Construction Specifications and Specification Writing

Module 01

Construction Documents

Consists of contract documents and bidding requirements, which purpose is to communicate the written and graphic design for administration of the construction contract.

Bidding Documents

Documents furnished to bidders containing bidding requirements, supplied by the owner during bidding phase of a project prior to construction.

Contract Documents

Printed documents comprising of the contract form, drawings, plans, specifications, general conditions, special provisions, all addenda, modifications and changes.

Contracts Forms

Printed or written document containing terms and conditions that are set and agreed upon by contracting parties.

Agreement

Standard contract documents, these are contracts between parties involved in the design and construction of projects.

Performance Bond

Security furnished by the contractor and his surety as a guarantee of good faith on the part of the contractor to execute the work in accordance with the terms of the contract.

Payment Bond

Security furnished by the contractor and his surety as a guarantee of good faith on the part of the contractor to pay all obligation arising from the contract.

Certification

Certificates of insurance and certificates of compliance with applicable laws and regulations.

Condition of the Contract

Portions of the contract documents which define, set forth, or relate to contract terminology with provisions of a general, non-technical nature.

General Conditions

Stipulating the procedural and the administrative aspects of the contract, containing general clauses that establish how the project is to be administered. These are standard documents published by professional societies are often used.

Supplementary Conditions

Part of the contract documents which supplements and may also modify provisions of the general conditions.

Special Provisions

Instructions which may be issued to the bidding to supplement or modify drawings, specifications, or general conditions.

Specifications

Written document describing in detail the scope of work to be done, materials and equipment to be used, method of installation or application and the quality of workmanship for a certain work to be placed under contract, it does not include material cost and quantity; this written document shall govern over drawings.

Supplementary Specifications

Additional information which may be issued as an addition or amendment to the provisions of the specifications.

Guide Specifications

Standardized document intended to provide guidance to the specifier in preparing a particular portion of the contract documents.

Drawings

Graphical presentations of the work involved in the project. These include shop drawings, schematic diagrams, schedules. Drawings show location of materials, equipment, and fixtures.

Working Drawings

Necessary graphical information to manufacture, erect, fabricate, or construct a building or portion thereof. Intended for the use of the contractor or sub-contractor.

Architectural Drawing Documents

Plans, elevations, section, and other details

Engineering Drawing Documents

Structural, electrical, mechanical, and sanitary plans and details

Addenda

Written or graphic instruments that supplement the bidding documents for the purpose of clarifying, correcting, or adding to the specifications previously issued. Changes made before contract execution.

Contract Modifications

Additions to, deletions from, or modifications of the work that are made after the agree has been signed. They can be issued at any time during the contract period.

Change Order

Authorizes an adjustment in the contract sum, or the contract time as originally defined by the contract documents, it may add to, subtract form, or vary the scope of work.

Field Orders/ Construction Change Authorizations

A written order effecting a minor change in the work

Supplemental Instructions

Minor instructions or interpretations not involving change orders

Project Manual

Complete set of bid and contract documents that include the bidding requirements, contract forms, contract conditions and project specifications

Submittal

Materials and documents provided to the Architect or Engineer for review/ acceptance

Insurance

Coverage necessary to safeguard the interest of all parties to the contract from risk and liabilities

Bidding Requirements

Includes the invitation to bid, instruction to bidders, the bid form, and the bid bond

Alternate Options

Alternates established by the architect and owner for the deletion, addition of work, and for the substitution of materials.

Drawings

These limits the sub-contractor, showinG all work to be done and the interrelationship of various parts.

General Requirements

Establishes the limit of each prime contract

Quality Control

Established inspection and testing procedures to be followed during the construction operations

Design Criteria

Design that could not be reflected in the drawings

Performance Specification

Specification that stipulates how a particular component or system must perform without giving the means to be employed to achieve the result

Descriptive Specification

Exact quantities and qualities or properties of materials to be furnished and how they are to be assembled or installed in a construction.

