Sections & Details

The importance of details

 

The ‘Section & Details’ sheet is the most unloved sheet in the drawing set. Clients mostly don’t understand it, builders sometimes overlook it & engineers can ignore it. However, the information on this sheet is very important for regulatory compliance & building inspections. It ensures the builder is using the right details when constructing certain areas of the house.

 

Details do vary

 

Most good builders will know exactly how to build the standard details shown on this sheet but they do tend to vary from builder to builder. Details of lintels over garages, for example, are constructed in several different way depending on the garage wall & roof structure.

 

Standard section only required

 

There may be one or more sections through the house depending on the requirement to demonstrate two or more construction techniques in various parts of the building.

 

External consultants

 

Whilst this sheet used to include slab edge beam, weep hole waterproofing & other standard details, these have over time been outsourced to engineers & other consultants who specialise in these areas & have the insurance to cover the structural design.

 

Timber framing schedule

 

The Timber Framing Schedule indicates all timber sizes to be used in the house. The caveat on this is that, if the wall framing is over 2.7m high, then the whole timber structure will need to be justified by a structural engineer.

 

Refer to the engineers drawings

 

Roof trusses are usually provided with truss computations from the truss company to justify their spans. Likewise, steel lintel spans to support brickwork over external windows & doors need to be engineers if the spans exceed those shown in the external lintel schedule.