Two drawing revisions
Each PDF has a member schedule on S101 and a reading sketch on S201. Embedded text works with Drawing Search; vector lines work with Drawing Compare and PDF Rescue.
Download. Review. Compare.
Steel detailing practice project
Follow one small fictional job from a member schedule through a revision check, a material takeoff, and a documented hold.
QSD-PRACTICE-001 contains three member marks and eight pieces. It is designed for learning how information connects, not for demonstrating a structurally complete building. Allow about 20–30 minutes; no account or upload is required.
Fictional training example. These schematic drawings are not fabrication drawings, structural design, or release authorization. Connections, grades, capacities, and many real project requirements are intentionally unspecified.
Everything in the download
Material lists
Use JSON with Material Takeoff. Use CSV in a spreadsheet to check the arithmetic independently. The two revisions are alternatives, not quantities to add together.
Connected project and answers
The project has two takeoff snapshots, a four-entry drawing register, and one open RFI linked to a hold. PDFs remain separate files.
Work through the revision
Read both issues before importing anything
Open the two PDFs. Identify the sheet number, revision, member mark, quantity, section, and written length. Compare B12 across S101 and S201. The diagrams are not to scale; the written dimensions are the exercise inputs.
New to the terms? Start with reading structural steel drawings and the steel glossary.
Compare the drawings and search the mark
In Drawing Compare, select revision A as the reference and B as the revision. Compare page 1, then page 2. In Drawing Search, select both PDFs and search for B12. Search results locate text; they do not decide which conflicting requirement is correct.
Import a new practice project
In the Project Dashboard, choose Import project package, select
practice-project.json, and confirm. The importer creates a new project copy and keeps existing projects. It selects the imported copy as active. Use this dashboard importer; Project Workspaces uses a different file format.The result should contain four records, one unresolved follow-up item, and no completed checklist items. Importing never marks the review complete.
Check the two material snapshots
Open a takeoff record from the dashboard, then choose Load linked project snapshot. The tool asks before replacing its current inputs; export your current work first if needed. Review A, then B, or import the separate takeoff JSON files in Material Takeoff. That tool imports JSON, not CSV.
Recalculate one row by hand: 4 × 20 ft × 35 lb/ft = 2,800 lb for B12 in revision A. Look up the exact W18X35 reference to check its nominal weight per foot.
Preserve the question and the hold
Open the saved register and RFI from the dashboard. Revision B is in review, and RFI-001 is open. Read its references before recording any response. In this exercise there is no authorized answer to invent. The correct review outcome is a clear question and an explicit B12 hold.
Build a review handoff
Use Project Handoff to select one takeoff, the register, and the RFI. Preview and print the package. Include the unresolved hold; do not present the two takeoffs as additive material. Export a complete project JSON backup after making your own notes. The export includes all project records; original PDFs stay separate.
Check your arithmetic
These totals cover the listed members only. Connections, plates, bolts, coatings, waste, and procurement allowances are outside this exercise.
| Schedule | Pieces | Total length | Nominal weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revision A baseline | 8 | 120 ft | 3,608 lb / 1636.56 kg |
| Revision B schedule candidate | 8 | 124 ft | 3,748 lb / 1700.06 kg |
| Change | 0 | +4 ft | +140 lb / 63.50 kg |
Reveal the coordination problem
S101-B changes B12 from 20 ft to 21 ft, while S201-B detail D1 still says 20 ft. The schedule candidate adds 4 × 1 ft × 35 lb/ft = 140 lb, but the arithmetic does not resolve the conflicting requirements.
Ask for coordinated clarification citing both sheet revisions and detail D1. Preserve B12 on hold. A current revision label and a highlighted change do not prove that every related value has been reconciled.
Practice project questions
Can I use these drawings for a real steel job?
No. They are original, fictional teaching sketches with intentionally missing design and fabrication information. Use them to practice reading, arithmetic, and information control.
Will importing replace my existing projects?
The complete project importer adds a new copy after you confirm and selects it as active. Loading an individual takeoff snapshot is a separate action that asks before replacing the current tool inputs. Export existing inputs before approving that replacement.
Why does the revised material total remain on hold?
The B schedule produces 3,748 lb, but B12 has contradictory lengths across two sheets. A correct calculation is not proof that its inputs are authorized. Keep the candidate calculation and unresolved question together.
Are the PDFs or project details uploaded?
The downloads are public sample files. Selecting PDFs and importing this project use the site's browser tools; those files and project fields are processed on your device. Browser storage is not a backup, so keep downloaded copies of your work.
Can I share this exercise with a coworker?
Yes. Copy and adapt these fictional training files for learning or internal demonstrations, retaining the training-only notice. Share the original PDFs alongside a complete project JSON export when you want another person to repeat the review.
Continue learning
Use the RFI and change-control lesson to strengthen the clarification record, or the project checklists to think through a complete review. AISC v16 nominal weights come from the site's steel reference database. This exercise was created by Quantum Steel Design as educational content; see our editorial approach or report a correction.