The construction specification has to tell the contractor precisely: –

The extent of the work to be carried out The quality and type of materials and workmanship required Where necessary, the methods he is required to use, or may not use, to construct the works.

Under the first an informative description is given of what the contractor is to provide and all special factors, limitations, etc. applied. Under the second the detailed requirements are set out. The extent of detail adopted should relate to the quantity and importance of any particular type of work in relation to the works required.

What are the 4 specifications?

Closed and open specifications | Consulting – Specifying Engineer Deciding among the four —descriptive, performance, reference standard, and proprietary—and choosing how the specification is going to be written is only the when starting to edit what will become a project specification, especially when specifying proprietary systems or products.

1. There are two ways to specify a product in a proprietary specification: closed or open.
2. A closed proprietary specification names, describes, and lists a single product or system.
3. The specification may list only one manufacturer or a product by one manufacturer, or it could list the single manufacturer or product and provide a list of other manufacturers or products that are options (note that options differ from substitutions, which will be discussed later).

An open proprietary specification describes a single product or system but allows the bidder to suggest an alternate or substitute product. The correct use of alternate, option, and substitution is important when writing proprietary specifications as each has a fundamentally different meaning.

An alternate is a product acceptable to the engineer or specification writer for which the bidder submits alternative pricing. An option is one of several, typically at least three, listed products in the specification. A substitution is a request to substitute one product for another product described in a specification.

This could be in the form of a proposed substitution, where the specification do not name alternate products or manufacturers but allow submittal of substitute products, or a controlled substitution, where the desired products or systems are described and named, but substitute products with equal functionality may be submitted for review and approval.

Closed proprietary specifications name one product or several products that are allowed as options, but do not use substitutions. This provides the engineer and owner with complete control over the products, which can significantly decrease the time spent researching and reviewing products and manufacturers, and can allow for greater detail on product or system drawings.

It also streamlines the development of the specifications, as simply naming a product using the manufacturer’s ordering code, or naming the product and describing the desired options, may be all that is required to complete Part 2 of the specification.

• The bid process is also simplified: Rather than researching and submitting products to the engineer for review, there is only one manufacturer or several manufacturers to contact for pricing, and the manufacturer typically well understands the client’s needs.
• If you choose a closed proprietary specification, note that this method limits competition, which may result in increased cost or long lead times.

Additionally, the number of bidders with the required experience or certification to install the system may be limited. Also note that this method requires the engineer to specify the exact product that the owner wants, and any mistakes made when specifying the product are typically directly attributed to the engineer.

For federal projects, or projects requiring at least three options for each product to ensure fair and competitive bidding, use of a closed proprietary specification that names only one product is called sole sourcing. This may be required for some products or systems that require significant engineering work or compatibility with an existing system.

You should be prepared to substantiate this decision. An open specification 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, open specifications include provisions that encourage the bidder to submit alternate or substitute products.

1. If alternate products are requested, a list of the approved alternate products is included in the specification.
2. The bidder must submit pricing for the named product and is permitted to submit alternate products from the list included in the specification, along with pricing information for the alternate products.

Open proprietary specifications that allow substitutions name only a single product, but include provisions within the product specification that allow the bidder to submit substitute products. The bidder chooses to submit pricing for either the named or base bid products or any products that the bidder feels would meet the requirements of the named product.

• A product that is submitted as a substitute product must have the same functionality and the bidder must include pricing information.
• Occasionally, you may come across an open specification that allows controlled substitutions.
• This differs from a specification that allows substitutions in that it includes a requirement to coordinate the substitution request with the requirements for product substitution in Division 01, typically in a section called “Product Substitution Procedures.” What this means to the engineer is that substitutions are not directly addressed in the product specification, but instead may be submitted, reviewed, and used as long as the bidder complies with the requirements for substitutions in Division 01.

This means less work addressing the substitution procedures, but requires the engineer to write a strong specification that adequately details the desired characteristics or operation of the product. All open and closed specifications, except for an open specification that allows controlled substitutions, require that the engineer work with the owner or contracting officer to ensure that provisions for the alternate or substitute products are included within the bidding forms, since submission of these products typically includes a difference in bid price.

However, no special requirements are needed for an open specification that allows controlled substitutions since the requirements for submittal of a substitute product are addressed in Division 01. Michael Heinsdorf, PE, LEED AP, CDT is an Engineering Specification Writer at ARCOM MasterSpec, He has more than 10 years of experience in consulting engineering, and is the lead author of MasterSpec Electrical, Communications, and Electronic Safety and Security guide specifications.

He holds a BSEE from Drexel University and is currently pursuing a Masters in Engineering at Drexel University. Do you have experience and expertise with the topics mentioned in this content? You should consider contributing to our CFE Media editorial team and getting the recognition you and your company deserve.

What are the 3 parts of a specification?

Formats – Specification Section Numbers and Titles : The Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) and Construction Specifications Canada (CSC) jointly publish a document called MasterFormat® which is the master list of numbers and titles for organizing information about construction requirements, products, and activities into a standard sequence.

In addition to other applications MasterFormat is the de facto North American standard for assigning numbers and titles to specification sections. CSI and CSC periodically update MasterFormat according to the changing construction industry. MasterFormat expands the divisions by assigning numbers to construction subjects known as specification sections.

The system of numbers is open and flexible to allow user assigned numbers for additional subjects. MasterFormat has been adopted by all Federal government agencies and the private sector design and construction industry throughout the U.S. and Canada. ARCOM 3 uses MasterFormat to assign numbers and titles to the sections of MasterSpec.

Mechanical insulation is located in several divisions: Division 21–Fire Suppression, Division 22–Plumbing, and Division 23–HVAC. The first two digits of the section number are the division number followed by two pairs of digits that provide the standard location of mechanical insulation within these divisions.

The standard location within each of these divisions is identified by the second pair of numbers in the section number being “XX 07 XX.” The benefit of this standard location is that duct, equipment, and pipe insulation can always be found in these locations from project to project and from region to region across the U.S.

21 07 00 – Fire Suppression System Insulation

21 07 16 – Fire-Suppression Equipment Insulation 21 07 19 – Fire-Suppression Piping Insulation

22 07 00 – Plumbing Insulation

22 07 16 – Plumbing Equipment Insulation 22 07 19 – Plumbing Piping Insulation

23 07 00 – HVAC Insulation

23 07 13 – Duct Insulation 23 07 16 – HVAC Equipment Insulation 23 07 19 – HVAC Piping Insulation

Notice the similarity of the numbers and titles within each division. This similarity and the apparent redundancy end at the numbers and titles and the titles of articles and paragraphs with the sections. The requirements for insulation vary among the applications.

• In other words, the internal temperatures and conditions are different for each application and often require different materials or installation requirements.
• Specifications sections can be written using the higher-level number (numbers ending in 00) or can be written using the lower-level numbers (ending with specific numbers in the third pair of numbers).

Specifications for a specific project in a particular division should not be written using both higher- and lower-level numbers (i.e., 23 07 00 and 23 07 13). A project specification written using 23 07 00 would be inclusive of duct, equipment, and piping insulation as applicable to the project.

This would be the choice when the project is simple and requires only one or two different types of insulation systems. When there are multiple types of insulation systems for ducts, equipment, and piping, using the lower-level numbers affords the ability to focus on each application more comprehensively while keeping the subject matter easy to find and read.

Standard arrangement of information within specification sections is the objective of the CSI/CSC SectionFormat®. Retrieval of information continues to be the objective for this concept. Each specification section is divided into three parts. These parts are Part 1–General, Part 2–Products, and Part 3–Execution.

• Each part includes particular information about the subject of the section.
• These three parts are fixed in number and title and are included in all specification sections.
• Part 1–General supplements the “general requirements” in Division 1 sections by setting particular requirements about the materials and workmanship included in the section.

