Ajerbaijan Project

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Author Message Jerome J. Lazar, RA, CCS, CSI, SCIP Senior Member Username: lazarcitec Post Number: 851 Registered: 05-2003 Posted on Wednesday, August 08, 2012 - 10:05 pm:    So we are starting the preparation of specifications for a mixed use residential, retail, and hospitality project in Baku, Azerbaijan. We will be following British Standards and of course preparing the specifications in metric measure. Are there any websites that offer conversions from American Standards to British? Does any of my peers have any advice they would like to offer on preparing specifications for work in this part of the world. We do have several contacts thru the architect regarding specifying products readily available in Turkey, where Azerbaijan gets most of their construction materials, but I would like some back up, either websites we can frequent or first hand contacts. As always, we appreciate any assistance being offered. Nathan Woods, CSI, CCCA, LEED AP Senior Member Username: nwoods Post Number: 468 Registered: 08-2005 Posted on Wednesday, August 08, 2012 - 10:20 pm:    I use this website quite a bit: http://www.onlineconversion.com/ Ronald L. Geren, AIA, CSI, CCS, CCCA, SCIP Senior Member Username: specman Post Number: 1040 Registered: 03-2003 Posted on Wednesday, August 08, 2012 - 10:37 pm:    I think you're asking what British Standard (BS) = ASTM X XXXX, correct? If so, I don't know if there is any cross reference matrix. Ron Geren, AIA, CSI, CCS, CCCA, SCIP www.specsandcodes.com Mark Gilligan SE, Senior Member Username: mark_gilligan Post Number: 502 Registered: 10-2007 Posted on Thursday, August 09, 2012 - 12:31 am:    My perspective is that to infer that there is a simple conversion from american to british standards is widhing for something that may not exist. You would probably be better served by hiring architects and engineers who are familiar with british standards to assist. Expect the nature of the design to change. Richard Howard, AIA CSI CCS LEED-AP Senior Member Username: rick_howard Post Number: 268 Registered: 07-2003 Posted on Thursday, August 09, 2012 - 12:55 am:    I have been in the same spot. The difficulty is that the way things are organized in the standards is quite different. If it was simply a matter of matching them up, I am certain someone would have already compiled lists. British Standards are made up of multiple parts and you have to read them to figure out which parts to reference. Here is a link to a starting point: http://shop.bsigroup.com/en/Browse-by-Sector/Building--Construction/Construction-Materials/ Wayne Yancey Senior Member Username: wayne_yancey Post Number: 533 Registered: 01-2008 Posted on Thursday, August 09, 2012 - 10:27 am:    Jerome, Visit www.theNBS.com for a comprehensive index of British Standards. A British project manual is like nothing you have ever seen before. E-mail me at wayne.yancey@callison.com for a sample spec for a UK project. Our London office uses unique software from NBS to create specs. Forget MasterFormat and SectionFormat and PageFormat. Metric is not a British Standard. It is a worldwide unit of measure (SI units) except in the good old USA (US government agencies are an exception). The products you source from the EU, Turkey, and China will be hard metric. Avoid soft conversions. ken hercenberg Senior Member Username: khercenberg Post Number: 325 Registered: 12-2006 Posted on Thursday, August 09, 2012 - 10:32 am:    You might also want to consider signing up to go to this event by Bond Events - http://www.arc-me.com/ if it's not too late. Could be your best way to meet the folks who will be supplying your project. Steven Bruneel, AIA, CSI-CDT, LEED-AP, EDAC Senior Member Username: redseca2 Post Number: 363 Registered: 12-2006 Posted on Thursday, August 09, 2012 - 01:29 pm:    Some Web Sites you might be using: http://www.ribaproductselector.com/ http://www.barbourproductsearch.info/ http://www.bpindex.co.uk/ http://www.theconstructioncentre.co.uk/ Karen L. Zaterman, CCS, LEED-AP, SCIP Senior Member Username: kittiz Post Number: 95 Registered: 10-2005 Posted on Thursday, August 09, 2012 - 02:58 pm:    There was another thread awhile back that had a similar discussion regarding Canadian vs. American standards. No solutions in that discussion, either, LOL. At least in Canada, they follow CSI, although their SectionFormat numbering has a different format. That, at least is easily accommodated with programs such as BSD SpecLink-e or a talented administrative assistant ;) Do expect to need additional time to get through this project... (I agree with Mark's comment) We now have a project in Colombia that we are attempting to use CSI-format on but still need to translate. Karen L. Zaterman, CSI, CCS, SCIP-Affil, LEED AP BD+C Moffatt & Nichol - Long Beach, CA Lisa Goodwin Robbins, RA, CCS, LEED ap Senior Member Username: lgoodrob Post Number: 194 Registered: 08-2004 Posted on Thursday, August 09, 2012 - 04:50 pm:    Jerome, Yes, we have a matrix comparing British and US standards, developed from our work on the Masdar project. The civil/structural engineers have more to contend with than finish materials, as many designers pick products from US manufacturers. - Jerome J. Lazar, RA, CCS, CSI, SCIP Senior Member Username: lazarcitec Post Number: 859 Registered: 05-2003 Posted on Thursday, August 09, 2012 - 05:01 pm:    Lisa, did you ever work with Jorge Soler on Masdar, Jorge is a long time friend from architecture school, Jorge is a partner at SmithGill. If so, post your email I will foreward you a jpeg I just received of Jorge at Birdsnest stadium in China. Jerome J. Lazar, RA, CCS, CSI, SCIP Senior Member Username: lazarcitec Post Number: 860 Registered: 05-2003 Posted on Thursday, August 09, 2012 - 05:04 pm:    Lisa, I just figured out who you work for, we need to talk.