Favour construction

This duplex design features 4 flat, drafted by me in 2018

I started drafting back in 2006

Drafting: Where Every Great Building Begins ✏️🏗️

Before the blockwork, before the concrete, before the finishing — there is drafting.

Drafting turns ideas into clear, buildable plans.
It bridges imagination and reality, helping architects, builders, and clients see the project before a single block is laid.

A good draft: ✔️ Saves time on site
✔️ Reduces costly mistakes
✔️ Improves communication with clients and workers
✔️ Ensures accuracy, scale, and compliance

In today’s world, combining hand sketching skills with digital drafting tools (AutoCAD, Revit, BIM) is no longer optional — it’s a professional advantage.

If you can draft well, you can explain better, build smarter, and earn more trust.

Draft smart. Build right.

From drawings to numbers
Step-by-step footing concrete quantity calculation using
trapezoidal footing geometry - a must-know for every Quantity Surveyor & Site Engineer.

The formula for calculating the cutting length of the circular stirrup is,

= Circumference of the stirrup + (2 × hook length) — (2 × 135° bend)

The circumference of the stirrup is,

= π × Diameter of the stirrup

The diameter of the stirrup is,

= Diameter of the column — (2 × clear cover)

= 600 mm — (2 × 40mm)

= 520 mm.

So the circumference of the stirrup is,

= π × 520 mm (π = 3.14)

= 1632.80 mm.

And the cutting length of the circular stirrup is,

= Circumference of the stirrup + (2 × hook length) — (2 × 135° bend)

= 1632.80 + (2 × 75) — (2 × 30)

= 1722.80 mm.

The formula for calculating the cutting length of spiral stirrups is,

Number of turns is,

= length of the column ÷ spacing of stirrups

= 10000 ÷ 200

= 50 numbers.

Circumference of the stirrup is,

= π × Dia of the stirrup

Dia of the stirrup is,

= Dia of the column — (2×clear cover)

= 600 — (2×50)

= 500 mm

So, the circumference of the stirrup is,

= π × 500

= 1570 mm

Let’s put these values into the formula.

The cutting length of spiral stirrups is,

= 50 × √{(1570)2 + (200)2}

= 1582.68 mm.

Before You Start Building, Read This…

Many people still don’t understand this:

👉🏽 If you want to build a house, you MUST first get your building plan, and it must be done by trained professionals, not guesswork or “roadside drawing.”

Here are the drawings you need and the professionals in charge:

✅ Architectural Drawing – Done by an Architect
✅ Structural Drawing – Done by a Structural or Civil Engineer
✅ Mechanical & Electrical Drawings – Done by MEP Engineers (if needed)
✅ Bill of Quantities (BOQ) – Done by a Quantity Surveyor
✅ Site Supervision – Done by a Project Engineer or Builder

These drawings are not free.
📌 Every professional charges for their work, just like a tailor won’t sew for free.

So if you give your work to a contractor or construction company, know that:

They are only responsible for what they’re paid for, if you pay for only the architectural plan, don’t expect them to provide BOQ, structural, or approval drawings for free.

Let’s stop assuming one person will do everything for free.