In this episode of What the RFI?, Matt Brennan sits down with steel detailer Adam Williams to look at Construction Administration from the steel detailer’s perspective.
With more than 25 years of experience in steel detailing, checking, management, and training, Adam explains what happens after structural and architectural drawings reach the fabricator — and why missing dimensions, conflicting drawings, unclear connections, and poor coordination can quickly turn into RFIs, delays, fabrication problems, and added costs.
We also dig into one of the biggest recurring problems in construction: communication between architects, engineers, contractors, fabricators, and the people actually detailing the steel.
WHAT WE COVER
-The role of a steel detailer in the construction process
- Why steel detailers issue RFIs
- Architectural vs. structural drawing coordination
- Missing dimensions and conflicting construction documents
- Steel shop drawings and the submittal process
- Structural steel connections and constructability
- BIM coordination between architecture, structure and MEP
- Revit, Tekla, SDS2 and steel detailing workflows
- How delayed RFI responses affect fabrication schedules
- Why “refer to architectural” and “refer to structural” can create problems
- Designing with standard and readily available steel sizes
- How better drawings can reduce RFIs
- Why early collaboration with fabricators and detailers matters
- How architects, engineers and steel detailers can work better together
One of Adam’s biggest recommendations is surprisingly simple: let the people doing the detailing communicate with the people who designed the project.
Better communication during design and Construction Administration can prevent dozens of RFIs from ever being written.
LEARN MORE ABOUT CONSTRUCTION ADMINISTRATION
🏗️ Construction Administration:
https://whattherfi.com/construction-administration
📖 What Is Construction Administration?
https://whattherfi.com/construction-administration/what-is-construction-administration
📝 Construction Administration articles:
https://whattherfi.com/blog
🎙️ What the RFI? Podcast:
https://whattherfi.com/podcast
🌐 What the RFI?
https://whattherfi.com
What the RFI? explores the real-world Construction Administration issues architects, engineers, consultants, contractors and owners face after the drawings leave the office and construction begins.
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What the RFI? — The Construction Administration Podcast
Practical guidance for architects, engineers, consultants, contractors, owners, and project managers navigating construction administration.