In the case of mechanical insulation, it sets particular requirements for submittals, quality assurance, and other administrative requirements for mechanical insulation. Example : Division 01 Section “Submittals” specifies general requirements for the procedures, including quantities, distribution, and actions to be taken by each party.

In the Part 1 “Submittals” Article of a specification section, particular requirements about what to submit are specified. Part 2–Products contains provisions that set the quality requirements for the products, by describing materials, products, equipment and, if applicable, manufacturing tolerances and factory testing requirements.

Part 3–Execution specifies how the products described in Part 2 are incorporated into the work, specifies workmanship quality requirements without dictating contractor means and methods, and sets field quality-control testing requirements. In each of the three parts, a standard sequence of articles and paragraphs exists.

• Suggested articles and paragraphs should be retained only if they apply to the subject of the section and, when retained, they should be arranged in the recommended sequence.
• This continues the objective easy retrieval of information.
• Page layout and article and paragraph numbering are presented in the CSI/CSC PageFormat©.

This document suggests alternative article and paragraph numbering schemes, recommendations for margins, spacing between articles and paragraphs, and other format issues. The most important feature of this document is the article and paragraph numbering schemes that provide an address for specification text.

What is the format of specification?

Chapter 9. Format Specification – A format specification provides explicit editing information to the processor on the structure of a formatted data record. It is used with formatted I/O statements to allow conversion and data editing under program control.

An asterisk (*) used as a format identifier in an I/O statement specifies list-directed formatting. This chapter discusses the following format topics: You can define a format specification in a FORMAT statement or through the use of arrays, variables, or expressions of type character. During input, field descriptors specify the external data fields and establish correspondence between a data field and an input list item.

During output, field descriptors are used to describe how internal data is to be recorded on an external medium and to define a correspondence between an output list item and an external data field. This section describes the FORMAT statement, field descriptors, edit descriptors, and list-directed formatting.

What is a construction specification?

1. What is a specification? – Specification is the skill of recording specific requirements about work you (or your client) want to be carried out. A construction specification is a well-structured, detailed description of the quality, standards, workmanship, materials, and completion of work to be done which evolves across a project.

What is a design specification example?

Design specification – Wikipedia

This article includes a, or, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks, Please help to this article by more precise citations. ( May 2017 ) ( )

A design specification is a detailed document that sets out exactly what a product or a process should present. For example, the design specification could include required dimensions, environmental factors, factors, factors, maintenance that will be needed, etc.

What should specifications include?

Specifications describe the products, materials, and work required by a construction contract, They do not include cost, quantity, or drawn information, and so need to be read alongside other information such as quantities, schedules, and drawings,

Specifications vary considerably depending on the stage to which the design has been developed, ranging from performance specifications ( open specifications ) that require further design work to be carried out, to prescriptive specifications ( closed specifications ) where the design is already complete,

Performance (open) specifications describe the result that is required from particular items and leave it to the contractor or supplier to satisfy that requirement. In effect it requires the contractor or supplier to complete the design, The nature of the performance required may be defined by the desired outcome, or by reference to standards,

General requirements relating to regulations and standards, The type of products and materials required. The execution and installation methods required.

For more information see: Prescriptive specifications, Having a prescriptive specification when a contract is tendered gives the client more certainty about the end product, whereas a performance specification gives suppliers more scope to innovate and adopt cost-effective methods of work, potentially offering better value for money,

Typically, performance specifications are written on projects that are straight-forward and are well-known building types, Whereas prescriptive specifications are written for more complex buildings, For more information see: Prescriptive specifications, They can also be used in combination. Items crucial to the design may be specified prescriptively (such as external cladding ) whilst less critical items may be specified only by performance (such as service lifts ).

Key to deciding whether to specify a building component prescriptively or not, is considering who is most likely to achieve best value when selecting an item, the client, the designers or the contractor:

Large clients may be able to procure certain products at competitive rates themselves (for example the government ). Some designers may have particular experience of using a specific product (although some clients may not allow designers to specify particular products as they believe it restricts competition and innovation and may relieve the contractor of their liability for ‘ fitness for purpose ‘). The contractor may be best placed to specify products that affect buildability,

Specifications should be developed alongside the design, increasing in level of detail as the design progresses.They should not be left until the preparation of production information, The first stage in the development of a specification is the preparation of an outline specification,

An outline specification is a brief description of the main components to be used in construction, They should be described in sufficient detail to allow the cost consultant to prepare some approximate quantities, For more information see: Outline specification, By the tender stage (when prices are sought from potential suppliers ), they should describe every aspect of the building in such a way that there is no uncertainty about what is required.

Aspects of the works are generally specified by product or by workmanship:

Products : by standard, a description of attributes, naming (perhaps allowing equivalent alternatives) or by nominating suppliers, Workmanship: by compliance with manufacturers requirements, reference to a code of practice or standards, or by approval of samples or by testing,

It should be possible to verify the standard of products and workmanship by testing, inspection, mock-ups and samples, and documentation such as manufacturer’s certificates, Specifications should be structured according to work packages, mirroring the separation of the works into sub-contracts,

Bill of quantities BOQ Construction Specifications Canada CSC, Construction Specifications Institute CSI, Final specifications, Performance specification, Prescriptive specification, Specification guidance for construction, Tender documentation for construction projects, Schedule of work for construction, Technical specification, Outline specification, Output-based specification, Green Guide to Specification, Schedule, Common Arrangement of Work Sections,

What is a specification checklist?

You define Checklist specifications that you can associate with Task specifications. The Checklist specification defines the individual steps that must be completed to complete a task. In UIM, all checklist items must be marked as complete before an activity can be completed. When working with Checklist specifications, see the following topics:

• Creating a Checklist
• Checklist Specification Editor

What is a full specification?

What is a prescriptive specification? – Also known as a full specification, it essentially identifies each and every item, right down to the spacing and number of screws required to fix plasterboard for example, as well as the size, type and material of the screw.

This gives the client more certainty when the work is tendered and priced by the contractor. There should be at least two or three different manufacturers of each item in the market place, which is where savings in costs can be achieved when contractors source the most competitive price. Typical examples would be drywall partitions, doors and brickwork.

Drywall systems, for example, can become quite complex with fire-proofing, acoustic, and structural stability affecting their design. Drywalling is a system, consisting of several products, which when arranged in various configurations can suite your specific fire, acoustic, and structural requirements.

These are typically summarised in a table that covers most conditions likely to be encountered on a residential project. So, for a one-hour fire rated wall which requires a 35dB acoustic rating and needs to span up to 3.2m in height, a quick reference to the appropriate tables will provide the required drywall build up as specified by the architect.

Drywall systems could also be tendered using a performance specification, particularly on large complex projects when there are many variations.

What are the four 4 Characteristics of good specification?

SPECIFICATION DEFINITIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS The overall purpose of a specification is to provide a basis for obtaining a good or service that ill satisfy a particular need at an economical cost and to invite maximum reasonable competition. To this end, specifications may not be unduly restrictive.

By definition, a specification sets limits and thereby eliminates, or potentially eliminates, items that are outside the boundaries drawn. However, a specification should be written to encourage, not discourage, competition consistent with seeking overall economy for the purpose intended. A good specification should do four things: (1) Identify minimum requirements, (2) allow for a competitive bid, (3) list reproducible test methods to be used in testing for compliance with specifications, and (4) provide for an equitable award at the lowest possible cost.

DEVELOPING SPECIFICATIONS: Although Procurement has final responsibility for the competitiveness and suitability of specifications, Procurement cannot initiate or prepare all specifications. The size of staff necessary to do this would be prohibitive.

Procurement serves as the primary activity involved in developing specifications for items purchased under indefinite quantity term contracts and definite quantity scheduled purchases. The duty of Procurement to promote both product and price competition requires that specifications be as non-restrictive as practicable, consistent with satisfying legitimate needs.

