Book excerpt: A BUILDER'S GUIDE to Construction graphics What do drawings mean to you as a builder? When you're in the midst of a construction project, you have to be able to bridge the gap between the outcome described by the design professional in the construction drawings and the myriad materials and processes required to build the structure. With hundreds of illustrations and photographs from actual working drawings, Construction Graphics: A Practical Guide to Interpreting Working Drawings, Second Edition demonstrates what construction graphics mean to managers of the construction process and how you can make the best use of them. From site excavation to forming, roof, and electrical systems, Construction Graphics provides up-to-date material and helpful exercises on the critical tasks involved in constructing a project from graphic depictions of it. This updated new edition gives you an overview of graphic communication, the construction business environment, the design professional's work product, and construction drawing fundamentals, and adds valuable new commentary on important topics, including: Building Information Modeling (BIM) Project delivery systems Interpreting working drawings The similarities between residential and commercial building construction drawings Executing a site section in preparation for an earth quantity take-off Additional commentary on welding and welding symbology Adhering to the Construction Specifications Institute's UniFormat classification system, Construction Graphics, Second Edition will be a valuable aid to any building professional.