BLUEPRINT READING

PART 1- INTRODUCTION

ARCHITECTURAL PLANS:

Plans are used for a number of purposes:

To develop a design idea into a coherent proposal

To communicate ideas and concepts

To enable the RBC to construct the project

As a record of the completed work

WHAT WE WILL LEARN:

We will lean how to read the following:

Site Plans and Civil Drawings

Architectural Drawings

Structural Drawings

Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing Drawings

Elevations

Sections

Details

Foundations

Exterior closure and finishes

Interior finishes

FORMAT OF
ARCHITECTURAL PLANS

The Plans consists of multiple different views, such as:

Site Plan Drawings: The AS sheets.

Architectural Drawings: The A sheets.

Structural Drawings: The S sheets.

Mechanical Drawings: The M sheets.

Electrical Drawings: The E sheets.

Plumbing Drawings: The P sheets.

ARCHITECTURAL PLANS

MORE DETAILS

The Architectural Plans contain many other details as follows:

Floor Plans.

Elevations.

Cross Sections.

Detail Drawings.

Specifications and Notes.

THE SITE PLAN

A Site Plan is a specific type of plan, showing the whole context
of a building or group of buildings. A site plan shows property
boundaries and means of access to the site, and nearby structures if
they are relevant to the design. Within the site boundary, the site
plan gives an overview of the entire scope of work. It shows the
buildings (if any) already existing and those that are proposed, usually
as a building footprint; roads, parking lots, footpaths, hard landscaping,
trees and planting. For a construction project, the site plan also needs
to show all the services connections: drainage and sewer lines, water
supply, electrical and communications cables, exterior lighting etc.

EXAMPLE OF A SITE PLAN DRAWING

ARCHITECTURAL DRAWINGS: THE A

SHEETS.

An architectural plan is a plan for the design, and the

documentation of written and graphic descriptions
of the architectural elements of a building project
including sketches, specifications drawings and details.

EXAMPLE OF AN ARCHITECTURAL
DRAWING

STRUCTURAL DRAWINGS:
THE S SHEETS.

These drawings establish the structural elements

of a building:

The footings, walls, masonry, concrete slabs,

structural columns, tie beams, etc.

EXAMPLE OF THE STRUCTURAL

DRAWING

MECHANICAL DRAWINGS: THE M

SHEETS.

Mechanical systems drawings are a type of technical

drawing that shows information about heating,
ventilating, and air conditioning. That is the HVAC
section of the drawings.

EXAMPLE OF THE MECHANICAL

DRAWING

ELECTRICAL DRAWINGS: THE

E SHEETS.
An electrical drawing, is a type of technical drawing
that shows information about power, lighting, and
communication for an engineering or architectural
project. Any electrical working drawing consists of
"lines, symbols, dimensions, and notations to
accurately convey an engineering's design to the
workers, who install the electrical system on the job.

EXAMPLE OF THE ELECTRICAL DRAWING

PLUMBING DRAWINGS: THE

P SHEETS.
A plumbing drawing, a type of technical drawing,
shows the system of piping for fresh water going into
the building and waste going out, both solid and
liquid.

EXAMPLE OF PLUMBING DRAWINGS

ELEVATIONS

!

THIS VIEW IS CALLED AN ELEVATION.

ELEVATIONS SHOW HOW THIS PART OF THE STRUCTURE LOOKS FROM EYE
LEVEL. THE ELEVATIONS ARE FOUND ON THE A SHEETS.

ELEVATIONS- 2

FLOOR PLAN

!

THIS VIEW IS CALLED A FLOOR PLAN OR PLAN VIEW.

THE FLOOR PLAN SHOWS WHAT THE STRUCTURE WOULD LOOK LIKE IF
YOU WERE DIRECTLY ABOVE IT LOOKING DOWN AND THE TOP WAS CUT

SECTION

!

THIS VIEW IS CALLED A SECTION. THE SECTION VIEW IS A

DISSECTION OF THE STRUCTURE, AS IF IT WERE SLICED THROUGH
VERTICALLY THAN OPENED UP SO YOU CAN SEE WHAT IS INSIDE.

DETAIL

!

THIS VIEW IS CALLED A DETAIL. A DETAIL IS GENERALLY A CLOSE UP OF

SOME PART OF THE SECTION. A DETAIL HELPS SHOW EXACTLY HOW
CERTAIN PARTS CONNECT TOGETHER.

EXAMPLE OF A FOOTING DETAIL

EXAMPLE OF A BASE OF WALL DETAIL

This is an example of a detail from the plans. It takes a section of the

building, (i.e., the base of the block wall), and gives you all the details of
what you need to start the masonry wall including notes and
specifications. The PC must read these notes and understand them or
get help from the journeyman. This would be the same procedure for
every detail and every note on the plans.

EXAMPLE OF A CONCEPTUAL WALL SECTION DETAIL

PARAPET WALL
ROOF CONNECTION

SHOWS WINDOW

FOOTING

CONCRETE SLAB

This wall section gives you an idea of the purpose of a wall section and with the person there
you can see it in perspective.

EXAMPLE OF A PARAPET WALL SECTION

DETAIL

!

All the
detailed
notes

A Detail takes a part of a section of the building and gives you all the details and notes needed to
complete that element of the building. The PC must read all the notes and understand them. If he
does not understand the details, that is OK. (No one knows the technical aspects of every trade).
However, he then must go over the notes with the journeyman of that trade so they both
recognize the specifications and complete the building according to the criteria of the plans.

EXAMPLE OF AN INTERIOR
WALL SECTION

EXAMPLE OF A ELECTRICAL BLUEPRINT SYMBOLS

These notes will be found on the Electrical section of the plans. (The E sheets).
Here you will find all the symbols relating to the electrical work for the project.

EXAMPLE OF A GENERAL STRUCTURAL NOTES

These notes will be found on the Structural section of the plans. (The S sheets). Here
you will find all the structural notes relating to the block work, filling cells, the concrete,
etc.

EXAMPLE OF A INTERIOR
ELEVATIONS DETAILS

EXAMPLE OF A WINDOW
SCHEDULE