Procurement is responsible for final editing of specifications, and ensuring clarity of language with jargon or in-house terminology. Purchasing will assist and advise you in developing your specifications, however, Procurement does not have expertise in every sphere of College of Charleston academic programs and staff activities.

1. Specifications can be prepared in a number of ways.
2. Speaking generally, one is the specification that requires something unique, to be custom made or custom built, as is characteristic of construction or personal services contracts.
3. The other group call for ready-made, off-the-shelf commercial items regularly available in the market place, as is characteristic of equipment, materials and supplies.

Within these broad groupings are more particular types, including: brand-name specifications; brand-name-or-equal specifications; design specifications; performance specifications; and the Qualified Product List (QPL).1. BRAND-NAME SPECIFICATIONS: The brand-name specifications has the effect of limiting the bidding to a single product and is the most restrictive kind of specification.

• Its use will not be permitted unless only one product will meet an intended need, there are at least ten competitors that can supply the product, the department head has submitted written justification to this effect and the Director of Procurement has approved the use.2.
• BRAND-NAME-OR-EQUAL SPECIFICATIONS: A brand-name-or-equal specification cites one or more brand-names, model numbers, or other designations that identify the specific products of a particular manufacturer as having the characteristics of the item desired.

Any other brands or models substantially equivalent to those named are considered for award, with the Procurement Officer reserving the final right to determine equivalency. Brand-name-or-equal specifications have a legitimate but limited place in public purchasing.a.

• Although there may be situations when the use of this specification is our only means of attempting to satisfy the requirement, its use should be limited and justified before solicitation.
• If this specification is used, tangible performance, quality or other required characteristics should be clearly defined in the bid invitation.

Bidders offering an equal should be put on notice that the criteria used to define performance, quality or essential characteristics must be met to be considered responsive.b. The best position is to list at least two brand names that will satisfy the requirements.

1. Another alternative is the requirement that bidders offering products other than specified obtain approval for the product offered before bid opening.
2. There must be sufficient basis to determine that these products are equal and this basis must be predicated upon sound evaluation criteria.
3. Vendors should be provided the criteria for the purpose of qualifying the bid document.3.

QUALIFIED PRODUCT LIST (QPL): A qualified product list (QPL) is a specification based on manufacturers’ names, brand names and model numbers, but it is arrived at by a systematic and formal process. A QPL is predicated on a written specification which includes certain tests or other criteria for comparing, examining and approving products before soliciting competitive bids.

These criteria and the methods for establishing and maintaining a QPL varies widely for different products. Some may require that committees test the products, others may simply require that brands be tested under controlled conditions and assessments made of their performance and others may require laboratory tests.a.

Departments wishing to establish a QPL must list the products that have been tested and are considered equal, state testing methods used to establish the QPL and indicate steps to be taken by vendors to add products to the QPL.4. DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS: Design specifications customarily employ dimensional and other physical requirements of the item being purchased.

Design” in this sense means that the specification concentrates on how the product is to be put together. It is the most traditional kind of specification, having been used historically in public contracting for buildings, highways, and other public works, and represents the kind of thinking in which architects and engineers have been trained.

Its use is called for where a structure or product has to be specially made to meet the purchaser’s unique need.a. Departments using design specifications must submit complete specifications with all necessary drawings, dimensions, terms, and definitions of non-standard terms.

Materials used must be described fully to include thickness, size, color, etc.5. PERFORMANCE SPECIFICATIONS: The terms “functional” and “performance” are used interchangeably to designate an approach to specifications that is less interested in dimensions and materials and configurations and more interested in what a product does.

The performance specification is less interested in how a product is made, and more interested in how it performs, how well it performs, and at what cost. Performance purchasing is results orientated in terms of function and cost. In contrast to the design approach, performance specifications afford the manufacturer or bidder sizable latitude in how to accomplish the end purpose.

What are the 2 types of specifications?

2. Detailed Specifications. – Detailed Specifications shows, in the detailed description, characteristics, quantity, ratio and formation method of the material used in construction work. Each component of the constructional work is described in details separately with the help of Detailed Specifications.

Therefore, all features establishing standards and quality of the construction work are disclosed. Which will be used later in Detailed Estimate. Detailed Specifications of the items used in ordinary projects are printed that are used for contracts. These Specifications are called Standard Specifications.

Detailed Specifications have two major types as follow. a) Standard Specifications. b) Special Specifications.

What is the first step in specification?

Key Concepts – Establishing Correct Requirements The first step toward developing accurate and complete specifications is to establish correct requirements. As easy as this sounds, establishing correct requirements is extremely difficult and is more of an art than a science.

1. There are different steps one can take toward establishing correct requirements.
2. Although some of the suggestions sound fairly obvious, actually puttting them into practice may not be as easy as it sounds.
3. The first step is to negotiate a common understanding.
4. There is a quote by John von Neumann that states “There’s no sense being exact about something if you don’t even know what you’re talking about.” Communication between the designer and customer is vital.

There is no point in trying to establish exact specifications if the designers and customers cannot even agree on what the requirements are. Problem stems from ambiguities in stating requirements. For example, say the requirement states that we want to create a means that would transport a group of people from Boston to Washington D.C.

1. Possible interpretations of this requirement includes building a bus, train, or airplane, among other possibilities.
2. Although each of these transportation devices satisfy the requirement, they are certainly very different.
3. Ambiguous requirements can be caused by missing requirements, ambiguous words, or introduced elements.

The above requirement does not state how fast the people should be transported from Boston to Washington D.C. Taking an airplane would certainly be faster than riding a bus or train. These are also missing requirements. “a group of people” in the above requirement is an example of ambiguous words.

1. What exactly does “group” imply? A group can consist of 5 people, 100 people, 1000 people, etc.
2. The requirement states to “create a means” and not “design a transportation device”.
3. This is an example of introduced elements where an incorrect meaning slipped into the discussion.
4. It is important to eliminate or at least reduce ambiguities as early as possible because the cost of them increases as we progress in the development life cycle.

Often the problem one has in establishing correct requirements is how to get started. One of the most important things in getting started is to ask questions. Context-free questions are high-level questions that are posed early in a project to obtain information about global properties of the design problem and potential solutions.

Examples of context-free questions include who is the client?, what is the reason for solving this problem?, what environment is this product likely to encounter?, and what is the trade-off between time and value?. These questions force both sides, designer and customer, to look at the higher issues.

Also, since these questions are appropriate for any project, they can be prepared in advance. Another important point is to get the right people involved. There is no point in discussing requirements if the appropriate people are not involved in the discussion.

• Related to getting the right people involved is making meetings work.
• Having effective meetings is not as easy as it sounds.
• However, since they play a central role in establishing requirements it is essential to know how to make meetings work.
• There are important points to keep in mind when creating effective meetings, which include creating a culture of safety for all participants, keeping the meeting to an appropriate size, and other points.

Exploring the possibilities is another important step toward generating correct requirements. Ideas are essential in establishing correct requirements, so it is important that people can get together and generate ideas. Every project will also encounter conflicts.

Conflicts can occur from personality clashes, people that cannot get along, intergroup prejudice such as those between technical people and marketing people, and level differences. It is important that a facilitator is present to help resolve conflicts. In establishing requirements, it is important to specifically establish the functions, attributes, constraints, preferences, and expectations of the product.

Usually in the process of gaining information, functions are the first ones to be defined. Functions describe what the product is going to accomplish. It is also important to determine the attributes of a product. Attributes are characteristics desired by the client, and while 2 products can have similar functions, they can have competely different attributes.

• After all the attributes have been clarified and attached to functions, we must determine the constraints on each of the atrributes.
• Preferences, which is a desirable but optional condition placed on an attribute, can also be defined in addition to its constraints.
• Finally, we must determine what the client’s expectations are.

