Rendering Dimensions (1)

CONCEPTS
Plane – (1) avion sau (2) plan de reprezentare
Length – lungime
Height – înălțime
Width – lățime
Span – expansiune
Level – în contextul de mai jos: plan nivelat. În contexte diferite: nivel, grad, etaj.
Plumb – vertical, drept.

Measuring the dimensions of vertical or horizontal objects

When objects are represented on a piece of paper, engineers need to show their dimensions.
The space the object is measured from and to forms the so-called plane (here the word does not
refer to an aeroplane, but to a surface between the vertical and the horizontal lines that frame the
represented object). In order to better understand the concept of plane, as used in technical
drawing, look at the images below:

On drawings, planes are shown as lines that indicate where dimensions are measured from and
to, and are positioned to strike the faces (edges or surfaces) of components. Often, the planes are
either horizontal or vertical. The dimensions referred to in technical drawing are as follows:
Overall length – shows how long an object is in total. The measurements are taken
between the two points that are furthest apart (the front and the rear extremities), along the length
of the represented object. Therefore, we may say that the length is measured along a horizontal
plane. It is the distance between the vertical plane striking the front extremity of the object and the
vertical plane striking the rear extremity of the object.

1
Source of images: https://www.google.com/search?q=plane+-
+measurement+surface&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiBp6HmsIfsAhWvmIsKHYGtDhYQ_AUoAXoE
CA0QAw&biw=1821&bih=833, last accessed on September 25th, 2020.
 Span – renders the extent of an object, from one side to another. For instance, in the case
of an aeroplane represented on a piece of paper, a straight line between the two wingtips would
render the wingspan.
Overall height shows how tall an object is. The dimension is measured vertically between the
underside of the object and the vertical plane striking the top of the object.
Width, which shows how wide an object is, can be external (external width is measured between
the vertical planes that strike the outside faces of the object), or internal (measured between the
inside faces of the object.
Two other concepts are important when discussing represented objects. These are level and
plumb.
If a surface is described as being level, it is both horizontal and flat (smooth). However, a
surface, which is flat, is not necessarily horizontal. A flat surface may be vertical, or inclined
(sloping at an angle to the horizontal or the vertical plane).
Faces that are vertical, such as those of the walls of buildings, are described by engineers
as being plumb. Structures that are slightly inclined from vertical are said to be out of plumb.

Exercises:

1. Fill in the blanks with the following words: height, overall, thickness, span, width
- …………. length: 2,460 m
- Maximum ………… between supports: 342 m
- ………. of the tallest support: 245 m
- ………. Of the deck: 32 m
- ………. Of the deck: 4.2 m
2. Can you answer the following question:
On long suspension bridges, when the distance between the vertical centres of towers at
either sides of the bridge is measured horizontally, the distance between the tops of the two
towers will be several millimetres longer than the distance between their bases. Does this
mean that the towers are out of plumb? Why is there a difference?