| Author |
Message |
Megan Chalmers
New member
Username: mchalmers
Post Number: 1
Registered: 03-2016
| | Posted on Thursday, March 17, 2016 - 06:14 pm: |    |
Hey all,
I'm a new member. I've just joined the Canadian office of an American company that has a well-developed specifications department... but I'm the only person doing this work north of the border. Does anyone here have experience translating American specifications into Canadian? I can certainly use Canadian Masterformat documents, but I'd strongly prefer using the accumulated wisdom in the American specs. |
Michael Chusid, RA FCSI CCS
Senior Member
Username: michael_chusid
Post Number: 127
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, March 17, 2016 - 06:37 pm: | |
To paraphrase Shaw, "The US and Canada are two countries separated by a common language." In the past year, I wrote two articles for Construction Specifier - one about ceilings and the other about lightning protection. The editor invited me to rework the articles for Construction Canada. "No problem" I thought. "I will just change "colour" for "color" and "tender" for "bid" and I will be there.
Big surprise -- almost everything was different. Different trade practices, different legal conditions, different codes and standards, etc.
You did not tell us... Do you have US experience? While the documents are being prepared in Canada, are projects in US?
David Watson at Digicon Information Inc. in Alberta should be able to share insight as he has worked on masterspecs in both countries.
Michael Chusid, RA FCSI CCS
www.chusid.com www.buildingproduct.guru |
Wayne Yancey
Senior Member
Username: wayne_yancey
Post Number: 778
Registered: 01-2008
| | Posted on Thursday, March 17, 2016 - 06:52 pm: | |
Megan,
In the Province of Quebec, the specifications are in French.
I am a Canadian, living and working in the US, trained in Canada, do projects on both sides of the border.
Codes and standards are important to know. Get you hands on the National Building Code. It contains a listing of all the reference standards found in Canada. Many standards are harmonized for across the border projects because of free trade agreements. Canada has it CGSB, CSA, CAN2 but no ADA, IBC, etc.
It is not hard.
Send me an e-mail at wayne.yancey@callisonrtkl.com if you have more questions or need to see some sections for a typical Canadian project. |
Megan Chalmers
Junior Member
Username: mchalmers
Post Number: 2
Registered: 03-2016
| | Posted on Thursday, March 17, 2016 - 07:41 pm: | |
Michael,
I'm a registered architect in both British Columbia and Washington State, but have only prepared Canadian specifications before now. I'm fairly capable of putting together Canadian specifications for a Canadian project, but am curious if anyone has any suggestions for creating Canadian spec documents from American software.
Wayne, do you have a different set of masters for your Canadian work, or do you swap out the standards and references? Do you find that the trade practices vary enough that you require different language for certain sections?
Thanks! |
David G. Axt, CCS, CSI ,SCIP
Senior Member
Username: david_axt
Post Number: 1468
Registered: 03-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, March 17, 2016 - 08:31 pm: | |
Don't forget the metric system!
David G. Axt, CCS, CSI, SCIP
Specifications Consultant
Axt Consulting LLC |
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