Construction lines

[winterdd]

I am interested in learning more on CA construction lines. The tutorial I watched didn't go into too much detail other than making the grid in plan view and them automatically showing up in elevations. Any vids you can suggest on what they are actually used for and what info they can provide to the plan set?

[robdyck]

38 minutes ago, ChiefUserBigRob said:

what they are actually used for and what info they can provide to the plan set?

They are used to help locate major portions of a structure. I would never use them on a residential plan set unless it is quite large and/or complex and they are needed to help builders with layout and to communicate where something is located. On a very large building, it can really make it simple to discuss the plan set with other plan readers (for example: Please refer to the linen closet that is to the left of grid line 3 and above grid line C).

For smaller plans, you're simply wasting your own time, cluttering the drawing and probably confusing the trades (unless it is a common practice in your region).

[winterdd]

3 minutes ago, robdyck said:

They are used to help locate major portions of a structure. I would never use them on a residential plan set unless it is quite large and/or complex and they are needed to help builders with layout and to communicate where something is located. On a very large building, it can really make it simple to discuss the plan set with other plan readers (for example: Please refer to the linen closet that is to the left of grid line 3 and above grid line C).

For smaller plans, you're simply wasting your own time, cluttering the drawing and probably confusing the trades (unless it is a common practice in your region).

I see. Definitely answers my question. Maybe that's why I have never seen them on other designer's plans in my region who do residential.

[SHCanada2]

2 hours ago, ChiefUserBigRob said:

he tutorial I watched didn't go into too much detail other than making the grid in plan view and them automatically showing up in elevations

I never saw much use for them until you mentioned they show up in elevation

could be used to show the property line( and/or set backs) in elevation perhaps?

[robdyck]

46 minutes ago, jasonn1234 said:

could be used to show the property line( and/or set backs) in elevation perhaps?

Absolutely. But where are these rectangular properties? I see one of those every two years:)

[CAmichael240114]

Another example were they are most useful:

Over concrete foundation lines, load bearing post foundation lines, load bearing beams etc.

When positioning load bearing walls/posts or roof loads on the floor levels above it clarifies where the load can be placed/distributed over the foundations, posts or bearers etc below.

 

[para-CAD]

When I framed hotels and apartments in Kentucky in Tennessee, all those plans used control lines. They help to keep the project broke into sections and are excellent for reference lines, unless the guy that is pinning, the slab by GPS, does a poor job. Then the project gets crazy, then you have to have meetings to explain that where he marked the control lines on the slab don’t match where they are drawn on the plans. 
 

I found that it is often best on a long, rectangular structure, like a hotel, to get the original cad files and place a control line down the middle in both directions, left right and up down, and dimension from those. Then on the slab when you pop those lines, you can measure out from the center and any of the corrections to the building are made at the exterior, which means about 90% of the walls can be pre-built and assembled on site with minimal corrections to the some of the exterior walls.