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CONSTRUCTION BLUEPRINT READING

GRID LINES AND KEY PLANS

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CONSTRUCTION BLUEPRINT READING

Grid lines are a very important component on

blueprints, especially for large construction projects.

They will appear on the structural, architectural and

electrical drawings.

These grid lines are similar to the grid lines used on

road maps and serve the same purpose, to locate a
specific area on the project.
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CONSTRUCTION BLUEPRINT READING

On one side of the drawing a series of numbers will

be present with connecting lines attached to the
perimeter of an object and passing through to the
other end.

On the top or bottom of the drawing a series of

letters will be present.

The combination of a letter and a number is used to

pin point a specific location on the drawing.
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CONSTRUCTION BLUEPRINT READING

Foundation plan showing grid lines:

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CONSTRUCTION BLUEPRINT READING

When looking at the I-beams on a drawing

you will notice that there are all typically
spaced the same distance apart.

Normal spacing between I-beams is 20’ to

25’, knowing that can enable you to do quick
length calculations for cable footages and
device placements.
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CONSTRUCTION BLUEPRINT READING

The I-beams along the top are spaced 18’ apart.

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CONSTRUCTION BLUEPRINT READING

Grid lines typically line up with the I-beams

on a project, each I-beam will have either a
letter or number designation and they are
spray painted onto the I-beams.

This method of using lines allows contractors

to indicate half way points between grid
numbers and letters, i.e.
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CONSTRUCTION BLUEPRINT READING

In many cases certain letters and numbers are

omitted from the grid line system to avoid
confusion.

0, 1, I, O, and Q are usually omitted form the

grid line system.
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CONSTRUCTION BLUEPRINT READING

Using the grid lines, where is the center of the TR located?

APPROX. M.3 X 2.8

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WHAT IS LOCATED AT L.5 X 2.5?

FLOOR MOUNT ELEC./ V&D OUTLET
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CONSTRUCTION BLUEPRINT READING

By using the prints and looking at the numbers

and/or letters on the steel columns you can orient
yourself on site.

Grid lines along with the north symbol will

frequently be used to identify spaces and parts of the
building.

In the previous slide the electrical room and telecom

room are located on the east side of the building.
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CONSTRUCTION BLUEPRINT READING

On large construction projects it’s necessary to

cut a building up in sections so that they will
fit on a drawing sheet.

To do this architect's use a key plan that will

appear in the drawing area of every plan, the
purpose of the key plan is to identify that part
of the project to which the sheet applies.
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CONSTRUCTION BLUEPRINT READING

The un-shaded portion of the key plan appears on

other drawings, the shaded section of a key plan is
the portion of the project represented on the drawing
sheet that you’re looking at, in some case the shaded
portion may be represented by cross hatched marks
instead of shading.
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CONSTRUCTION BLUEPRINT READING

This project has four different sections; A, B, C and

D, this means that there is a full set of blueprints for
each section all included in the original roll of
blueprints.

There will be a match line that separates each section

and there is a little overlap from one section to the
other.
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CONSTRUCTION BLUEPRINT READING

The key plan indicates that you’re looking at section D

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CONSTRUCTION BLUEPRINT READING

As you move from section to section pay close

attention to the match line.

If you’re counting locations for a material count

remember that there is overlap between sections so
you could easily double count items.

That means you will have to compare two sets of

drawings for accuracy.
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CONSTRUCTION BLUEPRINT READING

WHERE IS THE MATCH LINE LOCATED? H.4
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CONSTRUCTION BLUEPRINT READING

WHY IS THE GRID LINE SYSTEM

MISSING THE “1” AND THE “I”?
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CONSTRUCTION BLUEPRINT READING

During the course of a project many changes

will be made both small and large, when this
occurs an addendum will be generated.

An addendum is an official document that

describes the changes to take place, this might
mean moving a wall 1 foot or turning an
office into a storage room.
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CONSTRUCTION BLUEPRINT READING

Addendums will include a NTS drawing showing the

changes to take place and a scope of work to be done.

The addendum will indicate the area to change using

the grid line system and will be signed off by the
architect or general contractor.

The addendum becomes an official legally binding

document and should be treated as such.
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CONSTRUCTION BLUEPRINT READING

Conversely, if you notice a discrepancy with a

section of the building your working in, or if
just need clarification with a section of the
drawings you can generate an RFI (request for
information).

You will need to indicate what part of the

building your requesting info for and the best
way to do that is using both the key plan and
grid line location.
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CONSTRUCTION BLUEPRINT READING

Based on the information provide which section is

the work on this projected been done in?
Is it the North, South, East or West wing?

SECTION “D”

WEST WING