Technical requirements may be speciļ¬ed in different ways, depending on what best meets the clientās requirements. One or more of the following types of specifications in construction may be used for a building projects
Descriptive Speciļ¬cations. These describe the components of a product and how they are assembled. The speciļ¬cation writer speciļ¬es the physical and chemical properties of the materials, size of each member, size and spacing of fastening devices, exact relationship of moving parts, sequence of assembly, and many other requirements. The contractor has the responsibility of constructing the work in accordance with this description. The architect or engineer assumes total responsibility for the function and performance of the end product. Usually, architects and engineers do not have the resources, laboratory, or technical staff capable of conducting research on the speciļ¬ed materials or products. Therefore, unless the speciļ¬cation
writer is very sure the assembled product will function properly,descriptive speciļ¬cations should not be used.
Reference Speciļ¬cations. These employ standards of recognized authorities to specify quality. Among these authorities are ASTM, American National Standards Institute, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Underwriters Laboratories, Inc., American Institute of Steel Construction, American Concrete Institute, and American Institute of Timber Construction.
Proprietary Speciļ¬cations. These specify materials, equipment, and other products by trade name, model number, and manufacturer. This type of speciļ¬cation simpliļ¬es the speciļ¬cation writerās task, because commercially available products set the standard of quality acceptable to the architect or engineer.
Sometimes proprietary speciļ¬cations can cause complications because manufacturers reserve the right to change their products without notice, and the product incorporated in the project may not be what the speciļ¬er believed would be installed. Another disadvantage of proprietary speciļ¬cations is that they may permit use of alternative products that are not equal in every respect. Therefore, the speciļ¬er should be familiar with the products and their past performance under similar use and should know whether they have had a history of satisfactory service. The speciļ¬er should also take into consideration the reputation of the manufacturers or subcontractors for giving service and their attitude toward repair or replacement of defective or inferior work.
Under a types of specifications in construction , the architect or engineer is responsible to the client for the performance of the material or product speciļ¬ed and for checking the installation to see that it conforms with the speciļ¬cation. The manufacturer of the product speciļ¬ed by the model number has the responsibility of providing the performance promised in its literature.
Base-Bid Speciļ¬cations. These establish acceptable materials and equipment by naming one or more (often three) manufacturers and fabricators. The bidder is required to prepare a proposal with prices submitted from these suppliers. Usually, base-bid speciļ¬cations permit the bidder to submit substitutions or alternatives for the speciļ¬ed products. When this is done, the bidder should state in the proposal the price to be added to, or deducted from, the base bid and include the name, type, manufacturer, and descriptive data for the substitutions. Final selection rests with the client. Base-bid speciļ¬cations often provide the greatest control of quality of materials and equipment, but there are many pros and cons for the various types of speciļ¬cations, and there are many variations of them.