Installation drawings

Installation drawings are developed from co-ordinated detail drawings and present the information needed by trades to install part of the works. This may be particularly important for complex installations such as plant rooms, data centres, ventilation systems, underfloor heating and so on.

They may be prepared by the consultant team, or may be prepared by contractors, sub-contractors or suppliers and submitted for approval.

They may comprise plans, sections and elevations, but increasingly building information modelling (BIM) is being used to create detailed 3 dimensional representations of buildings and their components which may include installation information.

Installation drawings may include information about:

• Precise positioning.
• Supports and fixings.
• Information from manufacturers shop drawings.
• Space allowances for installation.
• Builders work in connection, such as; cutting and sealing holes, chasing block and brickwork for conduits or pipes, lifting and replacing floors, constructing plinths and so on.
• Plant or equipment requirements.
• Requirements for service connections.
• Requirement to leave access space for operation and maintenance.
• Other maintenance access requirements such as access panels, decking, platforms, ladders and handrails.

It is important that the information presented is carefully co-ordinated so that clashes are avoided.

Installation drawings may include specification information, or this may be provided in a separate specification, but information should not be duplicated as this can become contradictory and may cause confusion.

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[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki

• As-built drawings and record drawings.
• Assembly drawing.
• Concept drawing.
• Design drawings.
• Detail drawing.
• Elevations.
• Engineering drawing.
• General arrangement drawing.
• Projections.
• Scale drawing.
• Section drawing.
• Shop drawing.
• Technical drawing.
• Types of drawing.
• Working drawing.
• Component drawings