Specifications

Engr. Lito I. Mauro

Specifications – written documents
describing in detail the scope of
work, materials to be used,
methods of installation, and quality
of workmanship for a parcel of
work to be placed under contract.
– part of the contract documents
that define the qualitative
requirements of the project
that is to be built.
– a detailed description of
requirements, dimensions,
materials, etc., as of a
proposed building, bridge,
etc.
Supplementary conditions – Any standard
set of general set of conditions is intended
to apply to a relatively broad range of
construction and must be amended
and/or supplemented at times to conform to
the idiosyncrasies of a given project.
Supplementary conditions are occasionally
also referred to as special conditions.
 Common examples of necessary
amendments to the general
conditions:
• The number of sets of contract
documents to be furnished to the
contractor
• Limitations on surveys to be
provided by the owner
• Special instructions to the
contractor when requesting
material substitutions
• Changes in insurance requirements
• Special documentations required
by the owner as a condition of
final payment
Two categories of specifications
a. General specifications – prepared by
various public authorities or trade
associations for use throughout the
construction industry.
b. Particular specifications – prepared
by designers for specific projects.
Types of specifications
• Open specifications – allows competition
to supply a material or product within
broad limits of equality. One way to
achieve an open specification is to follow a
brand name or names by the term ‘or
approved equal’. It can provide
competition but, by permitting
substitutions, introduces the possibility of
materials being used that are inferior to
those desired.
• Closed specifications
If a material or process specification
is worded such that only one
proprietary product will be
acceptable, and if no provision is
made for substitutions, it is known
as a closed specification.
Most manufacturers feel that a closed
specification is usually not fair to
competition – unless they happen to be
the manufacturer specified.
Owners also took a dim view of closed
specifications, feeling that it allows or
forces prices upward.
It has the advantage of ensuring the
desired quality of material but the
disadvantage of eliminating competition
among suppliers.
• Performance specifications –
involve designers in
preparing detailed description of
end results desired by the
owner; the method used to
achieve that end is that left up
to the contractor.
It describes the required performance or
service characteristics of the finished
product or system without specifying in
detail the methods to be used in
obtaining the desired end result.
This type of specification makes the
contractor responsible for obtaining the
results expected, and an end product is
required that will meet the acceptance
tests and standards specified.
• The Technical specifications
These specifications present verbal
descriptions of the technical
requirements of the work to be
accomplished, with emphasis on
the levels of quality to be
achieved.
It is customary that a separate
division of the specifications be
devoted to each major type of
construction operation that will
be involved, such as excavation,
concrete, structural steel, piping,
insulation, and electrical work.
• Design specifications – In a design
specification, also referred to as a
prescriptive specification or a
materials and workmanship
specification, the drawings and
specifications spell out in explicit
terms what must be done to
accomplish a desired end result.
It describes the kinds and types of materials
to be provided, their physical and
performance properties, their sizes and
dimensions, the standards and
workmanship, and the inspection and tests
required for verification of quality. It is
common practice for a specific brand
name or names to be listed with model
numbers and other data to establish the
standard of quality desired.
• Commercial specifications – (those that
are financed by the government)
Commercial specifications would
probably be classed as modified open or
modified close. The specifications’
writer selects several manufacturers, at
least three, whose product he is familiar
with the quality, appearance or other
features of which fit the project.
Streamlined specifications
• While not perhaps a type of specifications
but more accurately a style, there
have been a number of attempts to
shorten the actual length of the written
specifications. These have been
classified as streamlined
specifications since they try to create a
shorter version by eliminating certain
words that may not be necessary to the
required meaning.
Prerequisite issues to consider in
specifications writing
It is necessary to have a good knowledge
of construction principles,
procedures and practices.
Specification writer must have a thorough
understanding of construction
contracts and procedures.
A good specification writer will develop
the ability to analyze, synthesize,
and organize construction information
and will be able to take a building or
contract apart mentally, put information
together in any required order and
then be able to present the information
to others in a convenient and
recognizable form.
The 10 precepts to ensure quality of
specifications writing
a. Be complementary. Relate all parts
of the contract.
b. Be concise. Say only what have to be
said.
c. Be consistent. In style, attitude and
firmness.
d. Be current. Eliminate out-of-date
references.
e. Be correct. Check errors and accuracies.
f. Be fair. Contract should be a bargain to
both parties.
g. Be objective. The job has to be bid and
built.
h. Be organized. Use standard formats
where possible.
i. Be practical. Contractors are not
magicians.
j. Be specific. Do not talk in generalities.
Specifications language
Specifications should be written in as
simple language as possible so
that no misunderstanding of
words is possible, and if technical
terms are necessary, they should be
those used in common practice and
easily associated with local usage.
Avoid words having varied or
indefinite meanings.
