Good design habits for making good Construction Document

[lady sparks lover]

I have several questions regarding design habits. I'm curious on how I can improve my design skills.

1. What's the best place to start with designing. I believe it's the service, ie. the single-line and electrical site plan, what do you think?? I would personally finalize the service before I would start doing a lot on the plans themselves.

2. When providing power for HVAC units, would you make a separate power plan, or use the same plan as you would for receptacles and miscellaneous equipment.

3. How many series of drawing would you have?? I usually have series 1-6, meaning 1.1,1.2,1.3...etc. and same for 2, 3, 4. What do you think??

4. Where do you put drawing notes, symbols, and specs(if not in booklet form)??

5. For when usually step down transformers, is it or is it not good for them to be mounted above the ceiling??


Please answer these questions as thoroughly as possible. Thanks...

 

[robbie]

Re: Good design habits for making good Construction Document

Originally posted by lady sparks lover:
I have several questions regarding design habits. I'm curious on how I can improve my design skills.

1. What's the best place to start with designing. I believe it's the service, ie. the single-line and electrical site plan, what do you think?? I would personally finalize the service before I would start doing a lot on the plans themselves.

2. When providing power for HVAC units, would you make a separate power plan, or use the same plan as you would for receptacles and miscellaneous equipment.

3. How many series of drawing would you have?? I usually have series 1-6, meaning 1.1,1.2,1.3...etc. and same for 2, 3, 4. What do you think??

4. Where do you put drawing notes, symbols, and specs(if not in booklet form)??

5. For when usually step down transformers, is it or is it not good for them to be mounted above the ceiling??


Please answer these questions as thoroughly as possible. Thanks...

1. I actually like to design the site plan and single-line towards the end. Changes and revisions throughout the design process could affect the single-line and site plan designs.

2. I typically include the HVAC power requirements with the building power. However, if the drawing gets crowded, I'll have a separate sheet for HVAC power.

3. I like to keep it simple on sheet numbering. For multiple floors: E2.1, E2.2 (Second Floor), E3.1, E3.2 (Third Floor), etc.

4. I put Legends, Notes and Symbols on the 1st Sheet E-1. It's easy for the Electricans to tear that sheet out and refer to it in the field.

5. I believe mounting Dry-Type transformers above suspended ceilings violates NEC Art. 450-13.

 

[lady sparks lover]

Re: Good design habits for making good Construction Document

thanks for your imput....it really helps

Originally posted by robbie:

Originally posted by lady sparks lover:
I have several questions regarding design habits. I'm curious on how I can improve my design skills.

1. What's the best place to start with designing. I believe it's the service, ie. the single-line and electrical site plan, what do you think?? I would personally finalize the service before I would start doing a lot on the plans themselves.

2. When providing power for HVAC units, would you make a separate power plan, or use the same plan as you would for receptacles and miscellaneous equipment.

3. How many series of drawing would you have?? I usually have series 1-6, meaning 1.1,1.2,1.3...etc. and same for 2, 3, 4. What do you think??

4. Where do you put drawing notes, symbols, and specs(if not in booklet form)??

5. For when usually step down transformers, is it or is it not good for them to be mounted above the ceiling??


Please answer these questions as thoroughly as possible. Thanks...

1. I actually like to design the site plan and single-line towards the end. Changes and revisions throughout the design process could affect the single-line and site plan designs.

2. I typically include the HVAC power requirements with the building power. However, if the drawing gets crowded, I'll have a separate sheet for HVAC power.

3. I like to keep it simple on sheet numbering. For multiple floors: E2.1, E2.2 (Second Floor), E3.1, E3.2 (Third Floor), etc.

4. I put Legends, Notes and Symbols on the 1st Sheet E-1. It's easy for the Electricans to tear that sheet out and refer to it in the field.

5. I believe mounting Dry-Type transformers above suspended ceilings violates NEC Art. 450-13.

 

[hbendillo]

Re: Good design habits for making good Construction Document

1. Yes, start with the service. Determine the potential load for the building using KW/sq. feet value based on the type of facility in consideration. Second determine the voltage you desire and if you want single or three phase. Third, determine the location of the service equipment in/on the building. Finally get a site plan with proposed building location and get this inforamation to the power company. Proceed with the rest of the design issues as the project progresses.

2. In most cases you can and should use the same power sheet for both mechanical equipment and your device wiring. It gets harder to check drawings if data is located on multiple sheets. However, sometimes it is necessary to have separate sheets if you have a building with extensive equipment connections like a kitchen. You may have a mechanical room that needs a separate sheet because of all of the connection being shown. In those cases show an enlarged sheet of the given area.

3. This will depend on how complicated the project will be. On a small commercial project I usually show data, fire alarm and power on one series of drawings and lighting on the other. In these cases I have a E0 series for legends and site planes, E1 series for lighting, E2 series for power and signal and E3 series for details, schedules and risers. You could split details and risers into a 3 and 4 series arrangement. On larger projects I would put systems (fire alarm, data, nurse call, security, etc.) on it's own series of plans. I would also seperate the risers, details, and panelboard schedules into seprate series of drawings.

4. I try to put the legend and light fixture schedule on the first sheet. You need to see these first to interpret the drawings. If room is availabe you may want to add general notes and some details to the first sheet. I put the specs on the last sheet simply so it is easy to find when someone is looking through the drawings. You may want to put it on the second sheet.

5. Where room permits, it is best to put it on the floor, in the electrical room next to the panel it serves. If you have to conserve space hang it from the ceiling structure above and in front of the panel that it serves.