This will largely determine the success of the product. Testing is the final step on the road to establishing correct requirements. There are several testing methods used, as listed below.

Ambiguity poll – Used to estimate the ambiguity in a requirement. This involves asking questions such as how fast?, how big?, how expensive?, and then determining if there is ambiguity between the high and low values. Technical review – A testing tool for indicating the progress of the requirements work. It can be formal or informal and generally only deals with technical issues. Technical reviews are necessary because it is not possible to produce error-free requirements and usually it is difficult for the producers to see their own mistakes. User satisfaction test – A test used on a regular basis to determine if a customer will be satisifed with a product. Black box test cases – Constructed primarily to test the completeness, accuracy, clarity, and conciseness of the requirements. Existing products – Useful in determining the desirable and undesirable characteristics of a new product.

At some point it is necessary to end the requirements process as the fear of ending can lead to an endless cycle. This does not mean that it is impossible to revisit the requirements at a later point in the development life cycle if necessary. However, it is important to end the process when all the necessary requirements have been determined, otherwise you will never proceed to the design cycle.

Establishing good requirements requires people with both technical and communication skills. Technical skills are required as the embedded system will be highly complex and may require knowledge from different engineering disciplines such as electrical engineering and mechanical engineering. Communication skills are necessary as there is a lot of exchange of information between the customer and the designer.

Without either of these two skills, the requirements will be unclear or inaccurate. It is essential that requirements in safety critical embedded systems are clear, accurate, and complete. The problem with requirements is that they are often weak about what a system should not do.

1. In a dependable system, it is just as important to specify what a system is not suppose to do as to specfiy what a system is suppose to do.
2. These systems have an even greater urgency that the requirements are complete because they will only be dependable if we know exactly what a system will do in a certain state and the actions that it should not perform.

Requirements with no ambiguities will also make the system more dependable. Extra requirements will usually be required in developing a dependable embedded system. For example, in developing a dependable system for non-computer-literate people, extra requirements should be specified to make the system safe even in exceptional or abusive situations.

A combination of elements forming a complex or unitary whole (i.e. river system or transportation system) A set of correlated members (i.e. system of currency) An ordered and comprehensive assemblage of facts, principles, or doctrines in a particular field of knowledge (i.e. system of philosophy) A coordinated body of methods, a complex scheme, or a plan of procedure (i.e. system of organization and management) Any regular or special method of plan of procedure (i.e. a system of marking)

The important characteristic of a system is that there is unity, functional relationship, and useful purpose. Systems engineering is not a technical specialty but is a process used in the evolution of systems from the point when a need is identified through production and construction to deployment of the system for consumer use.

Systems engineering requires knowledge from different engineering disciplines such as aeronautical engineering, civil engineering, and electrical engineering. The development of embedded systems also requires the knowledge of different engineering disciplines and can follow the techniques used for systems engineering.

Therefore, it is appropriate that the steps used in establishing system requirements also be applicable to requirements for embedded systems. The conceptual system design is the first stage in the systems design life cycle and an example of the systems definition requirements process is shown in Figure 1. Figure 1: Example of system requirements definition process In establishing system requirements, the first step is to define a need. This need is based on a want or desire. Usually, an individual or organization identifies a need for an item or function and then a new or modified system is developed to fulfill the requirement.

• After a need is defined, feasibility studies should be conducted to evaluate various technical approaches that can be taken.
• The system operational requirements should also be defined.
• This includes the definition of system operating characteristics, maintenance support concept for the system, and identification of specific design criteria.

In particular, the system operational requirements should include the following elements.

Mission definition – Identification of the primary operating mission of the system in addition to alternative and secondary missions. Performance and physical parameters – Definition of the operating characteristics or functions of the system. Use requirements – Anticipation of the use of the system. Operational deployment or distribution – Identification of transportation and mobility requirements. Includes quantity of equipment, personnel, etc. and geographical location. Operational life cycle – Anticipation of the time that the system will be in operational use. Effectiveness factors – Numbers specified for system requirements. Includes cost-system effectiveness, mean time between maintenance(MTBM), failure rate, maintenance downtime, etc. Environment – Definition of the environment in which the system is expected to operate.

Basically, the system operational requirements define how the system will be used in the field by the customer. Usually, in defining system requirements, the tendency is to cover areas that are related to performance as opposed to areas that are related to support.

• However, this means that emphasis is only placed on part of the system and not the whole system.
• It is essential to take into consideration the entire system when defining system requirements.
• The system maintenance concept basically describes the overall support environment that the product is supposed to exist in.

After the system operational requirements and system maintenance concept are defined, the preliminary system analysis is performed to determine which approach for system development should be adopted. The following process is usually applied.1. Define the problem – The first step always begin with clarifying the objectives, defining the concerned issues, and limiting the problem so that it can be effectively studied.2.

• Identify feasible alternatives – All the alternatives should be considered to make sure that the best approach is chosen.3.
• Select the evaluation criteria – The criteria for the evaluation process can vary considerably, so the appropriate ones must be chosen.4.
• Applying modeling techniques – A model or series of models should be used.5.

Generate input data – The requirements for appropriate input data should be specified.6. Manipulate the model – After data is collected and inputed, the model may be used. Analysis after using the model will lead to recommendation for some kind of action.

After the preliminary system analysis, advanced system planning will be done. Early system planning takes place from the identification of a need through the conceptual design phase. The results from these planning will be defined as either technical requirements included in the specifications or management requirements included in a program management plan.

The documents associated with these requirements are shown in Figure 2. The system specification includes information from the operational requirements, maintenance concept, and feasibility analysis. The System Engineering Management Plan(SEMP) contains three sections.

The technical program planning and control part describes the program tasks that have to be planned and developed to meet system engineering objectives such as work breakdown structure, organization, risk management, etc. The system engineering process part describes how the system engineering process applies to program requirements.

Finally, the engineering specialty integration part describes the major system-level requirements in the engineering specialty areas such as reliability, maintainability, quality assurance, etc. Figure 2: Program documentation Finally, the conceptual design review is also performed during the conceptual design stage. It usually occurs early in the system engineering development life cycle after the operational requirements and the maintenance concept have been defined.

Requirements Traceability It is very important to verify that the requirements are correctly implemented in the design. This is done with requirements traceability which is usually refered to as “the ability to follow the life of a requirement, in both forwards and backwards direction (i.e. from its origins, through its development and specification, to its subsequent deployment and use, and through periods of on-going refinement and iteration in any of these phases.)” Requirements traceability captures the relationships between the requirements, specifications, and design.

Standards for systems development such as the one from the U.S. Department of Defense (standard 2167A) require that requirements traceability be used. Although requirments traceability has been around for more than 2 decades, there has been no consensus as to what kind of information should be used as part of a traceability scheme.

The problem is that the definition of traceability differs when taken from different points of view of the system.(i.e. the view of the system is different for customer, project manager, test engineer, etc.) Each organization has a different purpose and methodology for requirements tracing. While it is not the purpose of this paper to dwell into a long discussion about requirements traceability, a short example of the methodology used at one organization will be given.

The projects typically involved at Abbott Laboratories Diagnostics Division are real-time, embedded, in vitro diagnostic instruments approaching 200,000 lines of code. They have found that traceability aids project managers in verification, cost reduction, accountability and change management.

Traceability helps in verifying that software requirements are satisfied in the design process and that they are tested for during the verification process. Traceability allows the allocation of product requirements early in the development cycle thereby reducing costs of correcting defects (due to untraceable components) in the integration and system test phase.

Providing quantitative traceability analyses also allows for accountability in making sure that project milestones are approved, deliverables are verified, and customers are satisfied. The documentation from traceability also keeps information organized during changes in staff or management.

