the video don't forget to hit that like

button

and subscribe and hit the notification

bell so you can join our growing family

here on youtube

thank you so much i really appreciate

your time and i'll see you on the next

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