What If No........?

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Author Message (Unregistered Guest) Unregistered guest Posted on Wednesday, February 09, 2011 - 08:38 am:    110209 WHAT IF NO………? by Ralph Liebing, RA, CSI, CDT Cincinnati, OH What if no human was available or knowledgeable enough to check the pulse, validity, or monitor the information? What if the amount of information is an unnecessary maze of overload? What if correlation is a concept but not a reality? OK! What if no specs? Doom? Confusion? Virtually uncontrollable construction? Concept lost in free-lancing? Lack of continuity and proper interface? Ship-shod, inappropriate, inadequate, illegal and substandard [unsafe] construction? Value lost to expedience and short-term durability? Profession[s] disappearing? What? No continuity, quality control, selections, directions, instructions, precautions, standards, specific instructions would not be available! Virtually unregulated, unfettered, and unresolvable! We need to think about this and the situation IF there is no one knowledgeable enough, qualified or capable of developing and writing specs, correctly using them, applying and enforcing their provisions. No specs-- think of that. Nothing to “fall back on”; nothing to ensure proper construction. Think of their current use in getting permits [by showing compliance], as support for decisions, carrying answers to questions, and giving information/instructions for installation, use and operation. We have continuing problems now, but think of years to come where there is less and less known about specs, or their creation. Where their current “word of mouth”, “OJT” and mentored instruction [perhaps too restricted, minimal, office specific or] is simply NOT available! When they simply are an “old days” exercise; documents lost to world that drastically needs them! We need to look at now, the declining emphasis, the total lack of early and meaningful instruction [construction knowledge included [and the gathering of data, information, applications, installations and flexibility of mind for implementation] in too many cases. And NO capacity to know, understand and write specifications-- hence a void of undimensionable adverse impact to projects. If the universities persist in being “design schools” [no working or specs instruction] the community college and 2-year program MAY pick them up [but not in correlation with the major degree program--????] If this instruction is inadequate, or not addressed by the student individually, then the required knowledge and specifications writing processes are lost-- no specs! The system is grooming a sort of “know-nothings” who have no technical base. Now STOP a minute!-- NO SPECS! Can you fathom that, or imagine the impact [and no cheating by saying, ‘oh, that will never happen”!!! It will if the steady lack of regard, support, and instruction persists. What then of the “third contract document”? We need to get really; remove the blinders; overcome our arrogance; and our smug, reclusive attitude; and our reliance on yesterday’s ways and efforts [good as they may have been, new, different and more are now required!!! The point is not the elimination of specs, but rather the creation of a “bigger tent”, a longer reach and a more visible CSI. We need to expand our purview, get out message to professionals and prospective professionals far sooner, and engage other parties in our program and outside it. The idea is to increase the understanding of and importance of specifications, their impact on projects and costs, and the value they bring to project to control cost and ensure proper value returned. Thus, we need to engage owners and prospective owners [in whatever forum we might find them]. Its reveille, folks, and that’s the bugle’s call, be you architect, engineer, consultant, “other”. We desperately need to think, talk, and get real-- and move-- NOW!