Reference Specification

Refers to a standard specification to indicate the properties desired in a material or component and the methods of testing required to substantiate the performance of products.

Proprietary Specification

Stipulates the use of specific products, systems, or processes without provision for substitution

Brand name specification

Products are specified by the name given by the manufacturer

Closed specification

single or multi-product specification where material is required to match existing material in terms of quality, type, and performance

Open specification

Specification where all manufacturers whose product meet performance or description specified, may qualify to bid

Combination specification

A combination of performance, descriptive, and reference specification

Method System

Employed when the specifier describes in detail the materials, workmanship, installation, and erection procedures to be used by the contractor in the conduct of their work operations in order to achieve the result expected.

Imperative Mode

Recommended method for instructions covering installation of products and equipment. The verb clearly defines the action becomes the first word of the sentence.

Indicative Mode

Traditional language of specification sentences. This requires the use of the word shall in nearly every statement.

Streamlined Mode

Concise and clear, the technique uses a colon to mean shall or shall be.

Master Specifications

Developed specifications, basis for project specifications contains items of work normally encountered by the organization.

Master Format

Most widely used standard for organizing specifications, a uniform classification system with 16 divisions for construction specifications that is divided into several sections.

MasterSpec

Most complete and widely used guide specifications available developed by the American Institute for Architects (AIA) or Production Systems for Architect and Engineers (PSAE).

SpecText

Copyrighted by the Construction Sciences Research Foundations and published by Construction Specification Institute.

SPECSystem

Interactive expert system for writing specifications

Work

The entire construction or separately identifiable parts thereof required to be furnished under the contract documents.

Construction

All on-site work done from site preparation, excavation, foundation, assembly of all the component and installation of utilities and equipment of buildings/ structures

Erection

Installation in place of components of a building/ structure

Addition

Any new construction which increases the height or area of an existing building/ structure

Alteration

Involves change in materials used, partitioning, location or size of opening, structural parts, existing utilities and equipment of structures but does not increase its over-all area.

Renovation

Any physical change made on a structure to increase its value, utility, or improve its aesthetic quality

Conversion

A change in the use or occupancy of a building or any portion

Repair

Remedial work done on any damaged or deteriorated portion of a building to restore its original condition

Moving

Transfer of any building or portions from its original location or position to another, either within the same or different lot.

Demolition

The systematic dismantling or destruction of a building in whole or part

CSI Masterformat 2004 Edition

The updated Masterformat edition with 49 + 1 sections

This CSI Masterformat 2004 group only contains Division 00, the first group in the Masterformat to contain only one divison without any other subgroups.

Procurement and Contracting Requirements Group

This CSI Masterformat 2004 group contains four subgroups ranging from general requirements, facility services, site and infrastructure, and process equipment.

Specifications Group

This Specifications sub-group ranges from divisions 01-19 (19), containing all the existing divisions from the 16-division format with additional reserved divisions (15-19) for future expansion.

General Requirements

This Specifications sub-group ranges from divisions 20-29 (9), containing existing facility related divisions that were moved from the previous 16-division format with two reserved divisions for expansion. Contains: Fire Suppression, Plumbing, HVAC, Integrated Automation, Electrical, Communication, as well as Electronic Safety and Security.

Facility Services Sub-Group

This Specifications sub-group ranges from Division 30-39 (9), containing heavy civil and utility subject matter, as well as site construction material moved from Division 2 in Masterformat 1995 Edition.

Site and Infrastructure Sub-Group

This Specifications sub-group ranges from Division 40-49 (9), containing equipment related divisions that are new materials to the Masterformat 2004 Edition, while some related from Divisions 11,13, and 14 were relocated from the Masterformat 1995 Edition.

Process Equipment Sub-Group

General Requirements

Division 01. Area for performance requirement added to allow for writing performance requirements for elements that overlap work sections.

