A reduced scale drawing is a representation of an object where its dimensions are smaller than its actual size to fit on a drawing sheet.
Understanding Reduced Scale Drawings
When creating technical drawings, it's often impossible to depict full-size objects, especially when they are large, like buildings or bridges. To solve this problem, we use reduced scales, essentially shrinking the object proportionally to fit onto the drawing paper.
Key Characteristics
- Proportional Reduction: All dimensions of the object are reduced by the same scale factor, maintaining its shape and proportions accurately.
- Space Efficiency: Enables the representation of large objects on a manageable size of paper.
- Technical Application: Used in various fields such as architecture, engineering, and mapmaking.
How it Works
The scale used for a reduced drawing is called a reducing scale, which is defined as when "the actual dimension of an object is reduced so as to accommodate that object in the drawing to be drawn on the provided drawing sheet" (as stated in the reference). For example, a scale of 1:100 means that 1 unit on the drawing represents 100 units in real life.
Common Uses
- Architectural Plans: Buildings, houses, and complex structures are represented in reduced scale drawings.
- Engineering Drawings: Large machine parts and intricate designs are often depicted using reduced scales.
- Survey Maps: Vast land areas are shown on a manageable scale in map drawings.
- Bridge Designs: Large civil engineering structures, such as bridges, need to be shown using reduced scale drawings for effective planning and communication.
Example
| Real Object | Scale | Representation on Drawing |
|---|---|---|
| Building | 1:100 or 1:200 | Significantly Smaller |
| Bridge | 1:500 or 1:1000 | Much Smaller |
| Machine Part | 1:2 or 1:5 | Smaller |
Why are Reduced Scale Drawings Important?
- Feasibility: Allows very large objects to be represented accurately in a smaller drawing.
- Clarity: Makes complex objects easier to understand.
- Communication: Serves as a universal language for sharing design information across various teams.
In summary, a reduced scale drawing is a crucial technique that allows us to represent large objects accurately in a smaller format for better visualization and communication. It is a necessary tool in fields like engineering, architecture, surveying, and more, where real-world object sizes can be very impractical to depict full scale on paper.
