Steel is one of the most important materials that humans have developed, and engineering with steel has allowed mankind to literally reach for the heavens. With the advent of mass steel production in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, building a large structure went from decades to years.
But designing a structure to take advantage of the capability of steel is not something that is to be taken lightly. Whereas many would consider the design of a structure to be in the realm of architecture, the design of a steel structure is actually engineering. And complex engineering at that.
The basics of structural drafting apply to the design of any structure but taking advantage of the advanced capability of steel structures, especially in the modern era with the advent of stronger and lighter steel alloys, means that an engineer with a knowledge of the unique properties of steel is needed.
Drafting a steel structural diagram means that the engineer needs to fully understand the capabilities of the particular steel alloy that is being used. A lighter-weight steel will likely require more volume of steel, but the mass may still be lower. Without an understanding of the structural capability of the steel, the engineer and drafts-person will likely not be able to fully realize their vision for the design of the structure.
Engineering drafting is key to the design of the structure, especially when steel is the material of choice. It takes a true engineer to be capable of recognizing the inherent properties of steel and being able to draft an engineering plan which takes advantage of the structural capability, while minimizing the volume and mass properties of the overall design.
Truly, an engineer that is capable of drafting the design of a steel structure is an engineer that has mastered the art of not only drafting, but structural engineering, as well.