Customer Reviews

Steel Detailing in CAD Format

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I am a Steel Detailer. I draw steel beams, columns, braces and the like for a living. I thought from the title that this was a book about steel detailing. I am sure that I should have read beyond the title because although it is called "Steel Detailing in Cad Format", it is not a book about "Steel Detailing". It is a book of "Details" for "Steel Designers." I am sure that the author and publishers did not mean to mislead, but they could have come up with a more fitting title.

For my needs the book was a complete waste of money.

I was surprised to find out that the book does not offer any explanations of the context, the selection critera, the constraints facing the detailer, for a given detail. In fact the book does not include any explanation or calculations of any kind. Only sketches. I am a structural engineer, and I failed to find a way for benefiting from this book, professionaly or academicaly.

The author has organized the most commonly used steel details in CAD formats. I belive many engineers or enthusiast who do not have similar CAD details in their computer will appreciate Mr. Zayat's works, since the CAD files will reduce effort to develop details not form the scratch.
A nice collection of seed files are ready to be tansfered into Auto CAD or Microstation.
This book is not for steel detailers who want to see more rigorous detailing that normally shown in AISC's publications such as "Detailing for Steel Construction" and "Engineering for Steel Construction".
For students who want to use those details may need other references or somebody to find out the reason and mechanics behind those details.

I was surprised to find out that the book does not offer any explanations of the context, the selection critera, the constraints facing the detailer, for any of the details in the book. In fact the book does not include any explanations or calculations of any kind. Only sketches. I am a structural engineer, and I failed to find a possible way for benefiting from this book, professionaly or academicaly.

I purchased this book because I needed to know more about how to create shop drawings for structural steel. This book is geared towards the engineer not really the detailer. It contains various standard details that an engineer can use to save him/her time. Theses will be the same details that I, as the steel detailer, will find on the drawings I get and have to make shops from. So in this respect, I was a little disappointed in this book. I'm quite familiar in drawings shops but for another trade. I'm trying to break into the structural steel trade and am having quite a challenge finding any helpful materials. I will still keep the book for information only and to help engineers I work with. Also, to be aware if you plan to buy this and want to download the drawings - it comes on old 3 1/2 floppy discs. NOT CD rom! I did not realize this until I got the book. Fortunately, I happen to have this type of drive installed on my computer.

very well orginized for use of the details that are commo