Standards of Practice in Construction Specifying

Dennis J. Hall, Nina M. Giglio

• Publisher: Wiley
• Year: 2013
• Print ISBN: 9781118748930
• eBook ISBN: 9781118748992
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Architecture
• Subtopic: Architecture General

Construction Specifications provide critical information necessary to convey the design intent of the Architect and the legally enforceable contract requirements. Many factors must be considered by the Architect in the development of written construction documents, including project delivery method, project ownership, sustainability, and code requirements.

This companion guide to the 2013 AIA National Convention Presentation "Architect's Guide to Construction Specifications" provides excerpts from important industry publications regarding the preparation of construction documents. Material was carefully selected from the following books:

• CSI Construction Specifications Practice Guide
• Architect's Guide to the US National CAD Standard
• CSI Construction Contract Administration Practice Guide
• Architect's Handbook of Professional Practice 14e

Additional excerpts have been provided from CSI Formats to provide an overview of organizational standards for Specifications including:

• MasterFormat
• SectionFormat/PageFormat
• PPDFormat

Added material includes examples for comment document types, which can also be used as templates: Outline Specification;Short Form Specification;Certification and Seals Page;and Addendum

Thise-only book is an essential companion to the presentation or can stand alone as a necessary reference providing users ready access to key understanding of the methods of specifying; organizing structures for building information; and other components that should be considered in the preparation of a project manual.

FORMATS

The excerpts included in this Part provide quick access to industry standard formats for specification writing.

Chapter 4

Formats

4.1 Introduction to Formats

It is not practical to include sufficient notes on construction drawings to describe in complete detail product quality and installation methods. Separate written descriptions, referred to as specifications, more effectively communicate this type of information. The drawings and specifications are complementary.

Specifications define the qualitative requirements for products, materials, workmanship, and administrative requirements upon which the project is based. A simple definition of the word specify is to describe or define in detail. A specification is a precise statement describing the characteristics of the work. Whether specifying brick wall, curtain wall assembly, buildings, or bridges, the specifications must describe completely the desired results so that the work can be constructed in accordance with the contract requirements. Specifications in this context are different from other types of technical data and product descriptions available from project manufacturers that may also be referred to as specifications. Specifications are not just descriptions of products but detailed descriptions of the results of products with effort applied to these products to produce a work result—for example, the product carpet versus the work result of carpeting.

A number of organizational standards, referred to as formats, have been developed to organize all of the information that needs to be addressed from the inception of a project throughout its life cycle. These formats can each be employed for a variety of applications; the chief advantage they carry is a standardized means of organizing, storing, retrieving, and communicating this enormous body of data. Some more detailed descriptions of the characteristics and uses of these formats follow.

4.2 Hierarchy of Formats

The various formats establish an organizational hierarchy. Figure 4.1 illustrates these relationships. OmniClass™ Construction Classification System (OCCS) is a multitable system for organizing information used by the architectural, engineering, and construction industry. The OCCS is the basis for deriving relational applications and will support and ...

Table of contents

• Cover
• List of Titles
• Half Title page
• Title page
• Copyright
• Specification Practices
• Formats
• Specifications Use During Construction Administration
• Resources
• Samples