CONTENTS

SECTION 2 / Specifics PLAN VIEW

PLAN VIEW
Plans are drawings that show an object as viewed from above. Many of the detail and section drawings in a set show parts of the building from above. Some of the plan views that show an entire building are discussed here. This brief explanation will help you feel more comfortable with plans, although it does not cover plans in depth. You will use plans frequently throughout your study of the remainder of this textbook. Each of the remaining units helps you understand plan views more thoroughly.

PLAN VIEW Figure 1. Minimum information shown on a site plan.

CONTENTS

SECTION 2 / Specifics PLAN VIEW

Plan View: Shows the view of a project from the topoften known as a birds-eye view. This view typically does not clarify vertical heights and only indicates horizontal dimensions. It also indicates dimensions in a horizontal manner, typically illustrated to a particular scale. Two common blueprint scales drawn using an English ruler are 1/8" equaling one linear foot and 1/4" equaling one linear foot. A metric ruler utilizes millimeter and centimeter increments of 10, 20, 30, 40, or 50 to one meter. A shop drawing illustrated with a plan view can indicate the invert elevation of piping above or below the finished floor elevation.

(a)

(b)

PLAN VIEW Figure 2. A floor plan is actually a section view of the building.

CONTENTS

SECTION 2 / Specifics PLAN VIEW

WALL TYPE C UPPER CABINETS

SINK 10 A2

DW

TRASH

9'-0" (2.74M) ROOM 201

11 A2

Wall Type A

DOOR TYPE 16

2'-0" (61CM)

3'-6" (1.07M)

3'-0" (91.4CM)

8'-6" (2.59M)

PLAN VIEW Figure 3. Plan view example.

Two detail symbols indicating the location of large sectional views are provided Wall types are indicated on a typical plan view Room and door numbers are indicated on a plan view Dimensional relation to columns or other walls is indicated on a plan view The scale relating to a fraction of an inch, mm, or cm representing a foot or meter is used on a plan view

CONTENTS

SECTION 2 / Specifics PLAN VIEW

10

SITE PLANS
A site plan gives information about the site on which the building is to be constructed. The boundaries of the site (property lines) are shown. The property line is usually a heavy line with one or two short dashes between longer line segments. The lengths of the boundaries are noted next to the line symbol. Property descriptions are often the result of a survey by a surveyor or civil engineer. These professionals usually work with decimal parts of feet, rather than feet and inches. Therefore, site dimensions are usually stated in tenths or hundredths of feet. A symbol or arrow of some type indicates what compass direction the site faces. Unless this north arrow includes a correction for the difference between true north and magnetic north, it may be only an approximation. However, it is sufficient to show the general direction the site faces. The site plan also indicates where the building is positioned on the site. As a minimum, the dimensions to the front and one side of the site are given. The overall dimensions of the building are also included. Anyone reading the site plan will have this basic information without referring to the other drawings. If the finished site is to include walks, drives, or patios, these are also described by their overall dimensions.

type has a concrete base, called the footing, supporting foundation walls, Plan View Figure 4. The other is the slab-on-grade type. A slab-on-grade foundation consists of a concrete slab placed directly on the soil with little or no other support. Slabs on grade are usually thickened at their edges and wherever they must support a heavy load, Plan View Figure 5. When the footing-and-wall-type foundation is used, girders are used to provide intermediate support to the structure above, Plan View Figure 6. The girder is shown on the foundation plan by phantom lines and a note describing it. The foundation plan includes all of the dimensions necessary to lay out the footings and foundation walls. The footings follow the walls and may be shown on the plan. If they are shown, it is usually by means of hidden lines to show their outline only. In addition to the layout of the foundation walls, dimensions are given for opening windows, doors, and ventilators. Notes on the plan indicate areas that are not to be excavated, concrete-slab floors, and other important information about the foundation, Plan View Figure 7.

FLOOR PLANS
A floor plan is similar to a foundation plan. It is a section view taken at a height that shows the placement of walls, windows, doors, cabinets, and other important features. A separate floor plan is included for each floor of the building. The floor plans provide more information about the building than any of the other drawings.

FOUNDATION PLANS
A foundation plan is like a floor plan, but of the foundation instead of the living spaces. It shows the foundation walls and any other structural work to be done below the living spaces. There are two types of foundations that are commonly used in homes and other small buildings. One

Building Layout
The floor plans show the locations of all of the walls, doors, and windows. Therefore, the floor plans show how the building is divided into rooms, and how to get

FOUNDATION WALL

CONCRETE SLAB (FLOOR)

CONCRETE FOOTING

STEEL REINFORCEMENT

STEEL REINFORCEMENT THICKENED FOR REINFORCEMENT

PLAN VIEW Figure 4. Footing and foundation wall.

