PURPOSE
The Technical Specifications describe particular materials and their installation. These provisions describe the expected quality, performance, detail, tolerances, quality control, installed elements and installation procedures. Depending on the format used, content of these specifications either modify an existing base document (i.e. Engineering Format) or are self-containing language (CSI format). CSI formatted Technical Specifications can be found in the Bureau of Engineering (BOE) Master Specifications Library.
REFERENCES
N/A
RESPONSIBILITIES
Project Manager (PM): The PM oversees the timely development of the Technical Specifications. This generally means that the specification effort should begin at the initial phase of design.
Project Engineer (PE): The PE is responsible for the development of the Technical Specifications for the project. The PE issues copies of the latest draft of Technical Specifications for review by the design team. The comments, modifications, and revisions from the design team are collected and assembled to form the project Technical Specifications. The PE should approve and coordinate each proposed change within the specifications from the other disciplines and the Plans.
Designers: The Designers review each section of the Technical Specifications affecting their discipline and verify that the intended provisions are included. As necessary, they modify the Technical Specifications to satisfy design intent, including adding new content.
The Engineer of Design: The Engineer of Design is responsible for the Library of Master Specifications and establishes subcommittees to develop and maintain the various Divisions of the Technical Specifications.
PROCEDURE
The Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) established the Master Format as a convention to standardize the titles of Divisions and subject matter of specification Sections. If the need arises for a designer to author a Specification that does not fit into an existing Master Format Section, consult with the Engineer of Design to have a Section number assigned.
For projects using the CSI Master Format, hereon referred to as the CSI format, specifications are organized by Divisions. They may be found in the Bureau of Engineering Master Specifications Library. Historically, the BOE has been using the pre-2004 CSI version, herein referred to as the Legacy Version. It consists of the General Conditions (Div. 00), General Requirements (Div. 01) and 16 technical divisions (Div. 02 to Div. 17). The choice to use the Legacy Version as the mainline version for the Master Specification Library is solely for practical reasons – the task of coordinating updates is manageable and this version is preferred by the majority of the BOE Programs.
CSI 50 Divisions Master Format: With the increase complexity of building type projects, the need to use the latest CSI version of 50 Divisions has become a necessity. Today, offices particularly focused on managing building type projects may use the 50 Division format, provided Divisions 00 and 01 are replaced with those found in the Master Specifications Library to address the General Conditions and General Requirements of a project. Because this version is not currently maintained by the Master Specifications Committee, it should be used with caution and only by those experienced in the preparation of specifications.
For the Legacy CSI version, Divisions 02 through 17 comprise the Technical Specifications for the project. The Technical Divisions are defined as follows. However, the PE and PM should consult the BOE Library of Specifications for any changes, additions, or updates.
Division 02 Site Work
Division 03 Concrete
Division 04 Masonry
Division 05 Metals
Division 06 Wood and Plastics
Division 07 Thermal and Moisture Protection
Division 08 Doors and Windows
Division 09 Finishes
Division 10 Specialties
Division 11 Equipment
Division 12 Furnishings
Division 13 Special Construction
Division 14 Conveying Systems
Division 15 Mechanical
Division 16 Electrical
Division 17 Instrumentation and Control
The Technical Specifications must be reviewed carefully and thoroughly because Specifications supersede the Plans in the precedence of documents. Detailed drawings can be nullified by a careless Specification. Again, the Technical Specifications found in the Master Specifications Library exist as a common platform for all designers to work from and must be closely reviewed for applicability to a given project.
When Specifications are written, designers should use concise, plain English to help relay the design requirements and intent clearly. It is inappropriate to write a Technical Specification as if it were a dissertation, research paper, or legal brief. Recall that Design Quality and Design Clarity are paramount features of high quality Specifications. The language must be clear and understandable. If there are any questions, consult with the Engineer of Design.
Beginning with Division 02, BOE uses sixteen pre-determined Divisions which segregate work items by material – Division 17 is the last. Within each Division are Sections that also have titles pre-determined by Master Format.
If the project at hand does not require a particular Division, the Table of Contents should state, “Division XX – NOT USED”. Similarly, if a Section is not required, it is simply deleted and not mentioned in the Table of Contents.
For project using a BOE Format, Specifications are typically organized by Parts, with the technical specifications placed after the General Requirements. Technical Specifications in this format typically consist of a base document(s) that is modified through special provisions. Samples of a base document include Standardized Specifications such as the Green Book as modified by the Brown Book, Caltrans’ Standard Specifications, applicable technical requirements of other agencies having jurisdiction, selected Sections of CSI formatted specifications, or a combination of the above.
The principal Standardized Specification is in fact the “Standard Specifications for Public Works Construction” or “Green Book”, latest edition adopted by the Board of Public Works. Many technical provisions of the Green Book can be used on simple projects, thus avoiding the need to develop additional Technical Specifications. Part 1 of the Green Book is titled General Provisions and is always superseded by the Master General Conditions (GCs) and General Requirements (GRs) on BOE projects. BOE also maintains a “Brown Book” that contains additions and amendments to the Green Book. The precedence of documents as specified in the GCs is Technical Specifications, Plans, Brown Book, and then the Green Book.
RELATED PPROCEDURES
LINKS / ATTACHMENTS
Links
Attachments
N/A
Comments