DRAFTING 1

LESSON: DIMENSIONING
 STANDARD ORGANIZATIONS

• ACI - American Concrete Institute

• ANSI - American National Standards Institute. Founded in 1918.

ANSI Y14. 5M-1994 is a drafting standard that has been used since the 70's in different revisions since the
original. It's primarily for mechanical design dimensioning, tolerancing and material descriptions.

• API - American Petroleum Institute

• ASCE. The American Society of Civil Engineers

• ASHRAE - American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers

• ASME - American Society of Mechanical Engineers

• ASPE - American Society of Plumbing Engineers

• ASTM - Sections and Volumes

• AIA - The American Institute of Architects (AIA)

One Code Among the AIA’s public policies on codes and standards is the “one code” policy, which states:
The AIA supports regulation by a single set of comprehensive, coordinated, and contemporary codes and
standards, which establish sound threshold values of health, safety, and the protection of the public welfare
throughout the United States.
DIMENSIONING
 VI. DIMENSIONING TYPES

A. MAJOR DIMENSIONS
EVERY DRAWING MUST HAVE 3:

OVERALL HEIGHT, WIDTH & DEPTH

B. MINOR DIMENSIONS
ALL OTHER DIMENSIONS ARE MINOR

MUST HAVE AS MANY AS NEEDED

DO NOT DUPLICATE

DO NOT HAVE ANY ASSUMPTIONS

VIII. BASIC DIMENSIONING RULES

1. DO NOT CROSS A DIMENSION LINE

WITH ANY LINE.

2. DO NOT DIMENSION TO A HIDDEN LINE.

3. DO NOT DIMENSION TO AN OBJECT LINE.*

4. DO NOT DIMENSION WITHIN A VIEW.*

5. DO NOT DUPLICATE DIMENSIONS. *

6. DO NOT CHAIN DIMENSION.*

7. DIMENSION ONLY TRUE LENGTH LINES.

* SPECIFIC TO MECHANICAL STYLE DRAWINGS