10.4 Construction Documents: Construction Plans

Why Construction Plans Matter

The construction plan (sometimes called the new-work plan) is the primary drawing showing all new construction — partitions, doors, fixtures, and finishes — laid out on the floor plate. It is the contractor's primary reference for building the interior. On the IDIX exam, construction plans test the designer's ability to communicate partition types, door symbols, accessible routes, clearances, and note conventions accurately and unambiguously.

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Partition Types and the Wall Schedule

Every partition on a construction plan is keyed to a wall-type schedule. The plan shows the wall with a type code (e.g., "A," "B-1," "C") and the schedule provides the assembly details:

The plan drawing shows each wall with the type symbol in a hexagon or circle at the wall midpoint. The contractor reads the symbol, looks up the type in the schedule, and builds that assembly. Fire-rated partitions are always noted on the plan — the rating must be visible to the plan reviewer and the building inspector.

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Door Symbols and Swing

Doors on construction plans use standard symbols to indicate type and swing:

The swing direction is shown by an arc from the hinge point to the door's open position. The arc indicates whether the door swings into or out of the room — critical for accessibility (doors must not swing into the required clear floor space at an accessible toilet room per A117.1 Section 604.3, except at a single-occupant room where the door may swing inward if the turning space is beyond the door swing). The door number (e.g., 101, 102) is keyed to the door schedule, which provides the size, material, fire rating, hardware, and frame type.

Accessible Route

The construction plan must show the accessible route — the continuous, unobstructed path connecting all accessible elements and spaces. Key requirements:

• Clear width: 36" minimum (32" minimum clear opening at doorways per A117.1 404.2.3)
• Turning space: 60" diameter circle or T-shaped space in rooms requiring a turn
• Surface: stable, firm, slip-resistant; changes in level ≤1/4" vertical, 1/4"–1/2" beveled at 1:2 max slope
• Doors: 32" clear opening minimum; hardware 34"–48" AFF; opening force ≤5 lbf (interior)
• Passing spaces: every 200 ft on routes less than 60" wide, a 60"×60" passing space is required

On the plan, the accessible route may be shown with a dashed line and arrow or simply implied by the continuous accessible path. The designer verifies that no element (a planter, a piece of furniture, a column) obstructs the required width.

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Clearances

The construction plan must maintain required clearances at fixtures, doors, and accessible elements:

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Enlarged Plans

Enlarged plans (also called large-scale plans or detail plans) show critical areas at a larger scale — typically 1/2"=1'-0" or 1"=1'-0" instead of the standard 1/8"=1'-0" or 1/4"=1'-0". Areas requiring enlarged plans:

• Toilet rooms — fixture dimensions, grab bar locations, clearances, turning space
• Kitchens / break rooms — countertop layout, appliance clearances, accessible reach ranges
• Server rooms / IDF closets — rack clearance, cable tray routing, HVAC
• Entry vestibules — door sequences, mat well, accessible route

The enlarged plan references the general plan with a match line or callout indicating where the enlarged area is located.

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General Notes vs Key Notes

Construction plans use two types of notes, and the distinction matters:

General notes apply to the entire sheet or project. They appear in a block on the drawing, typically in the upper-left or lower-right corner. Examples:

• "Verify all existing conditions before proceeding with new work."
• "All dimensions to face of stud unless otherwise noted."
• "Coordinate all penetrations through rated assemblies with firestopping details."

Key notes (also called keyed notes or specific notes) are numbered notes that apply to a specific location on the plan. They appear as a numbered flag (e.g., 1, 2, 3) at the specific point, with the text listed in a legend on the same sheet. Examples:

• Note 1: "Provide 1-hr rated partition — see wall type A on sheet A-101"
• Note 2: "Existing door to remain — refinish to match new"
• Note 3: "Provide firestopping at all penetrations — see detail 7/A-501"

Both general and key notes must be coordinated with the specifications to avoid conflicts. If a note contradicts a specification, the specification typically governs per the General Conditions.

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Exam Scenario

A typical IDIX construction-plan question shows a partial plan with a door symbol and asks the candidate to interpret the swing direction or identify the clearance deficiency. For example: a door swings into an accessible single-occupant toilet room, and the required turning space is within the door swing. The correct answer identifies that the door may not swing into the required turning space per A117.1 Section 604.3, unless the turning space is provided beyond the door swing. The designer must either reverse the door swing or relocate the turning space.