Architects and construction managers make use of a bewildering multitude of planning diagrams and other documents during their work. These documents are standardized – mainly so that all parties can easily read and understand what they convey.
It is vitally important that everybody involved in the planning and construction of a building has access to and can understand the same information. Inconsistencies in understanding can all too often lead to inconsistencies in construction. Within the architecture and construction industries, ‘construction documents’ are defined as drawings produced by an architect in order to aid with the construction of their project.
Architects must produce two sets of identical documents. One is known as the construction set. It is kept on-site throughout the project so that construction workers can refer to it. The other is called the permit set. It is sent to the permitting authorities so that they can ensure that all construction meets planning permission regulations.
This article is a quick rundown of some of the most important construction and architectural documentation types. It will not discuss the legal planning documents needed, as these are equally as multifarious and require an article of their very own.
Table of Contents
A0 Cover
The A0 cover sheet is a broad document that allows both construction managers and authorities an overview of the project. It includes a site plan, safety information and protocols for safe construction. Software for site plans is usually used to convert digital designs into workable plans that are easy to understand. The A0 sheet contains a general outline of the work that will be taking place on the site – including demolition, construction and groundwork.
A1 Demolition
Many construction projects also involve some demolition. Demolition is very strictly controlled in the United States. Each state has unique laws related to demolition safety and permission, which means that A1 demolition documents need to include different information depending on where the project is taking place. Architects and project managers need to be extremely clued up as to the local laws surrounding demolition.
If they are not fully in the know, their permit set will reveal their ignorance, and they may not be granted permission to demolish. All states have laws related to the removal of dangerous materials, such as asbestos, during the demolition process. Asbestos was once heralded as a miracle material but has been found to be extremely dangerous.
A2 Floor Plan
Floor plans, otherwise known as blueprints, must be provided by architects. Floor plans are diagrams that display the internal and external dimensions of a building. They are designed so that they can be easily read by anybody familiar with the format and contain a number of standard symbols to this end. Doors, walls, windows and fittings are all indicated using standard symbols that are simple to draft and even simpler to understand.
Some details – like the direction in which a door is intended to swing – are indicated as well. Traditional floor plans are 2D. Some architects have taken to supplementing their traditional 2D floor plan with 3D renderings in order to give construction workers and clients a better idea of the project aims.
A3 Elevation
Unlike floor plans, which show a view of a building from the top down, elevation documents show a cutaway of the building from the side on. These diagrams are intended to clearly display the vertical dimensions of a building so that all of the construction team, planning team and permit team can clearly see them.
Traditionally, elevation plans have been created after the floor plan – using the dimensions of the floor plan as the basis for the dimensions of the elevation plan. Almost all local planning permission authorities require a permit copy of elevation plans to be sent over before work can be approved.
A4 Finish Plans
Finish plans are documents created by architects and interior designers with the aim of clearly showing what materials and fittings will be laid over the core structure of the planned building. Finish plans specify the exact amount of material that needs to be purchased so that construction managers can budget effectively. Electrical sockets and light fittings are also usually shown in finish plans.
A5 Interior Elevation
The A5 sheet is very similar to the A3 sheet – with the main difference between the two being their focus on details. While A3 sheets typically focus on the broad dimensions of a building, the A5 sheet focuses on the dimensions of individual rooms.
These dimensions include the measurements of furniture and permanent fittings. Interior elevation plans are typically consulted when making a building into a fully furnished functional space near the end of a construction project. They are useful for building standards authorities because they can indicate whether a building has been planned with fire and flood safety in mind.
A6 Schedule
Confusingly, a schedule does not refer to a time-ordered list in construction and architecture. Instead, it refers to a list of all materials and fittings that are going to be needed during the building of a home. A ‘door schedule’, for instance, lists all of the doors and all of the materials that those doors are going to be made of. This allows for accurate budgeting and efficient logistics during the construction of a building.
S Sheets
S sheets are not created by architects or construction managers. Instead, they are authored by structural engineers. The aim of an S sheet is to map out all of the structural qualities of a building. All joists and load-bearing connections are mapped out and their mechanical limitations worked out.
P Sheets
P sheets are documents that map out all of the plumbing in a prospective building. All modern buildings require plumbing to be planned long in advance. This cannot be forgotten.
E Sheets
E sheets are very similar to P sheets – except that they concern the electrical layout of a prospective building as opposed to the plumbing layout. P sheets need to be authored by a trained electrician instead of an architect, for instance.
