Chapter 12 – B.

E Civil
 The specification is the document where
the level of intended quality is specified.
 A specification is a description of the
physical or functional characteristics of a
good, service, or construction item.
 Specifications are clear concise
descriptions of materials and
workmanship including the methods of
construction and precautions to be taken.
 It is a description of what the
purchaser/employer seeks to buy, and to which
a bidder/offeror must be responsive in order to
be considered for award of a contract.
 The more clear and precise the specifications
are, the less time will be needed to respond to
prospective bidder’s/offer’s questions.
 Specifications have a great impact on the price.
Whether the specification is open or restrictive
directly affects the extent of competition.
• Poorly written specifications:
 Increase costs.
 Decrease the chance of desired results.
 Are easily misinterpreted.
 Are open to challenge and protest by unsuccessful
bidders.
 Increases risk.
• Well-written, complete, clear, concise, specific
specifications:
 Attract many qualified offerors.
 Are easier to evaluate.
 Minimizes the possibility of protests.
 Lower risks.
 Lower costs.
 It helps to avoid the lengthy descriptions in bills of
quantities and big captions on the drawings. It supplements
the information given in the drawings

 It serves the bidders to guide about the client’s intended

quality requirements and to arrive them at a fair price for
the work involved.

 Specification is the part of contract documents between

owner and the contractor limiting and describing their
risks and responsibilities.

 Specifications serves as a guide for supervisors, engineers

and fabricators regarding the methods of construction,
fabrication, installation of equipment and materials.
 Depending upon the purpose served, the specifications can be
grouped as follows:
 Contract Specification
• Contract specification is developed for a particular
construction or project to accompany the working drawings. It
is divided into two types
 General specification
 This describes the nature of the purposed work, qualities of
the materials and workmanship in general for the work as a
whole
 Particular Specification
 This is detailed written descriptions of every item in the
schedule of quantities, which specifies the materials to be
used, its quality, workmanship and the results to be
achieved. Usually specification of the items is written in the
same sequence as they are mentioned in the BOQ
 Standard Specification:
• This is generally prepared and published by national
standard organizations which covers specific materials or
group of materials used by a specific trade or a segment
of construction industry. E.g. Indian standard, NS etc..

 Overall Performance Specification:

• This details in comprehensive but general terms, what the
client is looking for

 Manufacturer's Specification:
• Specification prepared by manufacturer’s showing their
quality of their products
The general principles of specification writing are substantially
the same regardless of the subject matter, which are as follows:

1. specification language: Simple and clear. Same

tense and repetition of noun is preferable
2. brief: as brief as possible. Standard article be
specified by references and code numbers.
3. fairness: fair to all parties. Proper sharing of
risks
4. express: requirement of each and every item
5. repetition of information is avoided to avoid
possibility of contradiction
 Inclusion of proper paragraph
• specification of materials
• combinations of materials
• preliminary works prior to construction
• installation of materials
• test, if any
• clearing on completion
• mode of measurements
 standard size and patterns: commercial size should be specified as
far as possible, unusual; dimensions should be avoidable
 cross references should be minimum as possible
 quality of materials and workmanship should be specified
 while specifying the brand of materials options and choices should
be given
A good specification should be:
• Consistent.
• Easy to read and understand.
• Easy to revise, if needed.
• Formatted with good direction.
• Organized and categorized.
• Concise and free of repetition.
 When preparing specifications, consider:
• Who will receive the document?
• What do I want people to know or do?
• How detailed and exact should my
information be?
• What questions might they ask?
Words or phrases to avoid: Preferred words
 consumption use
 circumvented avoided
 nevertheless but
 activate start
 cooperation help/aid
 erroneous false
 initiate start
 compensation pay
 exemplifies show
 expedite rush
 conglomeration mixture
 disseminate spread
 incinerate burn
 prioritize rank
 Words or phrases to avoid: Preferred
 modification change
 necessitate require
 a great number of times often
 in most cases usually
 experience has shown experience shows
 a small number of few
 it is recommended that we recommend
 with respect to concerning
 make contact with meet
 at a later point in time later
 in consideration of the fact that because
 at your earliest convenience soon at regular intervals regularly
 in the normal course of normally
1. Tender / contract document and agreement without
specification is incomplete, baseless and invalid.
2. The cost of an unit quality of work is governed by its
specification
3. To verify and check the strength of material for a
work involved in a project
4. To specify the equipment, tools and plants to be
employed for a works and thus enables to procure or
hire
5. To procure the materials required for a project and to
check the quality of materials
6. It serves a guide for the site Engineer
7. Serves as an evidence in case of dispute
8. Changes in specification changes the contract cost
 E /W in Excavation Cement Concrete 1:2:4
•Materials
• Excavation
•Proportion
• Finish of trench
•Hand Mixing
• Finds •Machine mixing
• Water in Foundation •Slump
• Trench Filling •Formwork
• Measurement •Laying
•Curing

specification building.pdf
Specification- ST.pdf
BW 1:4
Materials
Brick
Sand
Cement
Proportion (Combination)
Proportion
Mixing
Preliminary Works Prior to laying
wetting the brick
scaffolding
Laying
Frog upward
horizontal joint
vertical joint
Uniform raising
Tests if any
Clearing
protecting
curing
Measurement
THANKS