Ex. Do not say, “The equipment shall
be removed and replaced as
indicated”.
Say: “Remove equipment during the
alteration thereof and reinstall
after completion”.
Ex. Do not say, “ The existing
culverts shall be replaced as
indicated on the drawings”.
Say: “Remove existing culverts
and reinstall in the new location”.
Mandatory Construction
Specifications are instructions to the
contractor and suppliers of
materials and should indicate exactly
what is expected and what will be
accepted.
This means the specifications are
mandatory upon the contractor. To be
mandatory they must be imperative.
One of the most controversial words used in
specifications is the word shall, but it is
entirely proper; it is a command or a
demand if you wish, but it definitely tells
the contractor that he is expected to do
something. A number of writers are
reluctant to be so demanding and use will
or to be.
These are vague terms and allow the reader a
freedom to do or not to do if it is
convenient to him.
Ex. “The contractor shall set all screws
with a screwdriver”. This sentence
tells who and with what, and is in the
indicative mood, but it requires nine
words. It may be shortened by
using the imperative mood without
loss of meaning as in “Set all screws
with the screwdriver”.
Ex. “Portland cement shall
conform to ASTM- C-150, Type
I”.
This may be shortened by
inference; “Portland cement:
ASTM-C-150,Type I”.
Punctuation
Punctuation is vitally important in the
writing of specifications and may
change the meaning of a sentence. The
misplacement of a single punctuation
mark may change the meaning of the
specification. To eliminate problems,
reduce the number of punctuations.
Extra care is necessary to insure that
the sentence meaning is clear.
 Escape clauses
Escape clauses, grandfather clauses, or
other non-definable phrases or clauses
are the bane of the contractor who
uses the specifications. Following is a
simple list of words or phrases often
encountered that have no enforceable
meaning and should not be allowed to be
used in specifications:
• In the opinion of the engineer...
• As selected by the engineer...
• As the engineer may direct...
• To the satisfaction of the engineer...
• Unless otherwise directed by the
engineer…
• In strict accordance with…
• In accordance with the best
commercial practice…
• In accordance with the best modern
standard practice…
• Workmanship shall be of the
highest grade…
Words and phrases
The verbs shall and will are the two of the
misused words in specifications.
Shall is a command, a positive statement,
but will means maybe something will
happen at someone’s convenience.
Some other words that are open to
interpretation are:
Any: implies a choice when no choice may
be intended.
Ex. “Any surface not properly
finished shall be removed and
replaced”. This could mean not
all improperly finished surfaces
would be removed and replaced. In
this particular case the use of all in
place of any would be more
appropriate.
Either: A “take your choice” word:
“Provide glass sidelights on
either side of the door”. Better
instruction would be “Provide
glass sidelights on both sides of
the door”.
Exact word meanings
The correct use of words is of primary
importance in writing of
specifications. Misuse of words,
double meanings, colloquial
interpretation, or shortened or
slang words may mean something
different from what is intended.
Ex. Gage, calk: These are but two
examples of words that may be
spelled in more than one way (gage =
gauge; calk = caulk).
There is nothing wrong with either
spelling, but the writer should be
consistent throughout the
specifications.
Writing a specification General
Specifications, as one of the Contract
Documents, deserve as much care
and attention as working
drawings. They should be clear,
concise and written in a simple
language to come up with best
results.
Preliminary review
The specifications should be started
in the form of construction
outline or outline specifications to
accompany the schematic
drawings and be further developed
as preliminary specifications to
accompany design drawings.
Things to do to come up with an
immediate preliminary or
guide specifications
• Prepare a list of all sections
• Write scope of work for each
section
• Coordinate “Scopes” to make sure
everything is included
• Prepare notes or brief specification
Component Parts of a
Specification
    a. Instructions to bidders
• Form of bid and signature
• Interpretations of drawings and
specifications
• Preparation of the proposal
• List of documents to be submitted
with the bid
• Bonding requirements
• What is expected of the successful
bidder
• Insurance policies required
• Basis for selection of the successful
bidder
b. General conditions – It is this
document that establishes the ground
rules for administration of the
construction phase of the project.
• Legal definitions of terms used in the
contract
• Correlation and intent of the documents
•Time and order of the work
•Subcontractors
•Where to serve legal notices
•Right of the owner to terminate the contract
•Right of the contractor to terminate the
contract
•Right of the owner to take over work
c. Technical Provisions – Part 3 of the
specifications that relate to the
installation or construction of the various
parts of the work and to the materials used
in the work.
Addenda to the specifications
Addenda to the specifications are documents
setting forth the changes, modifications,
corrections, or additions to the contract
documents that have been issued after the
project has been advertised for bids, but
before the time of opening bids - -
sufficiently in advance of the bid opening
date one hopes to allow the bidder time to
make the necessary changes in his or
her bid.