• A specific in vitro diagnostic instrument contained approximately 175,000 lines of source code and approximately 1,600 software requirements that needed to be traced.
• While the division also has an automated traceability system (ATS) that allowed them to automate many of the tasks, it was the process and not the tool that led to their success.

The main purpose of the traceability program is to identify links and determine that the links are complete and accurate. The traceability analysis consists of 4 aspects: forward requirements analysis, reverse requirements trace, forward test analysis, and reverse test trace.

1. These steps are used to trace each software requirement through its design elements and test traces.
2. The ATS can be used to design documentation matrices and test matrices that is used to perform the different analyses required.
3. The ATS is also able to give feedback about the design components that are not yet implemented during the life cycle.

In the test phase, the ATS gives input to what requirements are covered by the test cases. Requirements Standards There are many requirements and specification standards. They are mostly military standards as opposed to “commercial” standards. In addition, most of the standards are in the systems engineering area, and in particular deals with the software aspects.

1. A good reference to many of these standards is Standards, Guidelines, and Examples on System and Software Requirements Engineering from the IEEE Computer Society Press.
2. This book is a compilation of international requirements standards and U.S.
3. Military standards.
4. There is also a section on requirements analysis methodologies and examples.

Listed below are several relevant standards, but the list is in no means exhaustive.

IEEE Recommended Practice for Software Requirements Specifications (IEEE std 830-1998) British Standard Guide to Specifying User Requirements for a Computer-Based Standard (BS6719 – 1986) Canadian Standard, Basic Guidelines for the Structure of Documentation of System Design Information (Z242.15.4-1979) U.S. Military Standards

System/Segment Specification (DI-CMAN-80008A, 2/29/1988) Software Requirements Specification (DI-MCCR-80025A, 2/29/1988) Interface Requirements Specification (DI-MCCR-80026A, 2/29/1998)

Who is responsible for specifications?

Who Is Responsible for Bad Plans and Specifications? Wednesday, November 2, 2011 An owner provides you with plans and specifications for a project and you construct it in strict conformance with them. Subsequent to the project’s completion, it is determined that what you built is not suitable for its intended purpose.

Who “owns” this problem? This legal issue was addressed by the United States Supreme Court in 1918, and its decision has become commonly known in construction law as the “Spearin Doctrine.” This doctrine holds that an owner, who promulgates plans and specifications to a contractor, impliedly warrants their sufficiency for their intended purpose.

In other words, when an owner issues plans and specifications, he warrants that the contractor should be able to rely upon them to build the project to a satisfactory result. In Spearin, the contractor entered into a contract with the United States to build a dry dock in a New York Navy Yard.

• In order to use the site specified, the plans required the contractor to relocate a brick sewer which was on site.
• The plans and specifications were provided by the project owner, the United States.
• The contractor built the project according to the plans and specifications, and the dry dock was approved and accepted by the owner.

Approximately a year after the project was completed, the relocated sewer backed up resulting in flooding into the dry dock area. The court determined that a dam that was not shown on the owner’s plans and specifications had failed and that this caused the flooding and, accordingly, the contractor was not at fault.

In rendering its decision, the Spearin Court held that by issuing the plans and specifications, the owner had impliedly warranted to the contractor that if it complied with them, the relocated sewer would be adequate to service the dry dock area. It further reasoned that this implied warranty could not be defeated by a contract clause requiring the contractor to examine the site, plans and specifications prior to entering into the contract and performing the work.

In any Spearin situation, a contractor should promptly notify the owner of its claim(s) that the plans and specifications are defective in order to avoid any later defense by the owner that those rights were “waived”. The contractor then has two bites at the “claim apple:”

1. It can assert a claim that the owner breached its implied warranty that the plans and specifications are accurate.
2. It can assert that the plans and specifications when strictly complied with, did not result in a finished product suitable for its intended purpose.

• The contractor can seek compensation for any added expense it incurred as a result of the insufficient and/or inadequate plans and specifications issued by the owner.
• It is important to note that while the “Spearin Doctrine” is followed by a majority of states, it is not universally applicable, and accordingly, you should inquire of your legal counsel as to whether, in the state that you are working, an owner is bound to impliedly warrant the plans and specifications it issues.
• Construction Business Owner, December 2007

Hugh Gorman is a partner in Hinckley, Allen & Snyder LLP’s Construction Law Group resident in the Boston, MA office. The Group represents a clientele of owners, general contractors, sureties, subcontractors and suppliers throughout the United States with respect to all aspects of construction law. : Who Is Responsible for Bad Plans and Specifications?

What are the 2 main objective of specification writing?

13.1 Introduction – Working drawings and specifications are the primary documents used by a contractor to bid and execute a project. Specifications are precisely written documents that go with the construction documents and describe materials as well as installation methods.

• 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.
• They also provide other information not shown in the drawings, including a description of the final result.

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 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.

Specifications should complement drawings, not overlap or duplicate them, and normally prescribe the quality standards of construction expected on the project. They indicate the procedure by means of which it may be determined whether requirements are satisfied. 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.

Specification writing has two principal objectives: to define the scope of work and to act as a set of instructions. Defining the scope of work is at the core of specification writing. 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.

1. 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.
2. The specification writer should ensure that the requirements are compatible with the methods to be employed and that the methods selected in one specification are compatible with those selected in another.

A primary function of project specifications is to deliver detailed information regarding materials and methods of work for a particular construction project. They cover various components relating to the project, including general conditions, scope of work, quality of materials, and standards of workmanship.

The drawings, collectively with the project specifications, define the project in detail and clearly delineate exactly how it is to be constructed. The project drawings and specifications are an integral part of the Contract Documents and are inseparable. They reflect what the project specifications are unlikely to cover; the project specifications outline what the drawings are unlikely to portray.

Specifications are also sometimes used to clarify details that are not adequately covered by the drawings and notes. Project specifications always take precedence over the drawings, should the drawings conflict with them. The Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) MasterFormat® is the most widely used standard for organizing specifications for building projects in the United States and Canada.

• Its format of organization is widely recognized.
• CSI is a nationwide organization composed of architects, engineers, manufacturers’ representatives, contractors, and other interested parties who closely collaborated to develop this format.
• Its specification standards are noted in MasterFormat, which in 2004 was expanded from 16 to 50 divisions as described later in this chapter.

It should be noted that the 1995 edition of the format is no longer be supported by CSI. The MasterFormat 2011 Update, produced jointly by the CSI and Construction Specifications Canada (CSC), replaces all previous editions. In recent years we have witnessed a fundamental change in specification writing due to technology and green-related practices, which have had a tremendous impact on the construction industry and on the general way we conduct our business.

1. Examples of this are specification production and reproduction, which in a few short years have progressed tremendously.
2. Master systems are now commercially available in electronic form that a specifier can simply load into the computer and get instant access to drawing checklists and explanation sheets.

After editing the relevant sections, a printout can be made with an audit trail that informs and records what has been deleted and what decisions remain undetermined. The CSI comments, Construction projects use many different kinds of delivery methods, products, and installation methods, but one thing is common to all—the need for effective teamwork by the many parties involved to ensure the correct and timely completion of work.

The successful completion of projects requires effective communication amongst the people involved, and that in turn requires easy access to essential project information. Efficient information retrieval is only possible when a standard filing system is used by everyone. MasterFormat provides such a standard filing and retrieval scheme that can be used throughout the construction industry.

Green building specifications can be easily incorporated into CSI MasterFormat in three general ways: (1) environmental protection procedures, (2) green building materials, and (3) practical application of environmental specifications. Read full chapter URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780123851284000135

Which details are shown in the specifications?

Formerly Federal-Aid Policy Guide Non-Regulatory Supplement, 23 CFR Part 630B, December 9, 1991, Transmittal 1 See Order 1321.1C FHWA Directives Management Par.

