Design and detailing coordination

Design Detailing

Resolve steel conflicts while design is still developing—so fabrication can begin weeks earlier, with fewer downstream RFIs.

Start point
Approximately 50% design
Review
In-model approval
Outcome
Earlier fabrication release

Service overview

Our Design Detailing Process

Detailing develops alongside the engineering design, allowing steel conflicts, constructability issues, and missing information to be identified and resolved while the design is still evolving.

Anatomic developed its Design Detailing process in 2009 to accelerate project schedules, reduce construction risk, and lower overall project costs. The detailer begins when the design is 40–50% complete and works directly under the design engineer as the structure develops.

Potential RFIs become coordinated design decisions. Instead of waiting for the design to reach IFC before detailing begins, the steel model develops alongside the engineer’s design. The model is reviewed and approved as the design evolves, allowing fabrication drawings to be released shortly after the fabricator is released.

Schedule comparison

See seven weeks move back into the project schedule

Scroll through the same representative 400-ton project. Both delivery paths use one 17-week clock, making the effect of early coordination directly comparable.

Current phaseDesign release and bidding
Project clockWeek 01/17
Design detailing advantage0 weeks earlier
Traditional detailing

Sequential coordination after design release

17 weeks4.25 months
  1. BiddingWeeks 1–2
  2. Detailing & RFIsWeeks 3–7
  3. ApprovalWeeks 8–9
  4. ScrubWeek 10
  5. FabricationWeeks 11–14
  6. ErectionWeeks 15–17
Design releaseAwardFabricationErectionComplete
Design detailing

Coordination during design development

10 weeks2.5 months

Before release RFIs and design issues are resolved while the structure is still developing.

  1. Bid & approvalWeeks 1–2
  2. ReviewWeek 3
  3. FabricationWeeks 4–7
  4. ErectionWeeks 8–10
  5. Time returned to the project7 weeks
Design releaseAwardFabricationErectionComplete
0 weeks
Design detailing completes at week 10.Continue scrolling to reveal the seven-week schedule advantage.
Scroll to advance the shared project clock

Illustrative schedule based on the 400-ton project example used by Anatomic Iron. Actual project durations depend on scope, approvals and procurement.

Project collaboration

Online RFI Review and Model Collaboration

Explore how a question moves through the shared Bluebeam session. Each step uses the supplied project review screens and the actual role-based layer structure.

Shared Bluebeam review session showing the drawing set and project participants Drawing condition marked for review in Bluebeam Role-based Bluebeam markups and detailed response
Shared drawing set and session
Supplied project reviewBluebeam collaboration
Visible recordDrawing, participants and discussion
Drawing context · role layer · question · response
Review workflow01 / 03
Shared reviewProject team
Drawing set→Project team
Current view

Work from one visible project record

The drawing set, project participants and review conversation stay together in the same Bluebeam session.

What this controlsEveryone reviews the same drawing context

Project value

What this service brings to the project

Select a panel to review the service from coordination through final delivery.

Earlier coordination protects the project schedule and reduces investment risk.

  • Project schedule significantly enhanced.
  • Building occupancy and investment revenue begin sooner.
  • More competitive quotes supported by accurate material reports.
  • Fewer delays, field problems and overall investment risks.
  • Fewer extra-cost claims from steel trades.
  • Owner representatives spend less time on construction RFIs.

Questions about applying design detailing to a project? Contact our team for more information.

Technical focus

From design conflict to approved fabrication intent

Important decisions are presented as clear problem-and-solution examples. The same model context carries the issue, response and approved resolution.

The model is approved as the design develops; final fabrication drawings are generated once the design and detailing are complete.

01 / Project challenge

Late conflict discovery

Conflicts found after award move through a longer RFI and redesign chain.

Design detailing response

Bring the conflict forward while the engineer is actively developing the structure.

02 / Project challenge

Waiting for IFC before detailing

Traditional detailing starts after the construction documents are issued.

Design detailing response

Start detailing while the design is still developing, so fabrication information is ready as the project moves into construction.

03 / Project challenge

Fragmented review comments

Email threads and drawing markups separate decisions from model context.

Design detailing response

Keep review comments, viewpoints and resolutions centralized in the model.

Steel design conflict identified in the coordination modelConflict identified
Resolved and coordinated steel fabrication modelCoordinated model
From design question to approved fabrication intent

The same model context carries the issue, response and approved resolution.

Design Detailing in practice

Early coordination. Real project delivery.

Explore project examples where detailing developed alongside the engineering design.

Start a conversation

Move coordination upstream and fabrication release forward.

Design Detailing is most effective when introduced during pre-construction, before the traditional detailing process begins.

Discuss project scope, schedule and coordination requirements with our detailing team.

Contact our team