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What are Specifications?

Specifications describe the nature and the class of the work, materials to be used in the work,
workmanship etc. and is very important for the execution of the work. The cost of a work
depends much on the specifications. Specifications should be clear.

Purpose of giving Specifications


The cost of an unit quantity of work is governed by its specifications.
Specification of a work is required to describe the quality and quantity of
different materials required for a construction work and is one of the essential
contract documents.
This also specifies the workmanship and the method of doing the work. Thus
specification of a work serves as a guide to a supervising staff of a contractor
as well as to the owner to execute the work to their satisfaction.
A work is carried out according to its specification and the contractor is paid
for the same. Any change in specification changes the tendered rate.
As the rate of work is based on the specification, a contractor can calculate
the rates of various items of works in tender with his procurement rates of
materials and labour. Thus tender rate without specification of works is
baseless, incomplete and invalid.
Specification is necessary to specify the equipment tools and plants to be
engaged for a work and thus enables to procure them beforehand.
The necessity of specification is to verify and check the strength of materials
for a work involved in a project.

TYPES OF SPECIFICATION

1. General Specifications
2. Detailed Specifications

General Specifications

In general specifications, nature and class of works and names of materials that
should be used are described. Only a brief description of each and every item is
given. It is useful for estimating the project. The general specifications do not form a
part of contract document.
Detailed Specifications

The detailed specifications form a part of a contract document. They specify the
qualities, quantities and proportions of materials and the method of preparation and
execution for a particular item of works in a project. The detailed specifications of
the different items of the work are prepared separately and they describe what the
work should be and how they shall be executed. While writing the detailed
specifications, the same order sequence as the work is to be carried out is to be
maintained.

TYPES OF CONSTRUCTION SPECIFICATION

Construction Specifications

According to the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Document A201-2007, the Contract
Documents for a construction project consist of the Agreement, Conditions of the Contract,
Drawing, Specifications, Addenda, as well as other miscellaneous documents associated with
the contract between the project Owner and the Contractor hired to complete the work.
Construction specifications, as noted, become a part of the legal documents of the agreement and
form a cornerstone of the project design. In fact, in most cases, the construction specifications
override the project drawings in the event of conflicting information.

The purpose of construction specifications is to delineate the requirements regarding the


materials, products, installation procedures and quality aspects involved with execution of the
work and fulfillment of the contract. Specifications can be divided into three primary categories:
performance, prescriptive and proprietary, which are described below.

Performance Specifications

- specifies required results, criteria by which performance can be judged, and


the method by which it can be verified; for example, heat or weather
resistance. Contractor is free to use materials and methods complying with
performance criteria.

A performance specification is a document that specifies the operational requirements of a


component or installation. Simply put, a performance specification tells the contractor what the
final installed product must be capable of doing. The contractor is not instructed as to how to
accomplish the task of meeting the performance specification requirements - only as to how the
component must function after installation. For example, a performance specification may be
used in the construction of an industrial pumping system. The specification would provide a
required pumping rate (say 500 gallons per minute), a required pressure (20 psi) and the
difference in height between the pump and the final destination (+40 feet). The specification will
also state that the liquid to be pumped will be at a temperature of 140F and is corrosive (pH of
3). It is up to the contractor to provide pumping equipment that meets or exceeds the
requirements stated in the specification. In many cases the contractor will also be required to test
equipment to make sure that is operating properly, and will provide operations manuals.

The general concept behind the performance specification is for the architect or engineer to
describe what they need, and the contractor to determine the best way to get there. The
performance specification focuses on the outcome and shifts the selection of materials and
methods, as well as a portion of the design work, onto the shoulders of the contractor. This
approach can provide incentives for innovation and flexibility in the construction approach, but
also reduces the amount of control that the architect or engineer has over the project./p>

REFERENCE STANDARD

-requires product or process to be in accordance with established standard


and the reference standards are listed. The reference standard may cover
basic materials, products, workmanship standards, or installation methods and
may include descriptive requirements, performance requirements, or testing
methods.

Prescriptive Specifications

Prescriptive specifications convey the requirements of a project through a detailed explanation of


the materials that the contractor must use, and the means of installing those materials. This type
of specification will typically be formatted in a manner similar to the following sections:

1. General: This section will typically contain references to national/international


standards, design requirements, a list of required submittals from the contractor
to the architect/engineer, quality control requirements and product handling
requirements.

2. Products: This section will describe, in detail, the various products required
for the task covered by the specification along with the individual structural and
performance requirements of each product.
3. Execution: This section will explain how to prepare the materials and conduct
the installation, including the testing requirements to be followed.

Prescriptive specifications shift more of the project design control onto the shoulders of the
architect or engineer and away from the contractor by establishing a set of rules that is to be
followed for each project component. This type of specification provides more certainty
regarding the final product composition than the performance specification, and is very
frequently used for highly complex portions of a project.

Proprietary Specifications

-specifies actual brand names, model numbers, and other proprietary


information of the products, including their unique characteristics. Closed
Proprietary identifies one or more products by manufacturers name, model
and does not allow substitutions. Open Proprietary identifies one or more
products by manufacturers name, model and does allow substitutions.

Proprietary specifications are those that require the use of a single approved product type for any
particular installation. Proprietary specifications are often used in cases where there is existing
equipment or installations already on site. In these cases the owner may want to maintain
consistency of materials or possibly simply prefers a specific type of product. Also, in highly
complex installations where there is only one specific piece of equipment that will accomplish a
specified task, a proprietary specification is required.

