Colin Gilboy
Member
Username: Colin
Post Number: 58
Registered: 05-2000
| | Posted on Monday, February 17, 2003 - 11:48 am: |    |
SHORT-FORM SPECIFICATIONS - 2
Copyright 1999 by Herman R. Hoyer, PE, FCSI, CCS
Last month I promised to identify the fundamentals or basic tenets which govern the writing of short-form specifications. Here they are:
1. Prudent use of the General Conditions (AIA-A201 or EJCDC 1910-8) to shorten Division 1 Sections.
2. The use of Division 1 Sections to prevent repetition.
3. The use of Reference Standards to identify materials and methods and thereby shorten the text of specifications.
4. The use of "Streamlining" to shorten sentence structure.
5. Judicious use of language to maximize word economy.
6. Avoidance of specifying construction means, methods, techniques, sequences, procedures, and coordination of the Work which are all the Contractor's responsibility.
Let's take these basic tenets one by one and analyze them:
1. PRUDENT USE OF THE GENERAL CONDITIONS TO SHORTEN DIVISION 1 SECTIONS
Prudent use of the General Conditions requires that you become thoroughly familiar with them and know exactly what is covered by the General Conditions and to what extent. Therefore, your first task is to read the General Conditions carefully, and to classify the subject matter of every GC-paragraph by pertinent Division 1 Section.
Reading the General Conditions will be an enlightening experience, and may change your concept of what needs to be covered by Division 1. You may be surprised to find that many of the items you specify in Division 1 are already covered adequately in the General Conditions.
For example, Paragraph 3.12 of A201 GC's is entitled: "Shop Drawings, Product Data, and Samples," and includes ten subparagraphs containing considerable information on the submission and review of shop drawings, product data, and samples. Then there is Subparagraph 4.2.7, a rather long paragraph dealing with the Architect's review and approval of shop drawings, product data, and samples.
So, unless you are concerned about the sheet sizes of shop drawings, number of copies to be submitted, or other minor procedural matters, you can probably get along very nicely without a Division 1 Section on Shop Drawings, Product Data, and Samples, particularly on smaller, private projects.
The same holds true for A201 GC's, Paragraph 3.10, entitled "Contractor's Construction Schedules." Unless you need to have the Contractor prepare a CPM arrow-diagram or other sophisticated type of schedule, the requirements of the General Conditions are probably sufficient, negating the need for a Division 1 Section on progress schedules.
And so it goes. So, study the General Conditions carefully to determine the scope and extent of your Division 1 Sections. Remember, you only want to say it once. You don't want to repeat anything in Division 1 which is already adequately covered in the General Conditions.
Next month we will continue with Tenet No. 2, the Use of Division 1 Sections to Prevent Repetition. |
4specs.com Home Page