Purpose Definitions Background Plans Specifications Estimates Required Contract Provisions PS&E Assemblies

Purpose, To set forth guidelines for the preparation of plans, specifications, and estimates (including standard plans, and specifications) for physical construction projects financed with Federal-aid highway funds. It is emphasized that the provisions of this Appendix are intended to serve as guidance to be used by the States at their discretion and should not be construed as mandatory requirements. Definitions

Developmental Specifications – a specification developed around a new process, procedure, or material with the prior knowledge that subsequent adjustments might be necessary prior to adoption for standard usage. Estimate – the predicted project cost at the time of receipt of bids developed from a knowledge of the costs for materials, labor, and equipment required to perform the necessary items of work. Plans – the contract drawings which show the locations, character, and dimension of the prescribed work, including layouts, profiles, cross sections, and other details. Required Contract Provisions – those provisions required by law or regulation of the various jurisdictions involved in funding projects and administering contracts for construction projects. Special Provisions – additions and revisions to the standard and supplemental specifications applicable to an individual project. Specifications – the compilation of provisions and requirements for the performance of prescribed work. Standard Plans (Standard Detail Drawings) -drawings approved for repetitive use showing details to be used where appropriate. Standard Specifications – a book of specifications approved for general application and repetitive use. Supplemental Specifications – approved additions and revisions to the standard specifications. Traffic Control Plan – a plan for handling traffic through a specific highway or street work zone or project.

Background, The preparation of plans, specifications, and estimates (PS&E) for highway and bridge construction projects is essential in order to facilitate construction, provide contract control, estimate construction costs, and provide a uniform basis for bidding purposes.

To accomplish this, each highway contracting agency (HA) is encouraged to:

develop plans and specifications for highway construction projects which:

are complete and clear to the maximum extent practicable, and provide for uniformity of practice in contractual procedures and relations.

use standard plans (standard detail drawings) and specifications to:

simplify and facilitate the interpretation and use of the project plans and specifications by contractors and others performing the construction operations and furnishing materials and equipment therefor, and reduce duplication of effort that would be required to produce sets of plans and specifications that involve features and provisions that are a part of the majority of construction projects.

Guidelines for development of plans and specifications will encourage nationwide uniformity and consistency, and facilitate review and approval of project plans and specifications.

Plans

General. Plans are, in effect, instructions using drawings containing engineering data or details pertaining to geometrics, drainage, structures, soils and pavements and other appurtenances.

Plans should not encompass material that is properly a part of the specifications. The original drawings should be on standard sheets conforming to modern accepted drafting practices or aerial photograph base maps. Abbreviated plans may be used provided they give sufficient information to properly complete the project.

This type of plan is particularly adaptable to special types of projects such as those for minor emergency relief, safety improvements, resurfacing, restoration, and rehabilitation and pavement marking. A typical set of abbreviated plans consists of only that information necessary to describe the type of work and its limits such as:

General plan, sketch, or line drawing, Cross section, if appropriate, Estimate of quantities, Tabulation of construction items, providing station, offset, and evaluation, General notes, and/or Special details.

Standard Plans. Standard plans are used to reduce the number of drawings required to be supplied for each project and provide uniformity of design and construction where the details are the same from project to project for items such as pipe culverts, guardrails, curbs, gutters, sidewalks, retaining walls, noise walls, prestressed bridge girders, pedestrian bridges, drainage structures, slope protection, bus stop shelters, bridge railing, bridge bearings, deck joints, sign supports, light standards, fencing, and other appurtenances.

Standard plans should contain all appropriate information from paragraph 4c that is necessary to properly describe the details of the work proposed as standard. Standard plans can be in the form of individual sheets, plan packages, or booklets which are made available to interested parties such as engineers and contractors. Those standard plans not included as part of the plan assembly should be referenced in the project plans. Standard plans should be kept current or meet currently used specifications.

Standard plans, which become obsolete or ineffective, should be superseded or withdrawn. When modifications to standard plans are necessary for a specific project, specialdetails should be prepared, properly describing the work, and included in the project plans.

Contract Plans. Contract plans show the details that are necessary to construct a specific project and should be tailored to provide all information necessary to accomplish the work in an orderly manner.

Title Sheet. The title sheet should show in a convenient arrangement:

title, scales used for the plans, a location sketch with sufficient iden tifying information so that the project may be easily located on a county or State map, project length, a detail or group index of the sheets in the set of plans, the conventional symbols employed, design designation (average daily traffic, design hour volume, directional distribution, percent trucks, and design speed), Federal-aid project designation, a provision for the dates and signatures of the appropriate approving officials, standard specifications and amendments applicable to the project, and standard plans applicable to the project.

Typical Sections. Typical cross sections of the improvement should be placed on the sheet immediately following the title sheet, except that on combined roadway and bridge projects the crosssection for the bridges may be shown with other bridge design information.

Typical cross sections should be included in plans for all projects including those for bridges only, and those where abbreviated plans are to be used. All functional elements should be shown to a convenient scale including:

all different slopes of cut and fill, the width of the roadbed and median, the shape of the finished surface and shoulders, curb and gutter if part of the design, all integral parts of the surfacing and shoulders including, as appropriate, subbase, base course, and surface course, limiting locations where each typical cross section is to be used, ultimate typical cross section for stage construction project, thickness for each element of the surfacing system,

Where variations in surfacing or base thickness are proposed because of differing soil conditions or other reasons, such variations should be in tabular form, including station limits for each thickness. In instances in subparagraph a above, the typical section need show only that varying thicknesses are to be employed.

relation between either proposed or ultimate status and a control survey line and profile gradeline, and lateral location of profile gradeline (grade point).

Summary of Quantities

The summary of quantities for the entire project may be placed on the typical cross section sheets if such may be done without crowding; otherwise, this information should appear on separate sheets following the typical sections. If more than one category of funds is required for a project, the quantity of each item required for each category should be identified separately and then combined for bidding purposes.

There should be a breakdown of the urban and rural quantities for projects that cross urban boundaries. A county-by-county breakdown should be provided where projects cross county lines. Non-Federal-aid work included as part of a Federal-aid contract should be identified separately.

Earthwork may be computed by the cross sectioning method or by any combination of aerial photography and photogrammetric and electronic computer methods that have demon strated acceptable accuracy.

Tabulation of Quantities. Summarizing miscellaneous construction items such as drainage, signing, guardrail, earthwork and others in a tabular form showing station and offset for the location of the item is desirable on large and complex projects to assist in identifying locations where the specific item is to be installed. Plan and Profile

General. Plan and profile sheets should be prepared at a scale adequate to show the necessary details as governed by the topography to be shown and the complexity of the work.

Plans are usually drawn to a horizontal scale of 1 inch equals 50 feet, or 1 inch equals 100 feet, but either larger or smaller scales can be used when the contracting agency considers their use appropriate for the conditions. Profiles should be drawn to the same horizontal scale as the plan, but the vertical scale may be 5 to 10 times that of the horizontal scale.

Plans

The general highway plan should include:

the base line of the survey which, if practicable, should also be the centerline of the proposed roadbed,

When the centerline and the base line are not coincident, their relationship should be indicated. Divided highways, where independent base lines are used, may be treated as separate roadways indicating only the general relationship between the two. Special areas such as interchanges and safety rest areas should be shown with separate survey control lines as necessary.

stationing reading from left to right including Equations of Stationing, the horizontal position of the beginning and ending stations described by coordinates in the State Plan Coordinate System, datum adjusted on an area or project basis, design data of curves, right-of-way and access control lines, easements, and special use areas, North point, general soils, rock out crop, topography, streams, railroads, and other culture such as roads, streets, and airports on or near the right-of-way when these items influence the proposed construction, location of borings, test pits, or other sites where subsurface investigations have been made, incidental construction items such as erosion control provisions, guardrail, and retaining walls, amount and volume of materials available at known sources, and existence of and disposition of all public utilities, buildings, and any other obstruction or encroachment within the right-of-way, or adjacent thereto if affect ing the proposed construction.