PLAN VIEW Figure 5. Slab-on-grade foundation.

CONTENTS

SECTION 2 / Specifics PLAN VIEW

11

FOUNDATION

GIRDER

COLUMN

COLUMN FOOTING

PLAN VIEW Figure 6. A girder provides intermediate support between the foundation walls.

from one room to another. Before attempting to read any of the specific information on the floor plans, it is wise to familiarize yourself with the general layout of the building. To quickly familiarize yourself with a floor plan, imagine that you are walking through the house. For example, imagine yourself standing in the front door of the left side of the Duplexplans for which are included in the drawing packed with this text. You are looking across the living room. There is a closet on your right and a large window on your left. Straight ahead is the dining room with doors into a storage room and the kitchen. Looking in the kitchen doorway (notice there is no door in this doorway), there are cabinets, a sink, and a refrigerator on the opposite wall. More cabinets and a range are located on the left. Now, walk out of the kitchen and into the bedroom area. There are three doors; one leads into a large front bedroom with a long closet, another opens into a smaller bedroom, and the third opens into the bathroom. The bathroom includes a linen closet with bifold doors.

stucco or masonry veneer, this material is outside the dimensioned face of the wall frame. Interior partitions may be dimensioned to their centerlines or to the face of the studs. (Studs are the vertical members in a wall frame.) Windows and doors may be dimensioned about their centerlines, Plan View Figure 8, or to the edges of the openings. Solid masonry construction is dimensioned entirely to the face of the masonry, Plan View Figure 9. Masonry openings for doors and windows are dimensioned to the edge of the openings.

Other Features of Floor Plans

The floor plan includes as much information as possible without making it cluttered and hard to read. Doors and windows are shown by their symbols as explained in Unit 5. Cabinets are shown in their proper positions. The cabinets are explained further by cabinet elevations and details, which are discussed in Unit 8. If the building includes stairs, these are shown on the floor plan. Important overhead construction is also indicated on the floor plans. If the ceiling is framed with joists, their size, direction, and spacing are shown on the floor plan. Architectural features such as exposed beams, arches in doorways, or unusual roof lines may be shown by phantom lines.

Dimensions
Dimensions are given for the sizes and locations of all walls, partitions, doors, windows, and other important features. On frame construction, exterior walls are usually dimensioned to the outside face of the wall framing. If the walls are to be covered with

SECTION 2 / Specifics PLAN VIEW

PLAN VIEW Figure 7. Foundation plan. Courtesy of Home Planners, Inc. 12

CONTENTS

CONTENTS

SECTION 2 / Specifics PLAN VIEW

13

PLAN VIEW Figure 8. Frame construction dimensioning.

PLAN VIEW Figure 9. Masonry construction dimensioning.

SECTION 2 / Specifics PLAN VIEW

W
PLAN VIEW Figure 10. Plan labeled to help orientation to north arrow. Courtesy of Robert C. Kurzon.

14
CONTENTS

CONTENTS

SECTION 2 / Specifics PLAN VIEW

15

PLAN VIEW Figure 11. Typical floor plansmall bank building.

VIEW PHOTO

CONTENTS

SECTION 2 / Specifics PLAN VIEW

16

PLAN VIEW Figure 12. Typical roof framing plansmall bank building.

VIEW PHOTO

CONTENTS

SECTION 2 / Specifics PLAN VIEW

17

PLAN VIEW Figure 13. Typical reflected ceiling plan and associated drawings.

VIEW PHOTO

CONTENTS

SECTION 2 / Specifics PLAN VIEW

18

PLAN VIEW Figure 14. Typical site plan and associated drawings.

VIEW PHOTO

CONTENTS

SECTION 2 / Specifics PLAN VIEW

19

PLAN VIEW Figure 15. Typical foundation plan and associated drawings.

VIEW PHOTO

CONTENTS

SECTION 2 / Specifics PLAN VIEW

20

PLAN VIEW Figure 16. Typical electrical plansmall bank building.

VIEW PHOTO

CONTENTS

SECTION 2 / Specifics PLAN VIEW

21

PLAN VIEW Figure 17. Typical mechanical plan and associated drawingssmall bank building.

VIEW PHOTO