Free construction site layout blocks for AutoCAD (DWG): cranes, plant, cabins, temporary works, traffic and safety

About the sizes

Plant and cabins are not standardised as a drawing, so the blocks use the dimensions of common machine classes and standard cabin sizes: a 21 t excavator about 9.2 m long, a 25 t mobile crane with 5.8 m outrigger span, 20 and 40 ft containers, 2.4 m wide cabins, a 2.4 m hoarding. Check the footprint and the swing or outrigger dimensions against the data of the machine you hire.

The blocks are our own drawings, not copies of any catalogue, and the library is not certified. They are meant to plan the site layout, count plant and cabins and check clearances on a drawing, not to prove that a crane position, an exclusion zone or a traffic route is safe. Lifting, temporary works and traffic management must be designed and checked by the people responsible under the rules that apply to your site.

Frequently asked questions

Which items are in the library?

Cranes and lifting, plant and vehicles, site facilities, temporary works, materials and storage, site services, safety and traffic, survey and ground, and layout markers. The page above lists every group with its count.

Does the tower crane block show the area it can reach?

Yes, the dashed circle is the swept radius of the jib, in five lengths from 40 to 80 m, and a second circle marks the counter-jib. It shows where the hook can go, not a safe lifting zone: load charts, wind limits and the crane's overlap with neighbours come from the crane supplier and the lifting plan.

Can I use the symbols in commercial projects?

Yes. They are free to use and modify in your own projects, including commercial ones. They are provided as is, without warranty.

Can I use the blocks for a temporary works drawing?

You can use them to show where scaffold, hoarding, props or a trench box go on a plan. The blocks are schematic plan symbols; the design, the loads and the details of temporary works have to come from the designer's calculations and drawings.

Can I change a symbol or add attributes?

Yes. Open the DWG, edit a block with BEDIT to change it or add attributes, and save. To update drawings that already contain the block, run ATTSYNC or replace the block. Make a backup first: attribute values can be lost if ATTSYNC is used carelessly.

Where do I find a ready-made set of these symbols for AutoCAD?

AutoCAD itself ships only a small set of sample blocks, so a full symbol set has to come from a library. Download the ZIP on this page and open the DWG: every symbol is a block. Insert one with INSERT (Blocks palette, Libraries tab, then pick the DWG) or drag it from DesignCenter (ADCENTER). You can also download a single symbol on its own.