Specifications

Specifications can be defined as

“A detailed description of work to be done or material to be used in a project: an instruction that says
exactly how to do or make something

According to the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Document A201-2007, the Contract Documents
for a construction project consist of “the Agreement, Conditions of the Contract, Drawing, Specifications,
Addenda…”, as well as other miscellaneous documents associated with the contract between the project
Owner and the Contractor hired to complete the work. Construction specifications, as noted, become a
part of the legal documents of the agreement and form a cornerstone of the project design. In fact, in most
cases, the construction specifications override the project drawings in the event of conflicting
information.

Engineering specifications serve several functions:

– Specify how a design shall be implemented.
– Clarify agreements on design goals and methods.
– Tutorial for new members of an engineering team.
– Starting point for other documents
(patent applications, presentations, technical manuals, user guides, training scripts ...).

For each function:

–  Audience may have different needs and expectations.
–  Content may need to be modified or expanded.
–  Ease of modification depends on how well the original specification is written and formatted.

Common Questions in engineering problems that need your CLEAR Answers:

1. Does the reinforcing steel used in typical home same as that for a 45 meter tall single column pier
to be constructed in highest seismic zone (Zone-4)?

2. Is the cement used in typical size concrete structure same as that for construction of dam which
requires bulk concreting?

3. Fischer’s two types of epoxies

Example: Talib Wala Testing

4. Two bits for concrete – materials different cost varies.

 5. Welding rods – for stainless steel vs mild-steel
6. Two bolts – ordinary material vs imported
7. Example of CFRP and allied materials used for M2 project – show detailed specs sheets of ICPL
products
8. Three types of accelerometers to choose from
Types of Cement Composition
Rapid Hardening Increased Lime content
Cement
Quick setting cement Small percentage of aluminium
sulphate as an accelerator and
reducing percentage of Gypsum
with fine grinding
Low Heat Cement Manufactured by reducing tri-
calcium aluminate
Sulphates resisting It is prepared by maintaining the
Cement percentage of tricalcium
aluminate below 6% which
increases power against sulphates
Blast Furnace Slag It is obtained by grinding the
Cement clinkers with about 60% slag and
resembles more or less in
properties of Portland cement
High Alumina It is obtained by melting mixture
Cement of bauxite and lime and grinding
with the clinker it is rapid
hardening cement with initial and
final setting time of about 3.5 and
5 hours respectively
White Cement It is prepared from raw materials
free from Iron oxide.
Coloured cement It is produced by mixing mineral
pigments with ordinary cement.
Purpose
Attains high strength in early days it is
used in concrete where form work are
removed at an early stage.
Used in works is to be completed in very
short period and concreting in static and
running water
It is used in massive
concreteconstruction like gravity dams
It is used in construction exposed to
severe sulphate action by water and soil
in places like canals linings, culverts,
retaining walls, siphons etc.,
It can used for works economic
considerations is predominant.
It is used in works where concrete is
subjected to high temperatures, frost, and
acidic action.
It is more costly and is used for
architectural purposes such as pre-cast
curtain wall and facing panels, terrazzo
surface etc.,
They are widely used for decorative
works in floors
Pozzolanic Cement It is prepared by grindin
pozzolanic clinker with Portland
cement
Air Entraining It is produced by adding
Cement indigenous air entraining agents
such as resins, glues, sodium salts
of Sulphates etc during the
grinding of clinker.
Hydrographic It is prepared by mixing water
cement repelling chemicals
It is used in marine structures, sewage
works, sewage works and for laying
concrete under water such as bridges,
piers, dams etc.,
This type of cement is specially suited to
improve the workability with smaller
water cement ratio and to improve frost
resistance of concrete.
This cement has high workability and
strength

The purpose of construction specifications is to delineate the requirements regarding the materials,
products, installation procedures and quality aspects involved with execution of the work and fulfillment
of the contract. Specifications can be divided into three primary categories: performances, prescriptive
and proprietary, which are described below.

