Design documentation is the language in which the client, the designer, the contractor and the supervisor talk to each other. When one link in this chain is a German or Turkish engineering company and another a Georgian construction organisation, the translation of the specification and drawings becomes not an auxiliary but a precondition for carrying out the work. We translate terms of reference, specifications, design volumes and AutoCAD drawings so that the Georgian version remains the same working document for the engineer, while the references to standards correspond to the regulatory base of the target market.
Which documents fall within this area
- Terms of reference and technical specification: tender requirements, technical parameters of equipment, scope of supply, acceptance criteria.
- Design documentation: architectural, structural, electrical, plumbing and ventilation parts, explanatory notes, calculation reports.
- AutoCAD drawings (DWG/DXF): plans, sections, details, electrical and automation diagrams, P&ID diagrams, process flow diagrams.
- Bills of quantities (BOQ) and resource-based cost estimates.
- Method statements (work execution plans): installation sequence, lifting equipment diagrams, temporary structures.
- Documentation accompanying BIM models: Revit family parameters, IFC attributes, information requirements (EIR/BEP).
Working with AutoCAD files: not the PDF but the source drawing
Translating a drawing by pasting captions over a PDF is an unprofessional and dangerous practice: the layer structure, the scale and the possibility of editing are lost. We work directly in DWG and DXF files:
- Text objects (TEXT, MTEXT) and block attributes are translated as a separately extracted table, edited in a CAT system with translation memory and returned to the drawing automatically, without changing the coordinates and layers.
- Title block and main inscription: a GOST 2.104 format title block and an ISO 7200 title block contain different fields. In translation we preserve the structure of the source and, where needed, add Georgian fields according to the client's standard.
- Fonts: most SHX fonts do not contain Georgian characters. Before returning the drawing we convert the text to a TrueType font or use the client's corporate font, and check that the Georgian text fits into the frames and tables.
- Text length: a Georgian caption is often longer than the English or Russian one, so a drawing translation always goes through a visual check to make sure the caption does not overlap lines, dimensions or other text.
- Xrefs and block libraries: external references and repeated blocks are translated once and propagated to all drawings automatically, which ensures consistency.
GOST, EN and ISO: compliance with standards in translation
Georgian design practice is in a transitional period: old projects and many contractors still work to GOST and SNiP norms, while new facilities, especially with international financing, are designed to the Eurocodes and EN standards. The translator's task here is not to "convert" the standard but to carry it over exactly and transparently:
- the standard designation stays unchanged (GOST 25346, EN 1993-1-1, ISO 2768), while its title is translated in accordance with the official Georgian version, if one has been adopted by GEOSTM;
- material grades are not "translated" and are not replaced by an equivalent (St3 does not become S235JR): if the client wants an equivalent indicated, it is added separately as a note approved by an engineer;
- tolerance, surface finish and weld symbols (ISO 2553 and GOST 2.312) stay graphically unchanged, while the text explanation is translated;
- the symbols of electrical diagrams (IEC 60617 and the GOST 2.7xx series) do not change, only the specification table and notes are translated;
- units stay in the SI system, while source data given in imperial units is given with a parallel value where necessary.
The specifics of translating a technical specification
A specification is part of the contract, and its translation carries legal consequences as well. We pay particular attention to:
- Modality: "shall" (mandatory), "should" (recommended), "may" (permissible) are carried over into Georgian in fixed and distinct forms, because it is exactly these that determine what is the contractor's obligation and what is not;
- Acceptance criteria: the test method, sample size, permissible deviation and re-inspection condition are translated with word-for-word precision;
- Cross-references: the specification refers to drawings, standards and contract clauses, and in the translation these links must match the other translated documents of the same package;
- The terminology of FIDIC and other contract forms, where "Engineer", "Employer", "Contractor" and "Variation" are used with a fixed legal meaning.
Typical errors in the translation of design documentation
- changing or transliterating drawing numbers and revision indices, which breaks document control;
- naming the same detail differently in the drawing and in the specification;
- carrying over "shall" and "should" in one form, as a result of which a recommendation reads as an obligation or vice versa;
- replacing a material grade with an "equivalent" without an engineer's approval;
- Georgian text displayed as squares or question marks on the client's computer because of SHX fonts.
The process for large design packages
- Inventory of the package: a list of volumes, drawing numbers, revisions and file formats.
- Compiling a terminology base for the project and agreeing it with the client's chief engineer.
- Translation of the text part and extraction-translation-return of the drawing text in the same memory.
- Engineering editing: checking the mutual consistency of the drawing and the specification.
- Visual check in the drawings and delivery of the final files in the same structure in which we received them.
- Revision management: every new revision is translated only for the changed part.
A design package is often accompanied by the equipment's operating manuals and the construction site's HSE plan, which we translate with the same glossary, so that the name of a detail is the same on the drawing, in the manual and in the safety rules.
Frequently asked questions
Can you work directly in the DWG file, or do you need a PDF?
We work in the source DWG and DXF files and return them in the same format, without changing the layers, blocks and geometry. In the case of a PDF a translation of the captions is possible, but the result will no longer be editable, so we always advise providing the source file.
Do you replace a GOST standard with its EN equivalent in translation?
No. The equivalence of standards is an engineering decision, not the translator's. We translate the title of the standard and keep the number, and add an equivalent only with the approval of the client's engineer, as a separate note.
Do you work with Revit and other BIM formats?
We translate the text data accompanying a BIM model: parameter names, family descriptions, IFC attributes and exported schedules. The geometry of the model itself is not changed.
How long does a multi-volume design package take?
The deadline depends on the volume of text and the number of drawings. On large packages we create a team with a shared terminology base and deliver in stages, volume by volume, so that the contractor can start work in parallel.
Does a specification translation need notarization for a tender?
In public procurement, often yes. We check the requirement of the tender documentation in advance and, where needed, provide notarization on a one-stop basis.