Essential Drawing Tools and Techniques in Civil Engineering

The Importance of Drawing in Civil Engineering

Drawing is a fundamental and very important subject in Civil Engineering. A civil engineer cannot be successful without knowing how to draw. It is the language of engineers. No amount of words can convey civil engineering information as accurately and efficiently as a drawing. An architect cannot describe the plan of a house to a builder unless they draw it. They can only give a general idea using words like "single-storied, three-bedroom house," etc., but without a drawing, there is no way to build the house. This language is the easiest in the world to learn and the most precise. An object can be drawn only in one way. As a corollary, an accurate and complete drawing of an object can represent only one thing. There is no scope for misinterpretation or ambiguity, as in the case of words and sentences.

Essential Equipment for Engineering Drawing

There are two types of drawing equipment:

Drawing Instruments

• Drawing board
• T-square
• Set squares
• Mini-drafter
• Instrument box, etc.

Drawing Materials

• Drawing paper or sheet
• Drawing pencil
• Eraser
• Rubber, etc.

Drawing Board

A drawing board is rectangular and made of well-seasoned softwood, with narrow strips glued edge to edge. Its thickness is approximately 25mm. The strips are joined to resist shrinkage and expansion. The left-hand edge of the board has an ebony strip, which is perfectly straight, over which a T-square slides. This is the working edge. The top surface is uniform, smooth, and leveled, on which a drawing sheet or paper is placed.

Set Square

A set square is a set of two right-angled triangles, one being 45° and the other 30°-60°. Plastic set squares are most commonly used by engineering students. Set squares are used for drawing parallel lines inclined at any angle. With the combination of a T-square, lines at an angle of 30°, 45°, or 60° can be drawn directly.

T-Square

A T-square is made of hard-quality wood. Nowadays, plastic T-squares are widely used for their lightweight and elegance. The length of the T-square depends upon the length of the board. A T-square is used to draw horizontal and parallel lines on the drawing sheet placed and secured on the board. It is also used to support set squares to draw lines other than horizontal lines.

Mini Drafter

A mini drafter is a drawing instrument for preparing drawings quickly and conveniently. It performs the functions of a T-square, set square, scale, and protractor. Nowadays, it is widely used by engineers, architects, draftsmen, and students. It saves nearly 30% to 40% of the time for the preparation of drawings.