Increased use of computers has led to sophisticated techniques of Structural analysis and has increased manufacturing and fabrication capabilities. This added degree of sophistication has resulted in more complex structures being designed and built with structural members that have long spans, shallow depths, and contain a high percentage of reinforcing steel.

In the past, during the course of developing placing drawings, the detailer often suggested solutions in areas where the details were incomplete and where the reinforcing steel appeared to have constructability problems. Usually these solutions were used only after their acceptance by the architect/engineer (A/E).