To control superseded drawings, maintain one authoritative current-revision register, issue revisions through a recorded process, mark or segregate superseded copies, notify every affected recipient and confirm that site and shared folders contain the current issue. Never rely on the revision in a filename alone when the title block or controlled system says otherwise.
Revision control is not finished when a new PDF reaches the document system. The change must reach the people, folders and printed sets that could still direct work.
Start with one current-revision record
The drawing register should identify the document number, current revision, issue status, issue date and purpose. Everyone needs to know which system or role owns that status. If the register, title block and file name disagree, stop and resolve the discrepancy before issue.
Issue the new revision deliberately
- Confirm the drawing has completed the required review and approval.
- Register the new revision without erasing the earlier issue history.
- Record why it is being issued and who must receive it.
- Transmit the new revision through the agreed channel.
- Identify which previous revision has become superseded.
- Confirm receipt where the procedure requires acknowledgement.
Remove the old route to error
Superseded electronic files should be segregated, locked or clearly marked so they cannot be mistaken for current documents. On site, printed copies are harder: they may be pinned in a cabin, kept in a vehicle or folded into a subcontractor's work pack.
Maintain a distribution record for controlled hard copies. When a revision changes, withdraw or stamp the previous issue and record the action. “Uncontrolled when printed” is useful, but it is not a substitute for managing copies that are intentionally used to construct the work.
Check shared folders before issue
A working folder often contains current, superseded and marked-up files together. Before creating an issue or handover package, copy only the intended deliverables into a controlled release folder. Then compare that folder with the selected register rows.
Look for duplicate document numbers across subfolders, several revisions of the same drawing, filenames without a register row and register entries without a file. Do not delete an exception merely because it looks old; classify it and follow the project's retention rules.
What the register cannot prove
A register records status but cannot prove that every recipient replaced the old file. A folder check proves filename-level presence but cannot prove that the drawing content is technically correct. A sound process combines approval, register control, formal issue and point-of-work verification.
When Deliverable Preflight helps
Deliverable Preflight checks the assembled local package against a CSV or XLSX register. It is particularly useful just before a transmittal or handover, when an unexpected superseded file or two files carrying the same document number should be visible rather than silently accepted.
Use the Ambiguous and Unexpected results to investigate duplicate or unlisted files before they are issued.
View Deliverable Preflight in Microsoft Store →Related guides
Read drawing register vs document register and document register vs transmittal.
Further reading
- Procore Australia: version control for construction
- Urban Utilities: engineering drawing and document requirements
Questions people ask
What does superseded drawing mean?
It is a previous drawing issue that has been replaced by a later controlled revision or another drawing and should no longer direct current work.
Should superseded drawings be deleted?
Not automatically. Retain or archive them according to the contract and records procedure, but segregate or mark them so they cannot be mistaken for current issues.
Does a current register prove the site has current drawings?
No. Distribution and point-of-work checks are still required because printed and locally saved copies can remain outdated.