Planning & documentation
Transmitting Steel Building Reactions to the Foundation Designer
Keep steel building reactions tied to geometry, criteria, load-case descriptions, revision dates, and foundation designer acceptance records.
Define the condition and its scope
Reaction information is useful only when its units, locations, cases, and revision basis are clear.
Foundation coordination brings the building-system geometry, site information, slab requirements, and construction sequence into one interface. The concrete contractor needs more than a general steel layout, while the erector needs evidence of the accepted condition rather than an assumed fit. Use the responsible designers' current foundation and building documents together. Keep dimensions, elevations, reactions, sleeves, edges, and equipment locations traceable to their source. Coordinate cold-formed wall bases as well as primary steel supports when they share the slab or perimeter detail.
References: Steel erection: site layout and construction sequence · Commissioning documents: process, contents, and acceptance
Gather the inputs before deciding
Request the reaction package's geometry revision, criteria basis, units, locations, load-case descriptions, and stated limitations. Ask the building-system and foundation designers to confirm the information needed at their interface. Distinguish preliminary quoting reactions from accepted design inputs. Check whether changes to frames, openings, equipment, or future provisions affect the transmitted information. A table without its engineering context cannot serve as a dependable foundation handoff.
- Reaction location and units
- Load-case description and basis
- Geometry and criteria revision
- Foundation designer acknowledgment
References: Steel erection: site layout and construction sequence · Commissioning documents: process, contents, and acceptance
Set observable handoff deliverables
A reaction table detached from its package revision may not represent the accepted building.
| Input | Evidence to keep with it | Review status |
|---|---|---|
| Reaction location and units | Located reaction schedule with units | Identify reviewer and written decision |
| Load-case description and basis | Referenced case and criteria information | Identify reviewer and written decision |
| Geometry and criteria revision | Foundation review of current revision | Identify reviewer and written decision |
Sequence review and release
Transmit the complete dated package to the foundation lead and obtain acknowledgment. Reconcile unclear signs, locations, cases, or revision references through the responsible designers. Record the accepted foundation review status before dependent release. When supplier information changes, identify changed entries and request reassessment of affected foundation details. Do not combine values from separate revisions to create an administrator-selected envelope of reactions.
- Locate reaction location and units in the current record.
- Compare load-case description and basis with the table's evidence.
- Document the decision: Have the foundation designer review the current coordinated reaction package.
Worked project coordination example
The supplier revises a frame location after foundation review. The transmittal identifies changed reactions and geometry, prompting the foundation designer to determine affected details before the next concrete release.
Apply the stated release decision to the case: Have the foundation designer review the current coordinated reaction package. The responsible team determines acceptance for the actual project and records any condition that still requires resolution.
Keep a closeout record another team can use
Retain transmitted reactions, geometry references, clarification responses, foundation dispositions, and superseded-package history. Link the accepted package to the foundation drawing revision used for construction. Note remaining conditions and later changes affecting the interface. The owner record should support future professional investigation. It should not imply that a buyer, supplier contact, or erection foreman independently determined foundation dimensions from the reaction schedule.
For this issue, include foundation review of current revision in the handoff. If review remains pending, identify the dependent work and its owner; do not present the record as a completed technical acceptance.
Common questions
Can a buyer convert reactions into footing sizes?
No. Foundation design belongs to the responsible qualified professional.
How should reaction location and units be documented?
Have the foundation designer review the current coordinated reaction package. Retain located reaction schedule with units and check that the decision reached the team performing the dependent work.
Sources & further reading
Use the current documentation for the exact product and project. Source links do not imply a partnership or endorsement.
- Steel erection: site layout and construction sequence Occupational Safety and Health Administration
- Commissioning documents: process, contents, and acceptance Whole Building Design Guide
Prepared with AI assistance. Linked references require current project-specific review. How these guides are prepared.
Prepare a supply inquiry
- Record the project drawing or detail and the specified product, profile, or system.
- List the complete configuration, physical units, quantities, and cuts per piece.
- Request current manufacturer documents; confirm compatibility, price, and availability before ordering.
- Obtain the responsible professional's review for loads, code requirements, or installation.