Glulam Building: Start to Finish – Part Four B

Welcome to our “Glulam Building: Start to Finish” series. Our goal is to provide an overview – from idea to completion – of a glulam building, from the perspective of a glulam manufacturer and designer.


Part 4B: Layout Drawings

The first pages in our typical shop drawing sets are Layout (or Erection) sheets. These start with our specifications for the project indicating wood species, appearance grade, stained or sealed finish on glulam, finish for steel and hardware, pressure treatment, basic handling and care instructions and more. We also show an isometric of the full building model to quickly display the basic structure. 

Isometric and specifications for Full Moon Resort, Big Indian, NY

Next are the framing plans – dimensioned drawings with identification marks for all glulam components and connections. Overall dimensions are one of the first things a design team will review for conformance of our work with design intent. The member and connection marks help anyone navigate the rest of the drawings, but are particularly important for the installer at the jobsite.

Framing plan for Full Moon Resort, Big Indian, NY

Depending on the complexity of the project, there maybe be other views provided on the layout drawings. These can include building elevations or sections, enlarged plans of complex areas, or enlarged details. The top of our priority list for these additional views is information the design team will need to verify the building geometry. Second is the information other trades might want to coordinate their work.

Stair Tower isometric, elevation, and sections for Full Moon Resort, Big Indian, NY

Some projects will also have a dedicated Anchor Bolt drawings, for field use in locating and verifying anchor bolt size and placement.