Standard specifications – a
preprinted set of specifications,
usually comprising both a set of
General Conditions and complete
technical specifications for all
types of construction and materials
that the originating agency expects
normally to cover in its kind of work.
Conflicts due to Drawings and
Specifications
In case something is shown or noted one-
way on the drawings and described
differently in the specifications,
which will govern?
The specifications will normally take
precedence unless it says in the
specifications that the plans will govern.
It is still the specifications that set the
controlling criteria.
Scope-of-Work Disputes
Contract documents often fail to
adequately describe, define, or
delineate the work to be performed.
This generates the so-called scope-of-
work disputes. The most common of
such disputes is the lack of detail in
drawings or lack of specifics in
specifications.
Avoiding Scope-of-Work problems
a. Provide adequate budget for
drafting specifications.
b. Work with a set of carefully
prepared, carefully coordinated
front-end documents.
c. Place control of each set of
project specifications in the hands
of a single, qualified
specifications engineer.
d. Do not mark up previous job
specifications to create another
set of job specifications.
 e. Update the master specification at least
annually to keep current with
industry standards, codes, and laws
affecting construction.
f. Use the same set of front-end
documents on all projects to minimize
contract administration problems.
g. Front-end documents should not be
edited by project engineers.
What do the Specifications Mean to
the Inspector
Without them, an inspector cannot
possibly perform in a competent
manner. The inspector should have
an idea of the relative importance of
each of the various component parts
of the contract documents.
Specifications and the Inspector
One of the principal weaknesses of some
inspectors is their general lack of a
good working knowledge of
specifications. Also, some of the principal
weaknesses among the specification
engineers are their general lack of specific
knowledge of construction methods.
‘Methods used on other projects only
work on other projects’.
Allowances and Tolerances in
Specifications
One of the factors that should be
considered in the efforts to involve
the specifications writer and the
inspector in an effective working
relationship is the inclusion in the
specifications of tolerance limits
instead of the traditional methods of
specifying absolutes.
Some problems for which the
inspectors have been blamed can
actually be traced to the fact that the
specifications either provided for no
tolerance at all, or provided
tolerances that were either
unreasonable or unenforceable.
The Use of Generalities in
Specifications
It is in the owner’s best interest to keep
designers from indulging in
generalities in specifications.
It is important to avoid the use of vague
and unenforceable subjective terms
in specifications.
International Construction Contracts
International projects have their own
standards, usually FIDIC (International
Federation of Consulting Engineers). The
documents are used almost
universally on international engineering
projects financed by the international
banking industry, the UN and others.
•Definition and interpretation
•Engineer and engineer’s representative
•Assignment and subcontracting

•Contract documents
•General obligations
•Labor
•Materials, plant, and workmanship
•Suspension
•Commencement and delays
•Defects liability
•Alterations, additions and omissions
•Procedure for claims
•Contractor’s equipment, temporary
works and materials
•Measurement
•Provisional sums
•Nominated subcontractors
•Certificates and payment
•Remedies
•Special risks
•Release from performance
•Settlement of disputes
•Notices
•Default of employer
•Changes in cost and legislation
•Currency and rates of exchange
Differing site conditions
One of the most misunderstood of all
contract provisions, and the one
that is frequently the cause of
large contractor claims for
additional work and change orders
is the provision for differing site
conditions.
Subsurface and latent physical
conditions at the site present a
special problem. If they differ
significantly from what is
printed in the contract documents,
the contractor may well be entitled
to additional payment for any
increased work involved.
Bidder’s obligations
a. Bidders are generally advised in the
contract to make a site inspection of
their own.
b. The contract bid price is proportional to
the degree of risk that the construction
contractor must provide for in its
competitive bid.
c. The most cost-effective construction is
obtained by accepting certain risks for
latent or subsurface site conditions.
Types of Drawings comprising the
Construction contract
· Shop drawings – those details and
sketches prepared by the contractor
or the material suppliers or fabricators
that are necessary to assure the
fabricator that the basic concept is
acceptable before beginning costly
fabrication.
They frequently contain information that
is not related to the design concept,
or information that is relative only to
the fabrication process or construction
techniques in the field. In approving
shop drawings, the engineer only
indicates that the items conform to the
design concept of the project and
compliance with the plans and
specifications prepared.
The Functions of Shop Drawings
The shop drawing is the connecting link
between design and construction. Most
specifications require that the contractor
refrain from ordering material until the results
of the review of the shop drawing submittal
from the design organization have been
received. Any delay in processing of shop
drawings affects the contractor’s scheduling
and may result in extra cost of the owner.
Disapproving or stopping the work
Upon receipt of information from the
engineer that the work is defective,
the owner may order the contractor
to stop the work on these grounds.
Thank you for
your listening
and
participation!