Specifications
- A Coordination Tool

By David Stutzman, RA, CSI, CCS

Using a progression of specifications as they are developed through the design process can lead to a well coordinated set of construction documents. Coordination includes using the same terms on the drawings and in the specifications to identify the same materials. Coordination also includes using the drawings and specifications to do what each does best, without duplicating information.

This article explains how to use specifications to improve project quality control. When the design team understands the benefits, using the process will become self-evident. Various samples are used to illustrate the points of this article.

Project Table of Contents

Sample Project Table of Contents

DIVISION 8 - DOORS AND WINDOWS

08114   Standard Steel Doors

08115   Standard Steel Frames

08310   Access Doors and Panels

08710   Door Hardware

08800   Glazing

Circulate the contents to the project team and the Owner to collect comments. Maintain the Project Manual table of contents as a live document. Update the contents when the design changes or an uncertainty are to be resolved. Keeping a current table of contents will help ensure that references to related sections are accurate and that the scope of work is not repeated in various sections.

Outline Specifications

During the design development phase, begin an outline specification. Use the summary for each section to describe information that may be missing from the drawings. Identify what information will be transferred to the drawings and what will remain in the spec. Using the phrases "as specified" and "as indicated" will inform the project team about where the information will ultimately be shown.

The outline should include all the terms that are expected to be used on the drawings. Terms that are used in SPECTEXT® specification sections can be found in the SPECTEXT® Glossary of Terms ² . The SPECTEXT® Glossary of Terms User's Manual ³ explains how to use the Glossary to aid in drawing and specification coordination. Where possible the terms should be paragraph headings so each term is easily recognized. Word processing automation techniques permit the list of terms to be extracted from the specifications and distributed to the project team as a list of keynotes. This list will provide a quick reference and help reduce inconsistencies between the drawings and the specs.

Sample Outline Specification

Construction Specifications

Make the list definitive without actually specifying any materials. Detail in the list can eliminate the need for additional notes on the drawings and further descriptions in the specification. The Section Includes list can replace other schedules at the end of most specification sections. The advantage of this approach is that the most important information relating directly to the drawings is placed at the beginning of each section where it is most likely to be read.

The list for standard steel doors in Section 08114 might include the following:

Sample Summary Listing

PART 1 GENERAL

1.1    SUMMARY

        A.     Section Includes:
                 1.     Steel Doors: Exterior locations.
                         a.     Insulated galvanized doors.
                         b.     Insulated galvanized transom panels.
                 2.     Steel Doors: Interior locations.
                         a.     Nonrated, honeycomb core doors, unless otherwise indicated.
                         b.     Fire rated, mineral core doors, where indicated.
                         c.     Acoustically rated doors, where indicated.
                 3.     Glass and glazing.
                 4.     Door louvers.
                 5.     Shop priming and field finishing.

The list structure allows the specifier to repeat the terms from the outline specification that will be used on the drawings. When terms from the outline are revised or new terms are added, be sure to circulate a new keynote list to the project team. The earlier the revisions can be identified the better. It is always easier to modify a document well before the bid issue deadline than later.

Using the Summary Listing example, the door schedule on the drawings does not need to show which doors are insulated or galvanized. The summary clearly shows that all exterior doors are both insulated and galvanized. However, the door schedule will need to show which doors are fire rated and acoustically rated since the only distinction is that these are interior doors.

The specification section can include galvanized and nongalvanized steel sheets without describing where each door or panel face sheet is used. The summary indicates the locations for the galvanized sheets. Likewise, the section can specify the three required cores: insulation, mineral core, and honeycomb, without additional explanation of where these cores are used.

Without the detail in the summary listing, the reader must search the spec section and the drawings for additional information to determine how each door is constructed and where each construction is used. In the Sample Summary Listing, the construction for every door is defined using the concept of the "residuary legatee." Using the phrase "unless otherwise indicated" to specify the nonrated interior doors automatically sets the construction, unless the door is shown to be fire rated or acoustically rated. This same concept can be applied to almost any limited special condition. Specify the special conditions, then specify everything else using phrases such as "other locations," or "remaining conditions."

Conclusion

Develop the construction documents to complement each other. The drawings should show the size, location, and configuration of the construction materials. The specifications should show the quality of the materials and installation. However, when the specifications can say in a word or a sentence what would require multiple notes on the drawings, choose the spec for simplicity. Strive to indicate every requirement only once and in the place where it is easiest to change. Consider the time that could be saved with the following four lines in the specification summary article to document the door sizes and thicknesses for a project with 3,000 openings.

The CSRF newsletter is published for SPECTEXT® subscribers and others involved in design and construction. To obtain your copy of Creating a Common Language®, please contact the CSRF Support Center by telephone at 1-877- SPECTXT or 410-838-7561 or you may e-mail us at supportcenter@csrf.org

©  Copyright 2007, The Construction Sciences Research Foundation, Inc.  Updated January 12, 2007.