#Common arrangement of work sections for building works pdf editor manual#

#Common arrangement of work sections for building works pdf editor manual#

Projects now generally incorporate specifications in a project manual that is issued as part of the contract package along with drawings, bidding requirements, and other contract conditions. The required quality of the product and services must be clearly communicated to bidders and the party executing the contract, and must ensure that the completed project conforms to this specified quality. Defining the scope of work is at the core of specification writing. Specification writing has two principal objectives: to define the scope of work and to act as a set of instructions. Because specifications are an integral part of the Contract Documents, they are considered to be legal documents, and should therefore be comprehensive, accurate, and clear. They indicate the procedure by means of which it may be determined whether requirements are satisfied. Specifications should complement drawings, not overlap or duplicate them, and normally prescribe the quality standards of construction expected on the project. They also propel the designer into the technical realm of materials not normally dealt with on a daily basis and which the designer may not be up to speed on. Many designers have considerable difficulty preparing a competent set of standard building specifications, partly because it demands that they shift gears, using a different medium to express design content: written instead of drawn. They also provide other information not shown in the drawings, including a description of the final result. They describe the project to be constructed, supplementing drawings and forming part of the contract, and describe qualities of materials, their methods of manufacture and their installation, and workmanship and mode of construction.

Specifications are precisely written documents that go with the construction documents and describe materials as well as installation methods.

Working drawings and specifications are the primary documents used by a contractor to bid and execute a project. Sam Kubba Ph.D., LEED AP, in Handbook of Green Building Design and Construction, 2012 13.1 Introduction