Learning to read Blueprints

[Iev60047]

Hello all. I'm a mechanical design professional (mainly HVAC and some plumbing design) for a university as part of a small team, and nearly all the work I do is in Revit. A good portion of my job is spent creating building models from original drawings (date nearly to the beginning of the 1900's all the way to today) and blueprints (we also have an archival/plans room where I spend a good deal of time doing investigation). Of course as my interest and profession lays in the mechanical sphere, I am not too concerned about whether the footer here is five feet deep or not, or if this window sill looks like this or that. But, I have developed a natural interest in modeling the building more like the ones on our campus (re: more accurate walls, not just generic floors, generally better architectural and structural replication of design elements) and I am struggling to figure out how to learn to do so. 

Is anybody aware of good resources that would help me in what I am trying to do? I am thinking of attending a online construction blueprint class (Course I am looking at) but I am open to self-learning as well.

Thank you!

[HVAC-Novice]

I think for you as designer, and with experience with having read many plans, no course would help since you likely already have the skills. That course sounds more like for a student in construction management or architecture before they have the actual courses. I also think a student would be better served with a course on how to prepare plans, not just reading. A person who can prepare them also can read them. A person who can just read them, can't necessarily prepare them. I can read Shakespeare, but I can't write a play - not a good skill set for a playwriter. 

You also will note that all plans follow some different methods of what and how to show. Even today where creating a 3d and section view is easy, many plans are stinchy with showing what is needed. In the old 2d days, it was really hard to do that and was more often neglected or done wrong. 

Some things also are so fuzzy, sloppy and without plan detail. They just happened in the field or were decided during construction. Some of our old plans have just a few sheets for large buildings and must have left all details up to the contractor. 

For your projects you should just model to the detail needed unless you really want to detail things more than necessary. You probably need to field-survey anyway. 

Not sure if you already did, but have all the old paper plans scanned to archive and then you also can link them into Revit. There also is laser-scanning etc. if you really want to be accurate. 

[RobDraw]

Adding more details to refine your drawings is part of the process but what's the cost to benefit? I always add something more than what is needed to be shown but never at the cost of time. Add a little more detail until you can do it quickly. Then add a little more and keep adding a little as you get good at them. Over time you will be an artist with your drafting qnd be efficient at it.