In modern construction, up to 30% of rework stems from detailing errors or outdated drawings. Even the most advanced tools can’t fix this unless teams manage complexity smarter. Every beam, column, and connection still needs to be precisely modeled and coordinated. Modern tools help, but projects are bigger, designs more intricate, and deadlines tighter than ever.
Even with advanced software, detailers face their own set of hurdles. Keeping up with frequent design revisions, managing multiple models, and ensuring that every change is reflected across fabrication and erection plans can get overwhelming. Collaboration is still a challenge when architects, engineers, and contractors work from different locations or use different platforms.
Accuracy and speed are expected at the same time. Missing either can delay the project or lead to costly errors. Even with the best software, teams need smarter ways to manage complexity and maintain quality under pressure.
Modern-day challenges in Steel Detailing
Managing Complex Designs
Buildings today are rarely simple boxes. Curved beams, irregular shapes, and unconventional load paths are increasingly common. Handling these manually or with basic software can slow down projects and introduce errors.
Tekla Structures’ 3D parametric modeling lets detailers see every component in context. When one-part changes, related parts update automatically, keeping the entire model consistent and reducing the chance of costly mistakes.
Coordination with Multiple Stakeholders
Projects often have many moving parts, and keeping contractors, fabricators, engineers, and project managers aligned is tricky. Misaligned schedules or conflicting priorities can extend project timelines by 10 to 15%.
BIM collaboration platforms help by creating a shared digital model where all teams work on the same up-to-date plan. This ensures clashes between systems, like steel and plumbing, are identified and resolved before they reach the site.
Version Control Issues
Working on outdated files can lead to fabrication errors or clashes during erection, even when using software.
Solution: Tekla Structures keeps all revisions synchronized, ensuring every stakeholder works on the most current model.
Data Management and Integration
Steel detailing generates huge amounts of data – part lists, material specifications, supplier info, fabrication instructions. Managing this data across different systems like ERP, BIM, and fabrication software can be messy without proper integration.
Tekla integrates with multiple systems, allowing smooth data flow between design, detailing, and fabrication.
Fabrication and Erection Coordination
Even after drawings are ready, coordinating with fabrication shops and construction crews is tough. Misinterpretation of drawings or lack of feedback loops can result in incorrect fabrication or delays on-site.
Tekla enables direct interaction with fabrication teams, feedback loops, and built-in clash detection to prevent errors before production begins.
Scalability Challenges
Large projects or multiple simultaneous projects can overwhelm detailing teams if the software or processes are not scalable. Handling hundreds of connections, assemblies, and revisions across projects requires robust planning and tools.
Tekla’s cloud collaboration and scalable workflows allow teams to manage high-volume projects without losing control.
How Tekla Structures Helps Detailers
Steel detailing today requires accuracy, collaboration, and integration under pressure. Tekla Structures delivers by:
- Parametric Modeling: The BIM software’s parametric modeling allows detailers to manage irregular geometries and unconventional designs without losing consistency. When one element changes, connected parts adapt automatically, which reduces manual intervention and prevents costly design conflicts later in the cycle.
- Automation: Automation is another area where Tekla provides real value. Repetitive tasks such as part numbering, connection detailing, and bill of materials generation are streamlined, allowing detailers to redirect time toward higher-level checks. This not only improves productivity but also maintains accuracy across deliverables.
- Integration with Fabrication: Integration with fabrication and erection workflows strengthens communication between design offices and shop floors. Fabricators can interact with the 3D model directly, highlight issues, and resolve them before production begins. Built-in clash detection adds another safeguard by identifying conflicts early, saving time and reducing rework.
- Scalability and Cloud Collaboration: For firms working across multiple projects, Tekla’s scalability and cloud collaboration features offer stability. Teams can coordinate large volumes of assemblies and revisions without version control slipping out of hand.
Tekla Structures is not just software; it is a framework that connects design intent, detailing expertise, and construction delivery into one continuous process.
Learn More – 5 ways Tekla Structures Improves Accuracy in Structural Steel Detailing
The Future of Steel Detailing with Tekla
- End-to-End Digital Integration
Steel detailing will no longer stop at drawings or even 3D models. With Tekla, detailing connects directly into fabrication systems, project scheduling, and even long-term asset management. This continuous digital flow cuts down on data loss, ensures everyone works on the same information, and keeps project delivery smoother from start to finish.
- Smarter Automation and AI
Automation inside Tekla already handles repetitive tasks like numbering and material lists, but future releases will go further. The platform is expected to suggest optimal connections, recommend material usage, and even detect and resolve conflicts faster than manual checks. This shift will allow detailers to concentrate on design intent and quality instead of getting buried in routine tasks.
- Stronger Cloud Collaboration
Distributed teams are now the reality in construction. Tekla’s cloud environment enables real-time access to the same live model, keeping architects, engineers, fabricators, and contractors aligned. Issues are discussed and resolved inside the model itself, cutting down weeks of back and forth and removing the silos that often hold up progress.
- Scalability for Mega Projects
The future of construction will bring massive urban and infrastructure projects where detailing teams need to manage thousands of assemblies, revisions, and changes simultaneously. Tekla’s ability to maintain stability under heavy project loads ensures scalability without compromising accuracy, making it fit for projects of any size.
- Precision with Speed
Tekla’s framework is built to deliver precision without slowing down schedules, helping firms stay competitive in a market where delays and errors are costly.
Business Scenario
A leading building manufacturer in North America was struggling with outdated 2D systems that produced models with limited depth and accuracy. Revisions took too much effort, collaboration was fragmented, and the overall process slowed projects while adding unnecessary costs.
Stridely Solutions – Trimble Tekla partner modernized their workflows by implementing Tekla Structures with Tekla Open API integration. We built custom plugins, automated drafting tasks, and migrated their IT setup to the cloud, which allowed detailers to edit models directly in Tekla, generate accurate reports and shop drawings faster, and collaborate with engineers and fabricators on a single connected platform.
This transformation reduced project lead times, cut down manual work, and gave the client greater flexibility to manage revisions and meet customer demands. It also positioned them for future integration with advanced digital tools, strengthening their competitiveness in the pre-engineered building market.
Read the full success story here – Revolutionizing Construction Modeling and Detailing with Tekla Structures
Simplify Steel Detailing Complexity with Tekla Structures
Steel detailing will always remain one of the most demanding parts of construction, and as projects continue to grow in scale and complexity, the pressure on detailers to deliver accuracy at speed will only increase. Challenges like managing revisions, coordinating across multiple stakeholders, and maintaining consistency in large models are not going away, but with platforms like Tekla Structures the industry now has a way to handle them with far greater control and efficiency.
Tekla brings together modeling, automation, collaboration, and scalability in a single environment, allowing detailers to deliver accuracy. As a Trimble Tekla partner, Stridely Solutions provides expert Tekla Structures and API services, ensuring clients get maximum productivity, accuracy, and scalability.