Existing Conditions

Division 02. Construction practices that relate to items at the site at the commencement of work.

Concrete

Division 03. Includes most items traditionally associated with concrete work; with the exception of paving, piles, waterproofing, and terrazzo.

Masonry

Division 04. Includes most materials traditionally installed by mason, exceptions are paving and interior flooring.

Metals

Division 05. Includes most structural metals and metals not falling under the specific provisions of other divisions; exceptions are reinforcing steel, curtain walls, roofing piles, doors and windows.

Wood, Plastics, and Composites

Division 06. Includes most work traditionally performed by carpenters; exception are wood, fences, concrete formwork, doors, windows, and finish hardware. This division was expanded to include plastics and composites.

Thermal and Moisture Protection

Includes most items normally associated with insulation and preventing the passage of water vapor; exceptions are paint, waterstops and joints installed in concrete or masonry, as well as gaskets and sealants.

Openings

Division 08. Includes hardware, doors, windows and frames, metals and glass curtain walls, transparent and translucent glazing; exceptions are glass block and glass mosaics. Expanded to included grilles and louvers.

Finishes

Division 09. Includes finishes not traditionally the work of the carpentry trade.

Specialties

Division 10. Includes factory-assembled, pre-finished items.

Equipment

Division 11. Includes most items of specialized equipment.

Furnishings

Division 12

Fire Suppression

Division 21. Relocated from Division 13 relating to detection, alarm, and fire suppression subjects.

Division 22. Plumbing

Subjects relocated from Division 15 in Masterformat 1995 Edition

Division 23. Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning

Cooling and heating subjects relocated from Division 15 in Masterformat 1995 Edition

Division 25. Integrated Automation

Expanded special constructions subjects relocated from Division 13 in Masterformat 1995 Edition.

Division 26. Electrical

Electrical and lighting subjects relocated from Division 16 in Masterformat 1995 Edition

Division 27. Communications

Expanded communication subjects relocated from Division 16 in Masterformat 1995 Edition

Division 28. Electronic Safety and Security

Expanded safety and security subjects relocated from Division 13 in Masterformat 1995 Edition.

Earthwork

Division 31. Site construction subjects, chiefly below-grade, from Division 2 in Masterformat 1995 Edition

Exterior Improvements

Division 32. Site construction subjects, chiefly above-grade from Division 2 in Masterformat 1995 Edition

Division 33. Utilities

Expanded utility subjects relocated from Division 2 in Masterformat 1995 Edition.

Division 34. Transportation

Expanded transportation subjects relocated from Divisions in Masterformat 1995 Edition

Division 35. Waterway and Marine Construction

Expanded waterway and marine subjects relocated from mainly Division 2 in Masterformat 1995 Edition

Process Integration

Division 40. Includes process facilities that are composed of a variety of sub-systems, tied together and integrated by distribution pathways, control and instrumentation.

Material Processing and Handling Equipment

Division 41. Includes equipment for processing and conditioning of raw materials, material handling equipment for bulk material as well as discrete units, manufacturing equipment and machinery, test equipment and packaging or shipping systems.

Process Heating, Cooling, Drying Equipment

Division 42. Includes equipment for process heating, cooling, and drying of materials, liquids, gases and manufactured items and materials.

Process Gas and Liquid Handling, Purification and Storage Equipment

Division 43. Equipment for handling, purification, and storage of process liquids, gases, slurries, includes atmospheric tanks as well as pressure vessels.

Pollution Control Equipment

Division 44. Includes equipment for controlling emission of contaminants from manufacturing processes and treatment of air, soils, and noise contaminants.

Industry-Specific Manufacturing Equipment

Division 45. A division in which users can specify equipment that is used only within a single industry.

Electrical Power Generation

Division 48. Plants and equipment for the generation and control of electrical power from fossil, nuclear energy, hydroelectric, win, solar energy, geothermal energy, electro-chemical energy, and fuel cells.