How Tekla Reduces RFIs in Steel Projects

Table of contents

• A Comprehensive Guide for Structural Engineers, Detailers & Fabricators
• What Is an RFI — And Why Do They Matter?
  • Common Causes of RFIs in Steel Projects
• The Cost of RFIs in Steel Construction
• How Tekla Reduces RFIs — The Big Picture
• Key Ways Tekla Reduces RFIs
  • 3D Modeling Eliminates Drawing Ambiguity
  • Real-Time Clash Detection & Coordination
  • Fabrication-Ready Detailing Reduces Uncertainty
  • Accurate Material & Part Metadata
  • Version Control and Change Tracking
  • Field Verification and As-Built Integration
  • Automatic Reports & Data Transparency
• Tekla Features That Directly Address RFI Causes
• Case Example — How Tekla Prevented RFIs
  • Scenario: Complex Stadium Steel Structure
• Best Practices for Using Tekla to Reduce RFIs
  • 1. Model Early and Model Often
  • 2. Integrate Other Disciplines
  • 3. Standardize Libraries & Templates
  • 4. Train Teams on Model Communication
  • 5. Automate Documentation
  • 6. Maintain Version Discipline
• Common Questions — Answered
• Conclusion: Tekla Shifts Projects from Ambiguity to Confidence

A Comprehensive Guide for Structural Engineers, Detailers & Fabricators

Requests for Information (RFIs) can derail a steel project — increasing costs, delaying schedules, and creating friction between stakeholders. In complex steel fabrication and erection work, ambiguity in drawings, missing data, and coordination gaps are frequent culprits. But modern Building Information Modeling (BIM) tools like Tekla Structures are transforming the way structural steel projects are planned, detailed, coordinated, and delivered.

In this article, we’ll explore:

• What RFIs are and why they happen
  
• The cost of RFIs in steel projects
  
• How Tekla fundamentally reduces RFIs
  
• Specific Tekla features that prevent RFIs
  
• Case examples of Tekla’s impact
  
• Best practices for implementing Tekla to minimize RFIs
  

What Is an RFI — And Why Do They Matter?

An RFI (Request for Information) is a formal question raised by a contractor, fabricator, or field team when project documents lack clarity, conflict, or missing information. RFIs are essential for risk management but harmful when they multiply unnecessarily.

Common Causes of RFIs in Steel Projects

• Conflicting drawings from architectural, structural, or MEP disciplines
  
• Incorrect or missing dimensions on shop or erection drawings
  
• Unclear connection details
  
• Ambiguity in member specifications (grades, profiles, tolerances)
  
• Mismatches between design and fabrication models
  
• Changes not communicated to all disciplines
  

In steel work, even a minor missing bolt size or plate thickness can lead to field delays. RFIs interrupt workflows, burden project teams, and increase indirect costs.

The Cost of RFIs in Steel Construction

RFIs have tangible and intangible costs:

• Schedule delays — waiting for answers can stall fabrication or site assembly
  
• Rework — changing shop drawings after fabrication begins
  
• Communication overhead — writing, reviewing, and responding to RFIs
  
• Contract impacts — cost escalations and disputes
  
• Reduced productivity — teams spend more time resolving uncertainties than building
  

Studies show that poorly managed RFIs can add up to weeks of delay in complex projects — especially if multiple trades are involved and documentation isn’t coordinated.

How Tekla Reduces RFIs — The Big Picture

Tekla Structures is a BIM platform optimized for constructible, fabrication-ready steel models. Unlike traditional 2D drafting, which generates drawings that are static and disconnected, Tekla models are:

• Data-rich — every element carries metadata (size, material, connections)
  
• Accurate and measurable — fully dimensioned in 3D
  
• Coordinated with other disciplines — clash detection and integration
  
• Traceable and versioned — changes are tracked across revisions
  

By elevating the model to the single source of truth, Tekla eliminates many of the traditional ambiguity sources that lead to RFIs.

Key Ways Tekla Reduces RFIs

3D Modeling Eliminates Drawing Ambiguity

In 2D drafting, a flat drawing can be interpreted differently by different teams. Tekla’s 3D model is inherently unambiguous — every part, connection, and orientation can be visualized in space.

• No missing dimension because the model is the dimension
  
• Field teams can clearly see how members interact
  
• Questions get answered visually, reducing guesswork
  

Visual clarity drastically cuts RFIs that arise from misinterpretation of static plans.

