CHAPTER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION

Working /contract drawing according to Thomas and Marvin (1978), working drawings are defined to be a communication medium whose purpose is to graphically convey the design requirement for a construction project.They control the design by indicating the construction in considerable detail; if they are sufficiently detailed, a competent builder can construct the project in accordance with the design and without confusion. Nowadays, many building clients are curious of knowing their probable cost of having a particular building before the commencement of the work. However, the task of making the cost known to the building client entailed arrays of exercise to be done by the professionals involved, stating from the design stage up to the practical completion of the project, the design stage encompasses various activities, such as, the client brief, site investigation, skeletal design, construction design and finally the contract/working drawings which can be passed to the quantity surveyor and finally issued to the contractor.These are expected to be the minimum numbers of drawings which give production information showing all relevant information’s from consultant transferred to agreed scale, exchanges details and exploiting the values of three dimensional sketches.The information is read to gather by the client, the estimator and the site agents. Seely (2008), believed that drawing should show the nature and scope of work to be carried out under the contract. They are to be detailed and comprehensive of bill of quantities. It is also to assist the contractor to accurately price and carry out the work satisfactorily.Drawings are expected to have description and explanatory notes clearly defined, legible and free from abbreviations amplified figured dimension should be inserted in the drawing to ensure maximum accuracy in taking off quantities and in setting out construction work on site. Turner (2003), referred to the design and quality of the finished work as a major feature of the contract document. Contract drawings should show the positioning of the building members or a supplementary non-contract document. These contract drawings will include: architectural, structural and services.