Elevations and Sections
Lesson 3 of 13 in Blueprint & Plan Reading · 25 minutes
Read and interpret elevation and section drawings showing building height, exterior features, and interior construction layers.
What you'll learn
- Read and interpret elevation drawings
- Read section drawings showing interior construction layers
- Understand grade lines, foundation depth, and material indications
From the lesson
Elevation drawings show the outside of a building from the side. There are usually four elevation drawings for a building: north, south, east, and west. Elevations show the building height, the roof shape, window locations, and exterior materials like brick or siding.
The grade line on an elevation is a dashed line that shows the ground level. Everything below the grade line is underground, such as the foundation and footing. The footing is the wide concrete base at the bottom of a foundation wall. It spreads the weight of the building over a larger area of soil.
Section drawings show the building cut through, like slicing a loaf of bread. They reveal the layers inside the walls, floors, and…