Performance Specifications
A performance specification is a document that specifies the operational requirements of a component or
installation. Simply put, a performance specification tells the contractor what the final installed product
must be capable of doing. The contractor is not instructed as to how to accomplish the task of meeting the
performance specification requirements - only as to how the component must function after installation.
For example, a performance specification may be used in the construction of an industrial pumping
system. The specification would provide a required pumping rate (say 500 gallons per minute), a required
pressure (20 psi) and the difference in height between the pump and the final destination (+40 feet). The
specification will also state that the liquid to be pumped will be at a temperature of 140°F and is corrosive
(pH of 3). It is up to the contractor to provide pumping equipment that meets or exceeds the requirements
stated in the specification. In many cases the contractor will also be required to test equipment to make
sure that is operating properly, and will provide operations manuals.

The general concept behind the performance specification is for the architect or engineer to describe what
they need, and the contractor to determine the best way to get there. The performance specification
focuses on the outcome and shifts the selection of materials and methods, as well as a portion of the
design work, onto the shoulders of the contractor. This approach can provide incentives for innovation
and flexibility in the construction approach, but also reduces the amount of control that the architect or
engineer has over the project.
Prescriptive Specifications
Prescriptive specifications convey the requirements of a project through a detailed explanation of the
materials that the contractor must use, and the means of installing those materials. This type of
specification will typically be formatted in a manner similar to the following sections:

1. General: This section will typically contain references to national/international standards, design
requirements, a list of required submittals from the contractor to the architect/engineer, quality
control requirements and product handling requirements.
2. Products: This section will describe, in detail, the various products required for the task covered
by the specification along with the individual structural and performance requirements of each
product.
3. Execution: This section will explain how to prepare the materials and conduct the installation,
including the testing requirements to be followed.

Prescriptive specifications shift more of the project design control onto the shoulders of the architect or
engineer and away from the contractor by establishing a set of rules that is to be followed for each project
component. This type of specification provides more certainty regarding the final product composition
than the performance specification, and is very frequently used for highly complex portions of a project.

Proprietary Specifications
Proprietary specifications are those that require the use of a single approved product type for any
particular installation. Proprietary specifications are often used in cases where there is existing equipment
or installations already on site. In these cases the owner may want to maintain consistency of materials or
possibly simply prefers a specific type of product. Also, in highly complex installations where there is
only one specific piece of equipment that will accomplish a specified task, a proprietary specification is
required.

Architects and engineers typically try to avoid utilizing proprietary specifications except when absolutely
necessary, and will usually allow the contractor to select from a list of approved suppliers. Requiring the
use of one specific product type can lead to the perception of favoritism towards a certain manufacturer
and may eliminate competition during the bid phase, which may increase the project cost.

A specification might include:

1. Descriptive title, number, identifier, etc. of the specification

2. Date of last effective revision and revision designation
3. A logo or trademark to indicate the document copyright, ownership and origin
4. Table of Contents (TOC), if the document is long
5. Person, office, or agency responsible for questions on the specification, updates, and deviations.
6. The significance, scope or importance of the specification and its intended use.
7. Terminology, definitions and abbreviations to clarify the meanings of the specification
8. Test methods for measuring all specified characteristics
9. Material requirements: physical, mechanical, electrical, chemical, etc. Targets and tolerances.
10. Acceptance testing, including Performance testing requirements. Targets and tolerances.
11. Drawings, photographs, or technical illustrations
12. Workmanship
13. Certifications required.
14. Safety considerations and requirements
15. Environmental considerations and requirements
16. Quality control requirements, acceptance sampling, inspections, acceptance criteria
17. Person, office, or agency responsible for enforcement of the specification.
18. Completion and delivery.
19. Provisions for rejection, reinspection, rehearing, corrective measures
20. References and citations for which any instructions in the content maybe required to fulfill
the traceability and clarity of the document
21. Signatures of approval, if necessary
22. Change record to summarize the chronological development, revision and completion if the
document is to be circulated internally
23. Annexes and Appendices that are expand details, add clarification, or offer options.