If not part of the project, their disposition should be included in the project records, If part of the project, the plan should show the present and, if applicable, the propo sed location including both horizontal and vertical positions and such additional details as may be needed to indicate the scope of work to be performed.

On complex projects, a reference sheet is desirable to facilitate the use of the plans.

Profiles

Profile grade represents the trace of the vertical plane intersecting the top surface of the wearing course, base course, or other surface along the designated base line. The existing ground line should represent the trace of a vertical plane intersecting the present traveled way or ground line along the designated base line. Profiles should show:

a grade and existing ground lines,

When standard plan and profile sheets are used, surface elevations may be omitted and grade elevations shown at changes of gradient only. When plan sheets are used, grade and existing ground elevations should be shown.

datum line, station ordinate lines, percentage of gradient, balance points, if necessary or desirable, together with excavation and fill quantities involved, location and depth of subsurface borings or test pits (actual log or test results need not be shown, but a reference should be included indicating where this material may be viewed), vertical and horizontal clearances and the cross section of the roadbed for railroads, highways, and streambeds under proposed and existing structures, identification of type and clearance under and over utility lines within the right-of-way, notation as to whether profile gradeline represents the surface of pavement or subgrade, and culverts.

Bridges. Detail plans for bridges should include:

a site plan, location and log of each foundation sounding or boring indicating the results of the subsurface explorations, profile of the crossing, typical cross section, sectional drawings, as needed, to detail the structure completely, quantities of materials required, reinforcing bar list and bar bending diagram, design loadings, working stresses, class(es) of concrete, and grade(s) of steel, drainage area and applicable runoff of hydraulic properties, design and construction details, and all other details essential to completeness, and reference to applicable specifications.

Drainage Facilities

Detail plans for culverts (drainage structures 20 feet or less in length between abutments measured along the centerline of the roadway) should include the applicable items from subparagraph 4c(5) to properly describe the required installation. Detail plans for other minor drainage structures such as erosion control structures, headwalls, inlets, and manholes should include the applicable items from subparagraph 4c(5) to properly describe the required installation.

Traffic Control Plan (TCP)

The TCP should be:

designed specifically for the project detailing the requirements for controlling traffic through the project, or referenced to standard plans, a section of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways, or a standard HA manual.

The plan should provide for appropriate treatment of all significant hazards likely to be encountered during the project, with the degree of detail depending on the project complexity and traffic interference with con struction activity. Appropriate parts of the TCP, showing the applicable items from subparagraph 4c necessary to properly describe the required work, should be included in the plan assembly.

Standard Plans and Special Details

Standard plans not incorporated into separate plan packages or booklets should be a part of the contract plan assembly. Special details should be prepared and included, as necessary, to properly describe the work.

Environmental Mitigation. Commitments for environmental mitigation features which are contained in the environmental documentation should be detailed as necessary and included in the project plans as special details and/or shown at the appropriate location in the plans. Cross Sections

If cross sections are shown, sections should be taken as often as necessary to determine accurately the character and extent of the proposed work. Cross sections should show:

profile of the ground line, the proposed cross section, station location, gradeline elevation, areas, and minor drainage structures.

Contiguous Projects. A general plan or layout of contiguous construction projects that are to be constructed with either a different class of funds or by another agency should be included to show the location and effect of the work. (Such details and information necessary to establish their relationship to the project should be shown.)

Right-of-Way Plans

Right-of-way plans should show:

right-of-way and access control lines, width to be acquired, proposed slope limits, centerline and stationing with appropriate ties to intersecting property lines and changes in right-of-way widths, any additional easement areas, either temporary or permanent, that are required to accommodate intersecting roads and streets, land service, access and temporary roads, drainage areas, material storage areas, slope widening, utilities, railroads, or any other special uses, all pertinent data affecting the cost of the right-of-way such as structures, land service or access roads, improvements, drain fields, and fences, all approved points of entry to or exit from the traffic lanes, even where the right-of-way lines and access control lines are coincident, disposition of improvements within the proposed right-of-way, and for each parcel to be acquired:

a parcel identification number, the property ownership lines, the name of the property owners, and the area in square feet or acres of the part to be taken and of each remainderof a partial taking.

The size, form, and arrangement of right-of-way plans should conform to the general requirements for highway plans and should contain sufficient dimensional and angular data to permit ready identification and correlation with the legal descriptions of all parcel easements and special use areas that are required by the associated highway project.

Specifications, Specifications contains the written instructions for constructing highway projects, outlining in detail a description of the work, materials, construction methods, method of measurement, basis of payment, and the pay item for each item of work involved in the contract.

Standard Specifications

Since every construction project involves subjects that occur repeatedly in the agency’s work, each HA should prepare a book of standard specifications, setting forth provisions and requirements applicable to the construction of highway projects.

The recommended format for the specifi cations is illustrated in the Guide Specifi cation for Highway Construction published by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). The section(s) dealing with structures should be in substantial agreement with Division I and Division II of Standard Specifications for Highway Bridges and current Interim Specifications published by AASHTO, although each specifying agency is free to assign its own number to these sections.

The HAS are encouraged to review their proposed specifications with all appropriate authorities prior to preparing the final draft for printing, to afford an opportunity to direct attention toundesirable provisions contained therein and suggest improvements based on national experience and practices. Standard specifications, which become obsolete or ineffective, should be superseded or withdrawn. Specifications that show promise of producing satisfactory results, but whose merits have not been sufficiently tested to justify approval as standard, may be used on a project-by-project basis until their merits have been proven.

Supplemental Specifications

Supplemental specifications are specifications developed subsequent to the publication of the standard specifications to cover new or additional construction items or substantial changes regarding items not included in the standard specifications. Supplemental specifications should be in printed, mimeographed or other acceptably reproduced form (single sheets or bound pamphlets with each individual supplemental specification having an identifying symbol and data are suggested). Acceptable supplemental specifications should be included in subsequent editions, or revised standard specifications.

Developmental Specifications

Developmental specifications are used to in troduce new material, new equipment, or new methods of construction. It is anticipated that specifications will be revised or altered from project to project to accommodate field adjustments of the original specification. After adequate and satisfactory experience has been gained through use of the specification on active contracts, they should be elevated to the status of a supplemental or standard specification.

Special Provisions

Special provisions are specifications for governing all matters particular to the individual project and, therefore, are not covered in the standard specifications. Special provisions should be held to a minimum and, so far as possible, applicable standard specifications should be utilized. Commitments for environmental mitigation which is contained in the environmental documentation should be incorporated into the project as a special provision. Special provisions should be in printed, mimeographed or other acceptably reproduced form.

Reference Specifications

To establish nationwide uniformity and con sistency of specifications, test methods, and construction procedures, and thereby encourage increased production and decreased cost consistent with high quality work, reference to specifications developed by nationally recognized organizations is recommended.

Use of such accepted specifications will assure full opportunity for competition among equivalent materials, equipment, and methods. With such proven and acceptable standard specifications and test methods available, the need to make reference to single trade names in standard specifications is minimized.

The following reference specifications are widely used throughout the highway industry:

AASHTO Standard Specifications for Materials and Methods of Sampling and Testing. Federal Specifications and Standards (General Services Administration). Military Specifications and Standards (Department of Defense). Product Standards (Department of Commerce). ASTM Standards, Specifications and Test Methods (American Society for Testing and Materials). American National Standards Institute Specifications.

Standards and test methods have been developed by technical societies and associations of nationally recognized industrial groups which have been accepted by the highway industry as standard in their respective fields.