Real-Time Clash Detection & Coordination

Tekla supports multi-discipline integration — meaning structural, architectural, and MEP elements can be loaded into a common model.

• Detect clashes before fabrication
  
• Resolve interferences early
  
• Communicate clashes with clear 3D visual context
  

Clash-derived RFIs are common when MEP and steel aren’t coordinated. Tekla helps teams address clashes before they become field problems.

Fabrication-Ready Detailing Reduces Uncertainty

Tekla provides detailed fabrication information including:

• Shop drawings with complete annotations
  
• Bolt sizes, splice locations, weld specifications
  
• Material lists and CNC export data
  

Because this data comes directly from the model, there’s no discrepancy between the model and the shop drawings — a frequent RFI trigger in traditional workflows.

Accurate Material & Part Metadata

Every element in a Tekla model stores information like:

• Material grade
  
• Section profile
  
• Connection type
  
• Tolerances
  
• Finish requirements
  

Metadata reduces RFIs related to contract requirements and material substitutions because details are explicit and consistent across documents.

Version Control and Change Tracking

Construction is iterative. Changes happen — but unmanaged changes are RFI magnets.

Tekla’s version control:

• Tracks revisions
  
• Shows what changed and when
  
• Alerts teams to updates
  

When a design changes, Tekla ensures that drawings, fabrication data, and related documentation update accordingly — preventing RFIs due to outdated information.

Field Verification and As-Built Integration

RFIs often arise when what’s on paper doesn’t match what’s on site. With Tekla, teams can:

• Insert field measurements back into the model
  
• Share as-built data with fabricators
  
• Update models in near real time
  

This reduces “unknown conditions” RFIs and aligns field operations with design intent.

Automatic Reports & Data Transparency

Tekla produces:

• Material take-offs
  
• Bolt lists
  
• Connection schedules
  
• Erection drawings
  

Automatic reports are consistent, up-to-date, and traceable — reducing RFIs caused by missing or outdated data requests.

Tekla Features That Directly Address RFI Causes

Case Example — How Tekla Prevented RFIs

Scenario: Complex Stadium Steel Structure

A structural steel contractor was fabricating a roof truss assembly. Traditional 2D plans left ambiguity in:

• Node intersections
  
• Angles between members
  
• Weld requirements
  

In past projects, these ambiguities generated long RFI cycles between field, detailing team, and engineers.

With Tekla:

• The roof truss was modeled fully in 3D
  
• Clash detection confirmed member clearances
  
• Weld types and lengths were explicitly annotated
  
• Shop drawings were generated directly from the model
  

Results:

✔ Zero RFIs issued for the truss detailing
✔ Faster fabrication start
✔ Field assembly proceeded without ambiguities

This illustrates how Tekla turns questions into answers early in the workflow.

Best Practices for Using Tekla to Reduce RFIs

It’s not just the software — it’s how you use it. Here are practical tips:

1. Model Early and Model Often

Don’t wait for final design — begin a Tekla model early for coordination and visualization.

2. Integrate Other Disciplines

Import architectural and MEP models for clash detection and early conflict resolution.

3. Standardize Libraries & Templates

Use consistent profiles, connections, and naming conventions to avoid data discrepancies.

4. Train Teams on Model Communication

Ensure all stakeholders know how to navigate and query the Tekla model — not just read drawings.

5. Automate Documentation

Leverage Tekla’s automatic drawing and report generation to keep all documents synchronized.

6. Maintain Version Discipline

Track changes carefully and communicate updates to all teams.

Common Questions — Answered

Does Tekla replace RFIs completely?
No software eliminates RFIs 100%. But Tekla significantly reduces unnecessary RFIs by clarifying information and automating consistency.

Is Tekla only for modeling?
No — Tekla extends into detailing, fabrication exports, reporting, and field management.

Does Tekla help with construction sequencing RFIs?
Yes — erection drawings and sequencing visuals help field teams plan and ask fewer clarification questions during installation.

Conclusion: Tekla Shifts Projects from Ambiguity to Confidence

In steel projects where precision matters, RFIs are inevitable — but they don’t have to be excessive.

Tekla Structures reduces RFIs by:

✔ Providing a clear, data-rich single model
✔ Enabling cross-discipline coordination
✔ Delivering fabrication-ready drawings
✔ Automating consistency across documentation
✔ Closing the gap between design and construction

For fabricators, detailers, and contractors seeking fewer interruptions, faster approvals, and smoother workflows, Tekla isn’t just a software — it’s a strategic tool to lower risk and increase project clarity.