This guide covers the application of dimensional coordination in building design and the fabrication of rectilinear building parts and systems.

Formerly under the jurisdiction of Committee E06 on Performance of Buildings, this guide was withdrawn in January 2011 in accordance with section 10.5.3.1 of the Regulations Governing ASTM Technical Committees, which requires that standards shall be updated by the end of the eighth year since the last approval date.

This guide covers the application of dimensional coordination in building design and the fabrication of rectilinear building parts and systems. A minimum number of preferred dimensions are recommended to give a range of alternatives that should result in economies in design, detailing, production, and construction. Dimensional coordination should be used where benefits in documentation, fabrication, installation, and maintenance can be established, but is not intended to eliminate uncoordinated custom design. Dimensional coordination of buildings and rectilinear building parts is based on the application of three related concepts such as modular reference grids of lines or planes to define reference locations in space, controlling dimensions in the horizontal and vertical plane as means of controlling the location of major building elements and rectilinear building parts, and coordinating dimensions for building components to reduce variety of sizes and to promote a better fit within the controlling reference system therefore minimizing wasteful cutting or fitting on site. The reference system for dimensionally coordinated design may consist of: a standard modular grid of dimensions; a multimodular grid of two or three dimensions, which may use different modules in different directions; or, a selected set of reference planes or lines spaced at modular intervals but without the use of a regular grid. The reference system is used in design and detailing decisions to locate building parts that may or may not be shown on working drawings.

1.1 This guide covers the application of dimensional coordination in building design and the fabrication of rectilinear building parts and systems. A minimum number of preferred dimensions are recommended to give a range of alternatives that should result in economies in design, detailing, production, and construction. Dimensional coordination should be used where benefits in documentation, fabrication, installation, and maintenance can be established, but is not intended to eliminate uncoordinated custom design.

1.2 Specifically, the guide covers:

1.2.1 Descriptions of terms used in dimensional coordination.

1.2.2 The basis for the dimensional coordination of building parts and systems in the design of buildings.

1.2.3 Preferred horizontal and vertical dimensions for building parts and for the coordination of systems.

1.3 This guide does not state preferred dimensions and sizes for building components, except for general principles.

1.4 Basic guidelines for dimensioning in modular drawing practice are given.

1.5 Where practicable, recommendations in international standards prepared by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) have been taken into account.