Architects and engineers typically try to avoid utilizing proprietary specifications except when
absolutely necessary, and will usually allow the contractor to select from a list of approved
suppliers. Requiring the use of one specific product type can lead to the perception of favoritism
towards a certain manufacturer and may eliminate competition during the bid phase, which may
increase the project cost.

UNIFORM SYSTEM OR MASTER FORMAT

Master Format is a standard for organizing specifications and other written information for
commercial and institutional building projects in the U.S. and Canada. Sometimes referred to as
the "Dewey Decimal System" of building construction, 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 facilitys construction requirements and associated
activities.

Master Format is used throughout the construction industry to format specifications for
construction contract documents. The purpose of this format is to assist the user to organize
information into distinct groups when creating contract documents, and to assist the user
searching for specific information in consistent locations. Information contained in Master
Format is organized in a standardized outline format within 50 Divisions (16 Divisions pre-
2004). Each Division is subdivided into a number of Sections.

Current MasterFormat Divisions (April 2014)

The current MasterFormat Divisions are:

PROCUREMENT AND CONTRACTING REQUIREMENTS GROUP

Division 00 Procurement and Contracting Requirements

SPECIFICATIONS GROUP

General Requirements Subgroup

Division 01 General Requirements

Facility Construction Subgroup

Division 02 Existing Conditions (Ex. Alterations to existing natural conditions)

Division 03 Concrete (Ex. Footings)

Division 04 Masonry (Ex. Concrete block and brick work)

Division 05 Metals (Ex. Steel framing)

Division 06 Wood, Plastics, and Composites (Ex. House framing)

Division 07 Thermal and Moisture Protection (Ex. Insulation and water barriers)

Division 08 Openings (Ex. Doors, windows, and louvers)

Division 09 Finishes

Division 10 Specialties

Division 11 Equipment
Division 12 Furnishings

Division 13 Special Construction

Division 14 Conveying Equipment

Division 15 RESERVED FOR FUTURE EXPANSION [8]

Division 16 RESERVED FOR FUTURE EXPANSION [9]

Division 17 RESERVED FOR FUTURE EXPANSION

Division 18 RESERVED FOR FUTURE EXPANSION

Division 19 RESERVED FOR FUTURE EXPANSION

Facility Services Subgroup:

Division 20 RESERVED FOR FUTURE EXPANSION

Division 21 Fire Suppression

Division 22 Plumbing

Division 23 Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning (HVAC)

Division 24 RESERVED FOR FUTURE EXPANSION

Division 25 Integrated Automation

Division 26 Electrical

Division 27 Communications

Division 28 Electronic Safety and Security

Division 29 RESERVED FOR FUTURE EXPANSION

Site and Infrastructure Subgroup:

Division 30 RESERVED FOR FUTURE EXPANSION

Division 31 Earthwork

Division 32 Exterior Improvements


Division 33 Utilities

Division 34 Transportation

Division 35 Waterway and Marine Construction

Division 36 RESERVED FOR FUTURE EXPANSION

Division 37 RESERVED FOR FUTURE EXPANSION

Division 38 RESERVED FOR FUTURE EXPANSION

Division 39 RESERVED FOR FUTURE EXPANSION

Process Equipment Subgroup:

Division 40 Process Interconnections

Division 41 Material Processing and Handling Equipment

Division 42 Process Heating, Cooling, and Drying Equipment

Division 43 Process Gas and Liquid Handling, Purification and Storage Equipment

Division 44 Pollution and Waste Control Equipment

Division 45 Industry-Specific Manufacturing Equipment

Division 46 Water and Wastewater Equipment

Division 47 RESERVED FOR FUTURE EXPANSION

Division 48 Electrical Power Generation

Division 49 RESERVED FOR FUTURE EXPANSION

3-PART SECTION FORMAT

Master format standardizes the arrangement and naming of specification section within a
project manual. There is also a need to standardize the way in which information is presented
within the individual sections. The 3 part section format groups information into three distinct
categories or parts. These three parts are:

PART 1 General
PART 2 Products

PART 3 Execution

These three parts are fixed in name and order. This is another way of standardizing
specification writing.

PART 1 General Defines the specific administrative and procedural requirements unique to this
section

PART 2 Products Describes, in detail, the quality of items that are required for incorporation
into the project under this section.

PART 3 Execution Describes, in detail, preparatory actions and how the products are
incorporated into the project.

16 DIVISION of UNIFORM CONSTRUCTION INDEX


16 Divisions refers to the 16 divisions of construction, as defined by the Construction Specifications
Institute (CSI)'s Master Format. In 2004, Master Format was updated and expanded to 50 Divisions.
The standard is the most widely used standard for organizing specifications and other written
information for commercial and institutional building projects in the U.S. and Canada. It provides a
master list of divisions, and section numbers and titles within each division, to follow in organizing
information about a facilitys construction requirements and associated activities. Standardizing the
presentation of such information improves communication among all parties involved in construction
projects.
MASTERFORMAT 1995 EDITION
Before November 2004, Master Format was composed of 16 primary divisions: there are now 50
divisions.

Division 01 General Requirements

Division 02 Site Construction

Division 03 Concrete

Division 04 Masonry

Division 05 Metals

Division 06 Wood and Plastics

Division 07 Thermal and Moisture Protection

Division 08 Doors and Windows


Division 09 Finishes

Division 10 Specialties

Division 11 Equipment

Division 12 Furnishings

Division 13 Special Construction

Division 14 Conveying Systems

Division 15 Mechanical

Division 16 Electrical

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