Estimates

The Engineer’s Estimate should be prepared and reviewed carefully to reflect as realistically and accurately as possible the expected costs of the work at the time of receipt of bids. Has should establish consistent and compatible procedures for the preparation, review, and updating of estimates.

The unit prices used for estimates, and corresponding actual unit bid prices when available, for the preceding 12 months should be reviewed to determine if changes in estimated unit prices are needed to reflect any trends that have occurred. The estimate should reflect prices that are realistic for the areas, times, and characteristics of the work to be done (regional adjustment and seasonal adjustment are especially important). Incentive/disincentive or escalation clauses should be considered in determining the estimated unit costs since such clauses may affect the estimate considerably. Other factors that can affect the estimated cost of a project such as labor rates, equipment rates, interest rates, time to complete, competition levels, and material shortages should be considered and estimated costs adjusted as necessary. Bid price data bases should be current at the time of estimate preparation and should be current (within 4 weeks) at the time of advertisement.

Estimates should include a number of description of the item, estimated quantity, unit, and price (words and numerals) for each proposed item of work. For accounting purposes, the Engineer’s Estimate should identify separately:

urban and rural quantities, county-by-county breakdown, tabulations of items coded on the basis of the predominant Improvement and Construction Type Code.

Construction Engineering should be shown as a separate line item.

Required Contract Provisions

Federal, State, and local agencies have certain required contract provisions covering employment, records of materials and supplies, subletting or assigning the contract, safety, false statements, termination, nonsegregated facilities, and environmental requirements among others that are to be included in contracts for construction projects. Because requirements may change on short notice, required contract provisions should not be included in bound books of general specifications.

PS&E Assemblies, PS&E assemblies should include:

complete sets of plans (Applicable plans previously approved as standards should be incorporated by reference and need not be included as part of each PS&E assembly.), proposal assembly including bidding documents, special provisions and required contract provisions (Previously approved standard and supplemental specifications should be incorporated by reference and need not be included as part of each PS&E assembly.), engineer’s estimate, and approved agreements with railroads, utilities, and municipalities, if not previously submitted.

What makes a good project specification?

A good project specification is a simple but complete description of a software’s functionality and purpose. It contains descriptions of how the software will be used from a user perspective and performance details such as speed, availability, and response time.

What makes a good specification?

SPECIFICATION DEFINITIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS The overall purpose of a specification is to provide a basis for obtaining a good or service that ill satisfy a particular need at an economical cost and to invite maximum reasonable competition. To this end, specifications may not be unduly restrictive.

By definition, a specification sets limits and thereby eliminates, or potentially eliminates, items that are outside the boundaries drawn. However, a specification should be written to encourage, not discourage, competition consistent with seeking overall economy for the purpose intended. A good specification should do four things: (1) Identify minimum requirements, (2) allow for a competitive bid, (3) list reproducible test methods to be used in testing for compliance with specifications, and (4) provide for an equitable award at the lowest possible cost.

DEVELOPING SPECIFICATIONS: Although Procurement has final responsibility for the competitiveness and suitability of specifications, Procurement cannot initiate or prepare all specifications. The size of staff necessary to do this would be prohibitive.

• Procurement serves as the primary activity involved in developing specifications for items purchased under indefinite quantity term contracts and definite quantity scheduled purchases.
• The duty of Procurement to promote both product and price competition requires that specifications be as non-restrictive as practicable, consistent with satisfying legitimate needs.

Procurement is responsible for final editing of specifications, and ensuring clarity of language with jargon or in-house terminology. Purchasing will assist and advise you in developing your specifications, however, Procurement does not have expertise in every sphere of College of Charleston academic programs and staff activities.

Specifications can be prepared in a number of ways. Speaking generally, one is the specification that requires something unique, to be custom made or custom built, as is characteristic of construction or personal services contracts. The other group call for ready-made, off-the-shelf commercial items regularly available in the market place, as is characteristic of equipment, materials and supplies.

Within these broad groupings are more particular types, including: brand-name specifications; brand-name-or-equal specifications; design specifications; performance specifications; and the Qualified Product List (QPL).1. BRAND-NAME SPECIFICATIONS: The brand-name specifications has the effect of limiting the bidding to a single product and is the most restrictive kind of specification.

Its use will not be permitted unless only one product will meet an intended need, there are at least ten competitors that can supply the product, the department head has submitted written justification to this effect and the Director of Procurement has approved the use.2. BRAND-NAME-OR-EQUAL SPECIFICATIONS: A brand-name-or-equal specification cites one or more brand-names, model numbers, or other designations that identify the specific products of a particular manufacturer as having the characteristics of the item desired.

Any other brands or models substantially equivalent to those named are considered for award, with the Procurement Officer reserving the final right to determine equivalency. Brand-name-or-equal specifications have a legitimate but limited place in public purchasing.a.

Although there may be situations when the use of this specification is our only means of attempting to satisfy the requirement, its use should be limited and justified before solicitation. If this specification is used, tangible performance, quality or other required characteristics should be clearly defined in the bid invitation.

Bidders offering an equal should be put on notice that the criteria used to define performance, quality or essential characteristics must be met to be considered responsive.b. The best position is to list at least two brand names that will satisfy the requirements.

Another alternative is the requirement that bidders offering products other than specified obtain approval for the product offered before bid opening. There must be sufficient basis to determine that these products are equal and this basis must be predicated upon sound evaluation criteria. Vendors should be provided the criteria for the purpose of qualifying the bid document.3.

QUALIFIED PRODUCT LIST (QPL): A qualified product list (QPL) is a specification based on manufacturers’ names, brand names and model numbers, but it is arrived at by a systematic and formal process. A QPL is predicated on a written specification which includes certain tests or other criteria for comparing, examining and approving products before soliciting competitive bids.

These criteria and the methods for establishing and maintaining a QPL varies widely for different products. Some may require that committees test the products, others may simply require that brands be tested under controlled conditions and assessments made of their performance and others may require laboratory tests.a.

Departments wishing to establish a QPL must list the products that have been tested and are considered equal, state testing methods used to establish the QPL and indicate steps to be taken by vendors to add products to the QPL.4. DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS: Design specifications customarily employ dimensional and other physical requirements of the item being purchased.

1. Design” in this sense means that the specification concentrates on how the product is to be put together.
2. It is the most traditional kind of specification, having been used historically in public contracting for buildings, highways, and other public works, and represents the kind of thinking in which architects and engineers have been trained.

Its use is called for where a structure or product has to be specially made to meet the purchaser’s unique need.a. Departments using design specifications must submit complete specifications with all necessary drawings, dimensions, terms, and definitions of non-standard terms.

Materials used must be described fully to include thickness, size, color, etc.5. PERFORMANCE SPECIFICATIONS: The terms “functional” and “performance” are used interchangeably to designate an approach to specifications that is less interested in dimensions and materials and configurations and more interested in what a product does.

The performance specification is less interested in how a product is made, and more interested in how it performs, how well it performs, and at what cost. Performance purchasing is results orientated in terms of function and cost. In contrast to the design approach, performance specifications afford the manufacturer or bidder sizable latitude in how to accomplish the end purpose.

What is a design specification example?

Design specification

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A design specification is a detailed document that sets out exactly what a product or a process should present. For example, the design specification could include required dimensions, environmental factors, factors, factors, maintenance that will be needed, etc.

What are the 2 types of specifications?

2. Detailed Specifications. – Detailed Specifications shows, in the detailed description, characteristics, quantity, ratio and formation method of the material used in construction work. Each component of the constructional work is described in details separately with the help of Detailed Specifications.

Therefore, all features establishing standards and quality of the construction work are disclosed. Which will be used later in Detailed Estimate. Detailed Specifications of the items used in ordinary projects are printed that are used for contracts. These Specifications are called Standard Specifications.

Detailed Specifications have two major types as follow. a) Standard Specifications. b) Special Specifications.