BTECH SPECS

Construction Specifications

Also known, as specs, detail the work and workmanship needed to complete a construction project. And there’s no way to get around them. As required documents during the design phase, they’re part of a formal process. According to the Dictionary of Architecture & Construction a specification is, “a written document 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; usually utilized in conjunction with working (contract) drawings in building construction.”

specification sections

are customized in order to accurately describe the intended materials, and then these sections are used by the team to identify the type of products that should be used onsite

Construction Specifier

according to the , “specification sections are customized in order to accurately describe the intended materials, and then these sections are used by the team to identify the type of products that should be used onsite.”

architect or designers

Who Handles Construction Specs?

data

Specifications can be considered a lot of like

Performance Specifications

Address the operational requirements of an installation. The focus is on the project outcome, indicating how the final project must be able to function.

Describes the operational requirements. Fundamentally, the ——- should describe to the contractor what is needed for the final product and how it should essentially function once completed.

PERFORMANCE SPECIFICATIONS

Exhaust fan performance. Rated for continuous operation at capacity of 500 CFM against a static pressure of 0.5 inches of water column and temperature of 50 deg. C.

Proprietary Specifications

Demand that only one specific product be used for a given installation. It is commonly utilized if the portion of a project requires a certain performance that only one product can achieve. This could ultimately drive-up project costs.

Although not as common as prescriptive and performance, —— specifications are used if only one specific product can be used for an installation.

PROPRIETARY SPECIFICATIONS

Floor tiles shall be "Daltile", style “Travata”, color “Fresco Cream TV90,” as manufactured by Dal-Tile Corp., of Dallas, TX

Prescriptive Specifications

Provides details on the types of materials and installations needed to complete a project. Additionally, ——- specifications also describe how to measure installations to ensure that they were up to project quality and standards. ➢ contain detailed descriptions of what specific materials must be used as well as the installation instructions. This type of spec usually involves three key components:

GENERAL PROVISIONS, REQUIRED PRODUCTS, EXECUTION PROCEDURES

THREE KEY COMPONENTS OF PRESCRIPTIVE SPECIFICATIONS

PRESCRIPTIVE PORCEDURES

Clean, washed, sharp, durable natural particles, free from soluble salts or organic impurities. Sand for grouting shall be screened to pass a 30-mesh sieve with not more than 5% passing a 100-mesh screen.

Open specification

when an architect does not name a specific supplier or product and allows for substitutions to be made by the contractor. It does not limit competition, but rather is dictated by a set of standards that more than one manufacturer can meet, allowing for many alternatives to be submitted for approval. Performance specifications are often considered to be open.

An ———- that allows alternate products is similar to a closed specification in that it describes a very specific product and may name only a single product or manufacturer. However, ——— include provisions that encourage the bidder to submit alternate or substitute products.

OPEN SPECIFICATIONS

Waterproof Glue: Polyvinyl acetate emulsion with 55% solids. “Wilhold” manufactured by Acorn Adhesives; “Weldwood” manufactured by U.S. Plywood; or equal.

Closed specification

Lists specific products, systems and manufacturers, with no alternatives or mechanisms to apply a substitution. Closed specifications are most often seen when matching a specification to an existing building, or when an exact duplication is important. By default, closed specifications are proprietary.

CLOSED SPECIFICATIONS

Residential entry doors shall be solid core, insulated, six panel doors of type Sta-Tru Plus as manufactured by the Stanley Works Inc. of New Britain, CT

General specifications

Provide a very brief explanation about construction materials and construction work. Generally, Architect mentioned these specifications on a drawing, which helps for estimating the construction work. These specifications are not a part of contract. These specifications help about knowing the name of different materials, their ratios, and quantities.

GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS

Globe Valves: All bronze, union bonnet, Walworth No. 95 or 96; Crane No. 7 or 17, or equal.

Detailed specifications

Convey the requirements of project to contractor through a detailed explanation of materials and work. It provides a complete knowledge about the construction material, workmanship of construction work, ratio of different materials, mixing method, quantity of individual material, how to prepare the materials and conduct the installation, different testing requirements to be followed and how work will be measured.

STANDARD SPECIFICATIONS, SPECIAL SPECIFICATIONS

2 TYPES OF DETAILED SPECIFICATIONS

Standard Specifications

are those which remain same for various types of projects. These specifications can be used for every project that fall into this category. Different public sector organizations collect data from various types of construction work and published data in the form of a book. No need to write detailed specifications again and again for every project. It saves from mistakes while writing specifications over and over again.

STANDARD SPECIFICATIONS

Wall switches shall be “Decora”, model no. ODS10-IDW, color white, as manufactured by Leviton Corp, or equal.

Special Specifications

Sometime construction projects are of special type. Specifications for these types of projects are not mentioned in detailed specifications book. Consultant has to write specifications for this type of work

SPECIAL SPECIFICATIONS

Door louvers shall be aluminum Type NL-138 with push frame both sides of door, primed finish, as manufactured by Construction Specialties, Inc., Aerolite, Co.

Uniform Systems (Master Format)

is a standard for organizing specifications and other written information for commercial and institutional building projects. Master Format is a product of the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) and Construction Specifications Canada (CSC). It provides a master list of Divisions, and Section numbers with associated titles within each Division, to organize information about a facility’s construction requirements and associated activities

Construction Specifications Institute

CSI

Construction Specifications Canada

CSC

BUDGETARY ESTIMATE

This estimate is prepared in response to a demonstrated need. Accordingly, it should best be related to square

meter to be built, number of people to be served, units to be produced, or functions to be accomplished. The

best source is prior experience. The Architect must build up his own data from every project that he builds

aside from what is available in the industry.

SCHEMATIC DESIGN ESTIMATE

At the ——-phase the spatial design has been committed to a plan and few elevations. There

should be a site plan available. To a large degree, this phase utilizes square-meter costs, but parametric and

modular costs can become much more practical. It is also possible to segregate certain areas and provide

detailed cost-breakdown analyses.

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT ESTIMATE

The ———is based upon drawings which are an evolution of the schematic design

drawings. They are often a full size larger and therefore accurate quantity take-off is possible. The spatial

solution for the buildings has been completed, and so the architectural and structural take-off is substantially

accurate. At this stage, the mechanical electrical, heating and ventilating systems, are just coming into focus.

The estimating approach is usually combined, since a quantity take-off is possible only for architectural and

structural and parametric or square-meter costs must be used for the mechanical and electrical systems.

CONTRACT DOCUMENTS ESTIMATE

At this stage of project development, a tremendous amount of detail work is in progress. Estimates can be

made on a quantity take-off basis for all the areas. The designer will be doing a quantity survey type estimate,

but once the drawings and specifications have been released to the contractors, one of the principal methods

of developing a cost bid is to solicit firm price quotations from sub-contractors or suppliers.

CONSTRUCTION AND BIDDING ESTIMATE

Estimates during the construction are based on reality. The actual cost of work in place can be used as a

guideline in estimating extra work or changes in scope. Quantity survey methods are used by contractors in

estimating the projected savings in scope which would result from accepted value-incentive programs.

ESTIMATING BY USER UNITS’ METHODS

The facility to be designed or constructed is defined in terms of its capacity to serve.