BUILDING TECHNOLOGY 5

AR 165
Lecture 1
Technical Specifications Writing
BUILDING CONSTRUCTION
 A process
 An idea that culminates in a structure
 Assembly of materials
 Flow of activities, events and processes is the same
PROJECT DELIVERY PHASES
 Pre-design
 Design
◊ Schematic phase – emphasis on design
◊ Design development – emphasis on decision making
◊ Construction documentation – emphasis on documentation
 Pre-construction
 Construction
 Post-construction
INTRODUCTION
 As the art and science of building developed and the
responsibility for construction shifted from the designer to a
separate contractor, the need for explanatory information in the
form of written notes arose.
 As the complexity of the construction process grew, so did the
volume of written notes needed to fully communicate the design
intent to the constructor.
 Ultimately, the notes were removed from the drawings,
organized, and placed in a document of their own.
 Thus, specifications evolved as a way to supplement
drawing notations, eliminating the need for large amounts of
text on the drawings, which tended to clutter what should be a
clear image of the intended construction.
BASIC TYPES OF CONSTRUCTION
DOCUMENTS
 Bidding and Contract documents – text
documents
 Drawings – graphic and pictorial portions of the
Contract Documents showing the design, location
and dimensions of the Work, generally including
plans, elevations, sections, details, schedules and
diagrams.
 Specifications – text documents
RELATIONSHIP OF CONSTRUCTION
DOCUMENTS
The project manual in the bidding
document set includes specifications and
Division 00. After the general contractor
has been selected, the project manual (in
the contract document set) generally
excludes Division 00.
WHAT IS SPECIFICATIONS?
 That portion of the Contract Documents consisting of
the written requirements for materials, equipment,
systems, standards and workmanship for the Work,
and performance of related services
 It provides the following information for each activity:
− Administrative requirements
− Quality and governing industry standards
− Products and accessories
− Installation or application procedures
− Workmanship requirements
RELATIONSHIP between DRAWINGS
and SPECIFICATIONS
Drawings should generally show the Specifications should generally
following information: describe the following:
 Extent, size, shape and location of  Type and quality of materials,
component parts equipment and fixtures
 Location of materials, equipment
 Quality of workmanship
and fixtures
 Detail and overall dimensions
 Methods of fabrication,
 Interrelation of materials, equipment installation and erection
and space  Test and code requirements
 Schedules of finishes, windows and  Gauges of manufacturers’
doors equipment
 Sizes of equipment  Allowances and unit prices
 Identification of class of material at  Alternates and options
its location
 Physical extent of alternates
Both the drawings and specifications are needed to fully
describe a construction project.
 The drawings show size, form, quantity, relationship, generic
type, and graphic representation of construction materials.
 Specifications define the qualitative requirements for
products, materials, and workmanship upon which the
construction contract is based.
 The specifications also describe administrative procedures
that relate to both drawings and specifications.
 Because the documents are complementary, it is important
for specific types of information to be located in the correct
place.
PURPOSE OF SPECIFICATIONS
 The goal of construction documents is to
communicate the needs of the owner, as
represented by the design, in a form easily
understood by those responsible for
construction.
 Ideally, the development of specifications would be
linked to the development of the drawings, and both
would reflect a consistent level of detail.
 Preferably, drawings and specifications would
be developed in tandem, each to the same level of
detail at the same time, throughout the project.
 Specifications should describe the type and quality of every
product required for the project.
 Specifications should describe the requirements for
fabrication, erection, application, installation and finishing.
 Specifications should describe the quality of workmanship
necessary for the project.
 Specifications should include any necessary codes and
standards applicable to the project.
 Specifications should also include descriptions and
procedures for alternate materials, products or services if
necessary.
DEVELOPMENT OF SPECIFICATIONS
 Schematic Design (SD)  A narrative description of the building
systems may be easier to understand
Phase and still contain enough detail to
document the design decisions made to
that point.
 Called a preliminary project
description (PPD), it is organized
around a system of building elements
called UniFormat. UniFormat can be
used to organize preliminary project
descriptions, preliminary cost estimates,
project accounting, for facility
management, and drawing detail filing.
 This narrative does not need to be static,
but can grow and reflect an increasing
level of detail until a natural transition to
preliminary specification format is made.
