construction project drawings

Often errors occur on projects because project staff construct structures using the wrong drawings or drawings which have been superseded. In addition some drawings are issued late which may cause the work to be delayed, or maybe the drawings have been issued to the contractor but because they have been mislaid or miss filed the contractor can't start the work on time or order the required materials. It's therefore important that every construction project has an orderly filing system to receive and issue drawings.

1. Drawings should be stamped with their date of receipt.

2. New drawings must be entered into the drawing register which should:

a. include the drawing title, drawing and revision number, and the date the drawing was received

b. be compared with the client’s drawing register and discrepancies reported to the client

c. be maintained even if the client has their own register,since the client’s register normally logs the date when drawings left their office, but the contractor may not receive them until several days later

3. Drawings must be distributed to the relevant person.

4. Drawings issued to subcontractors, suppliers and even staff should be signed for so there is proof of receipt.(On more than one occasion I’ve had a subcontractor order materials in accordance with an earlier drawing revision and then claim they were never issued the revised drawing). The drawing issue slips should:

a. include the drawing number, title and revision

b. have the date of receipt

c. have the signature of the recipient

d. be filed

5. A master copy of all drawings must be kept in the project site office. These drawings should:

a. be filed correctly according to drawing number, and if necessary,in their various sections

b. never be removed from the master file unless they are replaced by a revision that supersedes them

c. not be removed from the site office

d. not be defaced or written on

e. be kept up-to-date and superseded drawings should be marked ‘superseded’ and removed

f. be available on drawing tables where they can be easily referred to

6. A master set of all the superseded drawings should be kept in the site office so that drawing changes can be tracked,if necessary.

7. The Project Manager must:

a. be aware of recently issued drawings and acquaint themselves with their content

b. be aware of what drawings and information are outstanding

c. ensure drawings are issued to the correct people

d. ensure Supervisors are using the correct revision

8. Supervisors should:

a. have access to a clean,dry table to work off their drawings

b. maintain their drawings in a file so they are not mislaid

c. remove and clearly mark superseded drawings

d. ensure they are working off the latest drawings

e. report any problems or discrepancies with drawings
(from 'Successful Construction Project Management - The Practical Guide' by Paul Netscher)