The drawing set — what each type contains
A construction project generates hundreds of drawings, and AI must process them differently depending on what they contain. If you have worked in pre-construction, you know that not all drawings are equal — a general arrangement plan communicates very different information from a reinforcement detail.
Understanding what each drawing type contains is essential for configuring AI systems to extract the right data from the right source.
Architectural drawings are the primary source for most BOQ measurement:
- General arrangement plans — floor layouts showing room boundaries, dimensions, door and window positions, wall thicknesses. This is where most quantity takeoff begins.
- Sections — vertical cuts through the building showing floor-to-floor heights, foundation depths, roof construction, and the relationship between levels. Critical for calculating volumes and vertical dimensions.
- Elevations — external views showing facade materials, window patterns, floor levels, and overall building height. Used for external finishes measurement and cladding quantities.
- Detail drawings — enlarged views of junctions, construction details, and complex assemblies. The source for understanding exactly how elements are constructed, but difficult for AI to interpret without context.
Structural drawings contain:
- Foundation plans — pad bases, strip footings, piles, ground beams. Used for substructure measurement — concrete volumes, reinforcement weights, formwork areas.
- Floor plans/framing plans — beam and column layouts, slab construction details. The basis for structural frame measurement.
- Reinforcement schedules and details — bar sizes, shapes, bending dimensions, bar marks. Traditionally measured in tonnes, these are the most data-dense drawings in the set.
MEP drawings (Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing) are the most complex to parse:
- Mechanical layouts — ductwork runs, pipework routes, plant locations, terminal units
- Electrical layouts — containment routes, distribution board locations, socket and switch positions, lighting layouts
- Plumbing layouts — above-ground drainage, below-ground drainage, hot and cold water distribution
MEP drawings are the frontier challenge for AI. They are dense, layered, and frequently overlap with architectural and structural information on the same sheet.
