Look at any modern metropolis and you will discover a gang of cranes erecting skyscrapers, in amongst the skyscraper jungle already established. The key constituent in the construction of such edifices is steel. Steel constructions are the backbone of every city.
Beore the cranes can do their bit, the building must be designed. This is where steel structure detailing comes into play. Structural detailing design is primary to the safety of those who inhabit the building, and also the safety of the people actually putting up the building. A huge amount of preparation is required in order to fulfill safety ordinances while meeting all the specifications the architect and client have ordered.
A steel structure designer must know about force and pressure - when to get the building to yield to external forces, and when to withstand such pressures, to maximise the integrity of the construction. A structure also has to withstand great weights, so this is another matter the detailer must deal with. From the weight of snow to wind speed, a steel drafter has to design for all kinds of outside forces.
These days, there’s a greater requirement for creative design, meaning the detailer can often find himself working on difficult designs and try to transform them into a secure working space for hundreds of people.
Even So, it’s not all bad for the detailer - software packages like Asteel, AutoCad, and Tekla Steel have helped speed up the process of drafting and detailing large buildings.