Metric Noob: What are the Common scales and dimension units?

[Chazz]

Maybe some of you less insular practitioners could illuminate this US bumpkin on life beyond feet and inches:

What are the common scales for the following views:

• - Site plan
  - Floor plans
  - Interior elevations
  - exterior elevations

And what are the units used to dimension those views?

I know there is variation depending on project size, local convention and probably personal preference --just as there is here in BushWorld-- but I'm just looking for guidelines. Most of my work is sub 500 Sq. Meter retail. Any information greatly appreciated.

[Anonymous]

Probably no use to you whatever Chazz , but in the UK...

For Planning -

Location - 1:1250
Block Plan - 1:500
Site Plan - 1:200
Building Plans - 1:100
Building Elevs - 1:100
Site Elevs - 1:200

For Building Regs / Construction drawings -

Plans - 1:50
Exterior Elevs - 1:50
Interior Elevs - 1:20
Sections - 1:50
Details - 1:2 / 1:5 / 1:10

Dimensioned in either metres or millimetres (but consistently one or the other)

Hope that helps you in some way!

[Dwight]

And it is easy to forget in the infinite unscaled world of cyberosity, that the scale you use is the one that fits on the sheet.

[Chazz]

Peter wrote:
Probably no use to you whatever Chazz , but in the UK..

Thanks Peter. EXACTLY what I was looking for. Is there any reason to think that the conventions in continental Europe, and Asia would be any different? (I've never had a project in africa or places other than these and probably won't) Lets hope not.

And thanks to you I'll forever banish that stepchild of dimensionality, the centimeter.....

[Thomas Holm]

Chazz wrote:
And thanks to you I'll forever banish that stepchild of dimensionality, the centimeter.....

In Germany they use centimeters. And Half centimeters, expressed with a superscript 5 after the dimension figure!

Here is Sweden it's millimeters whenever possible, that's always except for really big site plans.
One exception: Levels (heights) are mostly written in meters, with two decimals. Never understood why.

Most used scales are the same as in the UK except that 1:400 is common for site plans.

[Dwight]

The general loss of the centimetre breaks my heart because it actually is a unit that makes building technology sense. Trust the Germans to divide it in half. I wonder what they do for the finest measurement known to man?

Christo , my Greek friend, said the centimetre was the perfect measurement for work crews working with stucco after lunch.

Canada has this schizophrenetic approach to metric. We might as well have stayed imperial since our 2x4 lumber is 38x89mm and our plywood is 1219x2438 because we send so much down South to the merkins who demand real dimensions for real money. Imagine a 4x9??

What a great thing it was to visit New Zealand and hold a 50x100 mm stick of lumber. But you can hardly call that dog-killing bludgeon a"stick."

It is actually cheaper to have the crew cut plywood down to 1200x2400 than make a special order when the job demands it.

[__archiben]

Dwight wrote:
What a great thing it was to visit New Zealand and hold a 50x100 mm stick of lumber. But you can hardly call that dog-killing bludgeon a"stick."

45x90. perfect for cracking around the contractor's head. and the treatment will give you a nasty tummy if you eat it as well . . .

chazz - peter's summary is pretty spot on, and local authorities tend to specify the scale requirements for all submissions. but remember that it's all about getting your set of information out in the best way possible: depending on what you're working with you may be able to get away with some 1:20 enlarged sections that do the same job as two 1:50 and 1:10 sections . . .

mm is generally the unit of choice in the UK, australia and here in new zealand. (but metres for site and levels)

cm are used throughout mainland europe.

i would be interested to know what asia, south amercia and the middle east use . . .

cheers
~/archiben

[Anonymous]

In fact, in switzerland (and I think, in germany too), measures below one meter are in cetimeter, above in meters. Elevations are allways in meters.

[Djordje]

~/archiben wrote:
i would be interested to know what asia, south amercia and the middle east use . . .

Imperial is alive and kicking in the ex Raj ... especially for the areas, sqft rules, although millimeters are the plan unit of choice, especially for the site plans!!!

ME is mostly a matter of who got where first - all the units are equal, as long as the stuff is consistent. Dubai Municipality for example wants both, especially on the site plans, the rule book is Imperial, the materials are metric ...

... but around here, the important thing is to build it fast, as it usually sold off plan, and resold at least five time at 50% profit each time, until the excavation has started. 😉

[Link]

Peter's list is true of what I have seen in my travels to metric countries too. The only excpetion is that interior elevations are often scaled at 1:50.

Centimetres are deifintely out.

Oh and in the UK they call their details bespoke!

Cheers,
Link.