 Design Development  At this time, more detailed information
is required about individual building
(DD) Phase materials, products, systems, and
assemblies that will be incorporated in
the project.
 Project documents may be used to
provide a more accurate estimate of
probable construction cost as well as a
checklist for development of the final
construction documents.
 For this purpose, an outline
specification may be most
appropriate. An outline specification
should include the sections that will be
needed for the final project manual.
 Outline specifications contain
information that typically would be
included in Part 2–Products of a
typical three-part final specification
section.
 Final Construction  Used for bidding or
Documents (FCD) Phase negotiating, and for
construction of the project.
 The specifications included
at this stage of project
delivery contain detailed
requirements for the
materials, products,
equipment, and systems to
be incorporated into the
project.
PRINCIPLES OF SPECIFICATIONS
WRITING
1. The Role of the Specifications
 Specifications are one component of the documents used for bidding and
construction of a project. As written instructions, they are frequently judged as
having greater importance than drawings when these two are in conflict.
2. The relationship between Drawings and Specifications
 Specifications address qualitative requirements for products, materials, and
workmanship, while drawings indicate relationship between elements and show
the location, identification, dimension and size, details and diagrams of
connections, and shape and form.
3. Organization of Specifications
 Items of work and materials are arranged in a division-section organization titled
CSI Format, which has since evolved into CSI MasterFormat.
4. The Project Manual and Specifications Sections
 Specifications are included in a book published for the project titled the PROJECT
MANUAL. The Project Manual contains the bidding and contract requirements
and the construction contract Specifications.
5. Format for Specifications Sections
 Specifications sections are organized into 3-Part SectionFormat. The format
provides guidelines for the arrangement of information within a technical Section of
the specifications and it offers a concise, orderly method for specifications writers to
follow.
6. Types of Specifications
 There are four methods of specifying the Work of a construction Contract to be
performed by the Contractor. These methods can be used individually or in
combination. Additionally, there are considerations of whether the Specifications
are “restrictive” (sole source or limited sources) or “non-restrictive”, commonly
known as “or equal”, Specifications.
7. Specifications writing principles
 After the Specifications formats and the methods for specifying are understood, the
technical and procedural content of the Specifications needs to be determined. The
content is described using techniques involving appropriate specifications language,
workmanship requirements, and coordination among various Specifications
Sections to avoid redundancies and conflicting requirements.
8. Division 1 – General Requirements
 These are Sections of the Specifications that expand on specific
administrative and procedural provisions in the conditions of the contract and
apply broadly to the execution of the work of all the other Sections of the
specifications. The use of Division 1 follows one of the prime principles of
Specifications writing: “stating information only once and in the right place”.
9. Specification Language
 It is imperative to use clear technical language that can be understood by
those who use the Specifications. The specifications writer must not only
follow the hard rules language, but must understand the subtleties of
language.
10. Specifications Writing Procedures
 Applying the principles of specifications writing is facilitated if there are
established procedures for producing Specifications Sections.
DIVISION 01 ITEMS
 Summary of work  Contractor’s responsibility
 Price and payment  Regulatory requirements
procedures (codes, laws, permits, etc.)
 Product substitution  Temporary facilities
procedures  Product storage and
 Contract modification handling
procedures  Owner-supplied products
 Project management and  Execution and close-out
coordination requirements
 Construction schedule and
documentation
THE ROLE OF SPECIFICATIONS
 For the contractor to tell him how to construct, manage, and direct the
construction
 For the quantity surveyor who prepares the estimate based on the
specifications
 For the purchasing agent who procures the materials and equipment
described in the specifications
 For the resident project supervisor to aid him in inspecting and controlling
the work activities
 For the owner who would like to know what he is buying and is entitled to
receive
 For the subcontractors so that each can readily discern the scope of his
subcontract
 For the manufacturers of building materials and equipment so that the grade
and type are clearly defined with respect to the many variations they
manufacture
In Summary...
 As a briefing document and a record of decisions made.
 As a design record.
 A demonstration of statutory compliance.
 A cost planning tool.
 A tendering document.
 A contract document.
 A project management aid.
 An on-site manual.
 As evidence in disputes.
 A resource for facilities management and building
maintenance.