SPECIFICATIONS – V

NAME: Neelaksh Tanwar

ROLL NO.: GCAD/19/121
SECTION: A

QUESTION-1: What are specifications in building

construction? Why are they necessary? Discuss the
types of specifications.
ANSWER: A specification is a document that carries all the information
regarding a building project about how a project will be executed by
the contractors and the subcontractors. Basically it contains all the data
about the building materials that will be used, the methods of installing
these materials, the procedure of construction, the extent of accuracy,
etc. This document is prepared before the construction process begins,
i.e. it is worked out during the design phase and acts as sort of a deal or
contract between all of the various professionals involved in the
construction process.
Although working drawings, plans and other documents may contain
most of the relevant information regarding most of the data and
requirements concerned with the construction and design of the
building, but a specifications document covers all of the relevant data
accurately. Therefore in case of any discrepancy or mismatch between
the other documents and the specifications document, the data
contained by the specifications document is considered.
Types of Specifications:
On a broader scale there are basically two types of specifications:
 General specifications: They provide a basic insight into the
construction work and the materials to be used. These are
 generally mentioned by the architect on the drawing and are not
a part of the legal contract.
 Detailed specifications: These are a part of the legal contract and
provide a deeper and more detailed insight into the construction
process. It mentions all the relevant details regarding all the
required data. These can be further classified into ‘Standard
Detailed Specifications’ and ‘Specialized Detailed Specifications.
Furthermore there are other three types of construction specifications
found in contracts which are – Perspective Specs, Performance Specs,
and Proprietary Specs/Specifications.
Importance of specification document:
A specifications document has a vital role in promoting a fluent and
efficient construction process. Hence it should be written extremely
carefully stating all the data accurately without over-explaining or over-
mentioning any detail. Following are reasons explaining the importance
of a specifications document:
 Clearly written specification reduces the chances of any dispute.
Hence it protects the professionals from any kind of legal action
that might be taken against them.
 It increases efficiency while the execution of the project.
 It increases the success rate of the project.
 It reduces the probability of any mistake or error during the
construction.
 It reduces the chances of any confusion or misinterpretation if the
document is well written.
 It saves the construction time.
 It reduces the overall project cost.
 It helps in cost estimation.
 It is difficult to provide all the information regarding the project in
the drawings therefore all of this detailed data can be included in
specification documents.
  They are necessary while supervising the work.
 They are required to mention the quality of workmanship and
explain in detail the methods that will be used during the
construction and installation of these materials.
 They are required to mention all the details related to the project.
 They help in clarifying the drawings.
Hence owing to the above mentioned reasons, specifications are really
important to mention before the construction of the project begins.