What Does a Field Engineer Do with Lift Drawings?
In this short blog, we’re diving into a powerful tool that every jobsite should be using i.e. lift drawings. If you’ve ever wondered what they are, why they matter, and how field engineers use them, you’re in the right place.
Where Lift Drawings Fit In:
A question recently came up from a great superintendent: What exactly does a field engineer do with lift drawings?
To answer that, let’s start with the basics.
On any project, you’ve got:
- Architectural drawings.
- Structural drawings.
- Mechanical, plumbing, and technology drawings.
- Civil drawings.
- Specs, shop drawings, AHJ requirements, and building codes.
A lift drawing brings all the essential information for one specific element say, a perimeter wall into one place. It lifts details from all those documents and consolidates them so you can actually build that one component in the field.
The Power of Lift Drawings:
Let’s break down what lift drawings help you do:
- Learn the Scope:
There’s no better way to train a new field engineer than by having them read through every document and create a lift drawing. It forces them to understand what they’re going to help lay out, support, QC, or enable. - Find and Solve Problems:
A wise mentor once told me: If you can’t draw it, you can’t build it. If there’s not enough information to create the drawing, then there’s not enough to build confidently. Creating a lift drawing uncovers gaps before they hit the field. - Create a Drawing for Installation:
Even if you’re not self-performing the work, and even if the crew “doesn’t need” your drawing to install, you still need lift drawings. Why? Because they are the best training tool for building future supers. Creating these drawings teaches field engineers to read, visualize, and piece together complex structures in 3D.
Bonus: Helpful Tools
There are resources that can make this easier like a Lift Drawing Review Card and tools to build them in Revit, AutoCAD, or SketchUp.
Final Thoughts:
Even if the drawing itself never makes it to the field for install, the act of creating it turns a field engineer into a true builder. That’s what lift drawings are really for: they train the mind to think and build like a superintendent.
So, if you’re not using lift drawings yet, it’s time to start.
If you want to learn more we have:
-Takt Virtual Training: (Click here)
-Check out our Youtube channel for more info: (Click here)
-Listen to the Elevate Construction podcast: (Click here)
-Check out our training programs and certifications: (Click here)
-The Takt Book: (Click here)
Discover Jason’s Expertise:
Meet Jason Schroeder, the driving force behind Elevate Construction IST. As the company’s owner and principal consultant, he’s dedicated to taking construction to new heights. With a wealth of industry experience, he’s crafted the Field Engineer Boot Camp and Superintendent Boot Camp – intensive training programs engineered to cultivate top-tier leaders capable of steering their teams towards success. Jason’s vision? To expand his training initiatives across the nation, empowering construction firms to soar to unprecedented levels of excellence.
On we go
