Colin Gilboy
Member
Username: Colin
Post Number: 45
Registered: 05-2000
| | Posted on Sunday, February 16, 2003 - 01:51 pm: |    |
SHORT-FORM SPECIFICATIONS - 11
Copyright 2001 by Herman R. Hoyer, PE, FCSI, CCS
Today, let's examine a typical specification section written in the short-form mode. I picked Section 03200 - Concrete Reinforcement as a section which pertains to both architecture and engineering, as follows:
SECTION 03200 - CONCRETE REINFORCEMENT
A. Codes and Standards: Materials, fabricaton, and installation shall comply with applicable requirements of the Uniform Building Code, Chapter 26, and the following industry standards: ACI 301, Chapter 3 - Reinforcement and Reinforcement Supports, and CRSI's Manual of Practice and publication entitled "Placing Reinforcing Bars."
B. Submittals: Submit fully detailed shop drawings, including bending schedules and bending diagrams, fabricating and placing details, and sizes and locations of reinforcing bars.
C. Certification: Submit mill affidavits, test reports, or similar certification verifying conformance with ASTM Specifications and specified grades before delivery of reinforcement to the jobsite.
D. Reinforcing Bars (Rebar): ASTM A615, Grade 60, of sizes indicated. For bars to be welded, provide ASTM A706 bars. Deliver bars new and free from rust and mill scale, with mill tags intact.
E. Welded Wire Fabric: ASTM A185, welded steel wire fabric, rectangular mesh, wire size and center-to-center wire spacings as indicated, free from rust.
At first glance, you are probably thinking that this is not a complete section. That a great deal of important information has been left out of this section. It's just too short. I confronted this and other similar perplexing comments made by students attending my Seminars as follows:
- First of all, we don't need CSI's 3-part Section Format. The Section Format is a great organizing tool for longer sections, and I am a staunch supporter of its use, but it is not necessary for short sections of a page or less. Also, I don't want to divide the Work into more than one part, because sometimes it may be more expedient to cover the Work of more than one part in a single sentence or paragraph as I did in Paragraph A. above. Note that I included materials, fabrication, and installation (Parts 2 and 3 of the Section Format) in Paragraph A.
- Secondly, we don't need a "Related Sections" clause (or paragraph), because coordinating the Work is the Contractor's responsibility as explained under Tenet No. 6.
- The meat and potatoes of this Section are specified in Paragraph A., Codes and Standards. For example, let's look at referenced industry standard ACI 301-96, Chapter 3 - Reinforcement and Reinforcement Supports. Here is a complete, professionally prepared specification on concrete reinforcment, including materials, fabrication, and installation. ACI 301, Chapter 3, was incorporated by reference in Paragraph A, completing all pertinent provisions normally required under Parts 2 and 3 of the Section Format. Of course, where specifics differ from the reference standards, they must be specified as we have done in paragraphs B. through E.
- If you analyze the above Section carefully, especially the reference standards and pertinent Division 1 Sections, I think you will see that it is in fact a complete section.
- Please reread my Column No. 5, covering Tenet No. 3, and Column No. 7, covering my Section 01423 - Reference Standards, for a better understanding of the makeup of a short-form spec section.
My next column will cover another example short-form section--Section 07600 -Flashing and Sheet Metal. |
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