topic Re: Silly question for Aussie in Modeling

Silly question for Aussie

Steve Jepson — Fri, 26 May 2023 12:16:05 GMT

I am nearly metric illiterate - can someone help me with what these window sizes mean?

Re: Silly question for Aussi

Aaron Bourgoin — Wed, 18 Jan 2017 21:34:31 GMT

centimeters. in Canada anyway.

Re: Silly question for Aussi

Steve Jepson — Wed, 18 Jan 2017 22:17:36 GMT

I don't think cm is what that means. 51 is related to the height and the 87 is related to the width (51-87) but I don't know what units that would be.
It is closer I think to a 5'-1" x 8'7"
Is that the rough opening in feet and inches for what I would show as a 5086 ?
That can't be it either.
In any case, do they show two different units of measure on the same floor plan?
This is probably old school Aussi annotation of some kind. I like the way they separate/write the thousands so it reads as "eleven one twenty five", "seven six forty", "six one hundred" etc... I have always wondered how they say their metric dimensions on the job site.

"I said bring me a sixteen you idiot!" vs "I said bring me a four thousand seven hundred twenty nine point eight - you idiot!"

Re: Silly question for Aussi

Aaron Bourgoin — Wed, 18 Jan 2017 23:38:50 GMT

sorry steve, spoke too soon. btw Canadian Window makers sell their product in metric but call it up in feet and inches - or inches.

Re: Silly question for Aussie

Steve Jepson — Thu, 19 Jan 2017 00:08:11 GMT

so that 51-87 could be a 5'-1" x 8'-7" rough opening which would be to me a 5086 ?

The Aussie builder who knows is probably laughing at me waiting to see if I can figure it out.

Re: Silly question for Aussie

Anonymous — Thu, 19 Jan 2017 07:39:47 GMT

Steve,
I would say the numbers you refer to are window catalog / part numbers and refer to both the style and size of window and it's sashes.
Scott

Re: Silly question for Aussie

Erwin Edel — Thu, 19 Jan 2017 07:44:04 GMT

Why not scale the drawing in archicad and measure?

The scan looks reasonably flat, not too much distortion around the folds.

Re: Silly question for Aussie

Steve Jepson — Thu, 19 Jan 2017 08:45:50 GMT

I did that. That's how I know approximately what size the windows are.

I think is might take an Aussie Carpenter to know what those that window annotation means.

Re: Silly question for Aussie

Steve Jepson — Thu, 19 Jan 2017 08:54:18 GMT

sboydturner wrote:
Steve,
I would say the numbers you refer to are window catalog / part numbers and refer to both the style and size of window and it's sashes.
Scott

That could be. Thanks

Re: Silly question for Aussie

KeesW — Wed, 25 Jan 2017 09:38:16 GMT

Those Aussie dimensions are millimetres, This is the standard for our construction industry.

Re: Silly question for Aussie

Anonymous — Wed, 25 Jan 2017 20:57:25 GMT

KeesW wrote:
Those Aussie dimensions are millimetres, This is the standard for our construction industry.

Yes, but what is the "51-87"? Is that a catalogue number?

Re: Silly question for Aussie

Barry Kelly — Fri, 27 Jan 2017 02:32:28 GMT

It is not anything I recognise.
We usually nominate in millimetres (or possible decimetres for framed construction) or brick coursing.

Barry.

Re: Silly question for Aussie

KeesW — Fri, 10 Feb 2017 01:03:57 GMT

It looks like a manufacturer's catalogue number. These were sometimes based on window sizes and if the windows or manufacturer is old fashioned, dimensions might be in inches, not metric.

For arithmetically challenged Americans - metric is dead easy to understand. Much easier to add, subtract, multiply and divide millimetres than feet and inches. Hardest thing is to know if metric is in mm, cm or metres.

Re: Silly question for Aussie

Aaron Bourgoin — Fri, 10 Feb 2017 02:34:35 GMT

Kees, Come to Canada where we use both. Daily.

Re: Silly question for Aussie

KeesW — Tue, 14 Feb 2017 04:26:34 GMT

Aaron
I'd love to visit Canada - actually have some relatives there!
Why use both? Is it because you need metric for the French and imperial for the Americans? You don't need to put both on architectural drawings, do you?

Re: Silly question for Aussie

gpowless — Tue, 14 Feb 2017 12:26:53 GMT

KeesW wrote:
Aaron
Why use both?

It is because in the 80's the government decided to adopt metric in order to match the world standard. Unfortunately since a lot of materials come from the US and since builders are reluctant to make any changes to their current methods and materials imperial measurement stuck around.

So today the building codes are all in metric (although they are also echoing some measurements in imperial) and our drawings must satisfy the builders.

Funny thing is that most municipal building departments readily accept imperial construction drawings but insist on metric site development and work plans. Crazy Canuks!

Re: Silly question for Aussie

Anonymous — Tue, 14 Feb 2017 20:25:45 GMT

I worked in Malaysia for a while in the late '90s. The boss used metric and imperial in the same sentence - "I want this wall 2metres and 6inches long". Always good for a laugh.

Re: Silly question for Aussie

Aaron Bourgoin — Tue, 14 Feb 2017 20:37:48 GMT

Kees,

It's not uncommon to issue drawings here for permit where the buildings are dimension in Imperial and the Site Plan - always the Site Plan - is Metric.

Re: Silly question for Aussie

Eduardo Rolon — Tue, 14 Feb 2017 21:19:14 GMT

Puerto Rico is also metric for Site and Civil, and Imperial for everything else.

Re: Silly question for Aussie

KeesW — Tue, 14 Feb 2017 21:38:44 GMT

How confusing to run 2 systems at the same time! Must generate real clanging errors!