Interpreting Specifications 253
- Materials, furnishings, and equipment: A list should be provided of materials to be used. If writ-
ing descriptive or performance specifications, detail the performance criteria for materials, fur-
nishings, and equipment. - Mixes: This section specifies the proportions of materials to be used when mixing a particular
product. - Fabrication: In this section, fabrication and construction details should be given.
Part 3: Execution.
This part of the specification describes the quality of work-the standards and requirements specified in
the installation of the products and materials. It also describes the conditions under which the products
are to be installed, the protection required, and the closeout and cleanup procedures. The subheadings
in this section include:
- Inspection: The section outlines what the contractor is required to do—for example, to the sub-
surface—prior to installation. Wording may include such phrases as “the moisture content of the
concrete should meet manufacturer’s specifications prior to installation of the flooring material.” - Preparation: This stipulates the improvements to be made prior to installation.
- Installation and performance: The specific requirements for each finish should be specified, as
well as the quality of work to be achieved. - Field quality control: This specifies the tests and inspection procedures to be used to determine
the quality of the finished work. - Protection: Where special protection is necessary for a particular installation, such as marble
flooring, this section must be included. - Adjust and clean: This outlines in detail the cleaning and adjustments requirements.
- Schedules: This is used only if deemed necessary.
10.6 AUTOMATED SPECIFICATION-WRITING SYSTEMS.
Over the past decade, several firms have developed various versions of automated specification-writing
systems, and many now offer these services on-line to architects, interior designers, engineers, and oth-
ers. One such firm is Building Systems Design’s (BSD) SpecLink, which is an electronic specification
system that uses master-guide specifications in CSI three-part format and has a database of over 780
master-specification sections and over 120,000 data links that automatically include related require-
ments and exclude incompatible options as you select specification text (Figure 10.5). BSD also devel-
oped the Perspective early design-performance specifications organized by CSI UniFormat.
Interspec LLC is another firm that uses a proprietary technology that connects a large database of
building specifications to an electronic architectural drawing of the project. The customer can also ac-
cess the specs through the Internet. Moreover, the customer can make alterations as the specs are be-
ing written. Interspec also has a do-it-yourself program for designers with small projects. Using the e-
Specs service will enable companies to increase their productivity while simultaneously reducing their
costs. By linking the architect’s CAD drawings to the master-guide specifications, the need to mail or de-
liver large blueprint drawings to the spec writer is eliminated. With these automated systems, the de-