September 10, 2026

What Structural Drawings Are Needed for a Warehouse?

In short

A warehouse structural drawing package typically includes a frame and connection layout, footing plan and details, floor slab plan, bracing layout, and a set of general structural notes, all issued and certified by a registered structural engineer, together with the design certificate required for the building permit application.

A building surveyor will not issue a building permit for a new warehouse, or most warehouse alterations, without a complete structural drawing package prepared and certified by a registered structural engineer. Knowing what should be in that package helps a warehouse owner, builder, or shed supplier check nothing has been missed before the permit application is lodged.

Key Point: Structural drawings are separate from the architectural or shed supplier's layout drawings. Architectural drawings show what the building looks like and how the space is used. Structural drawings show how the building stands up, and only a registered structural engineer can certify them.

The Core Structural Drawing Set

Drawing	What It Shows
Frame layout plan	The portal frame grid, column and rafter locations, spans, and bay spacing across the whole building
Connection details	The rigid joints between column and rafter, apex connections, and base plate connections, with bolt sizes and welds specified
Footing plan and details	Footing sizes, reinforcement, and depths for each column location, sized for the site's soil classification
Floor slab plan	Slab thickness, reinforcement, joint layout, and any thickened areas for racking or plant loads
Bracing layout	The location of wall and roof bracing that provides lateral stability to the frame
General structural notes	Design loads, material specifications, construction tolerances, and reference standards used for the design

Frame and Connection Drawings

The frame layout plan sets out the grid of portal frames along the length of the warehouse, showing column spacing, bay widths, and overall building dimensions. Connection details then show exactly how each column is joined to its rafter, and how the ridge or apex connection is made, since these rigid joints are what give a portal frame its strength. Bolt sizes, plate thicknesses, and weld specifications are all shown on these details, along with the base plate connection between the column and the footing below.

Footing and Slab Drawings

Footing drawings size and detail the concrete pad or strip footings beneath each column, based on the reactions calculated from the frame design and the site's soil classification. Where a geotechnical report has been prepared for the site, the footing design will reference the bearing capacity and soil parameters from that report.

The floor slab plan is a separate drawing covering the internal ground floor slab, including its thickness, reinforcement mesh or bars, movement and construction joint locations, and any areas of increased thickness or reinforcement to support racking or heavy plant, as discussed in our guide to how warehouse racking loads are designed.

Bracing and Stability Drawings

While the rigid portal frame joints resist load along the frame itself, bracing is needed to stabilise the building in the direction along its length, where the frames do not provide inherent rigidity. The bracing layout drawing shows where wall and roof bracing, whether cross bracing, portal bracing, or rigid sheeting diaphragm action, is required, and this is a critical drawing to check before any wall sheeting or cladding is fixed, since removing a braced bay later is far more difficult than installing it correctly the first time.

Bracing is not optional or interchangeable: Substituting a different wall panel or omitting a section of bracing shown on the structural drawings, even for a small opening or servicing reason, can compromise the building's lateral stability. Any variation from the certified bracing layout should be checked with the structural engineer first.

General Notes and the Engineer's Certificate

Design Loads

Wind region, importance level, and any crane or racking loads used in the design are stated on the general notes.

Material Specifications

Steel grade, concrete strength, and reinforcement grade are specified for the builder to follow.

Reference Standards

The Australian Standards the design complies with, such as AS 4100 and AS/NZS 1170, are listed.

Design Certificate

The structural engineer's signed certificate confirming compliance is submitted with the permit application.

Every structural drawing set is accompanied by the engineer's design certificate, sometimes referred to informally as the Reg 126 certificate in Victoria, which formally confirms the structural design complies with the relevant standards and the Building Code of Australia. A building surveyor will not accept the permit application without this certificate.

Design Drawings vs Shop Drawings

It is worth distinguishing between the structural engineer's design drawings, which establish member sizes, connections, and loads for the permit application, and the steel fabricator's shop drawings, which are detailed fabrication drawings used to manufacture and erect the steel. Shop drawings are typically prepared by the steel fabricator based on the engineer's design, and in many cases the engineer will review the shop drawings before fabrication to confirm they match the certified design.

Frequently Asked Questions

What structural drawings are needed for a warehouse?

A typical warehouse structural drawing package includes a frame and connection layout, footing plan and details, floor slab plan, bracing layout, and general structural notes, together with the engineer's design certificate for the building permit.

Who prepares the structural drawings for a warehouse?

A registered structural engineer prepares and certifies the structural drawings. A drafter may prepare the drawings under the engineer's direction, but only the registered engineer can certify the design and issue the compliance certificate.

Are shed supplier drawings the same as structural drawings?

Not always. A shed supplier's standard drawing may be sufficient for a simple, standard span shed within its pre-engineered range, but any project outside that range, or with site specific conditions, needs a project specific structural drawing set certified by a registered engineer.

Do I need new structural drawings for a warehouse alteration?

Yes, if the alteration involves a new opening, a mezzanine, additional racking, or any change to the frame or footings. The new drawings need to be read together with the original structural drawings where available.

What happens if the original structural drawings for a warehouse cannot be found?

A structural engineer can carry out a site inspection and, in some cases, testing to establish the existing structure's likely capacity, though this is more time consuming than working from the original documentation. This is a common situation for older industrial buildings changing use or tenancy.

Principal Built Engineering prepares certified structural drawing packages for new warehouses, alterations, and fit outs across Melbourne. Get in touch to discuss a warehouse project, or read more about Melbourne structural engineering services.

Previous Next