The technical specifications are the portion of the documents the layperson usually thinks of when referring to the specifications, or ‘specs’. They contain the detailed technical provisions related to installation or construction of the several portions of the work and the materials incorporated therein. The order and grouping of the technical specifications vary depending on the type of work and the organisation preparing the documents, but most such materials tend to be grouped by the general order of construction. The Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) (Construction Specifications Institute, 2001) and Construction Specifications Canada (Construc- tion Specifications Canada–Devis du Construction Canada, 2001) have developed a format for technical specifications that is especially suited to the construction of buildings, although it has been used in other types of construction, such as heavy construction. The format is based on 16 divisions, each related to a technical specialty such as concrete or electrical. The numbers assigned to each division are always used, even if a project does not use a certain division; for example, CSI Division 15 is always the mechanical specifications. Each division is subdivided into sections, which are defined for the particular project. In Figure 3.3, we show the 16 divisions, with a sampling of the kinds of section topics that might be included in a typical project.
There may be some confusion over the inclusion of general requirements (Division 1) in the technical specifications, because the totality of the documents also includes general conditions and supplementary general conditions. The distinction is that Division 1 general requirements contain technical requirements that apply generally to the project and thus to more than one of the divisions. All technical sections in the CSI format are divided into three parts, always in the same order, as follows: (1) general, covering scope, related work, testing and inspection, standards and certification; (2) products, including requirements for materials, equipment and fabrication, often including the names of allowable manufacturers; it is common practice to allow ‘or equal’ products, with the burden on the contractor to demonstrate that the product is at least equal to the named allowable products; and (3) execution, which includes explicit workmanship standards for installation, erection and construction, required finishes, special instructions, testing requirements and closeout requirements.
While the divisions listed in Figure 3.3 can be applied to any type of construction, the breakdown is most suitable for buildings. For a highway construction project, the breakdown in Figure 3.4, as suggested by Clough and Sears (1994), might be appropriate. Another approach sometimes used in transportation construction is for the agency to publish a manual of ‘standard’ general conditions and technical specifications that could apply to any typical highway, bridge
Division number
Division title Sample sections
1 General requirements Quality controls, temporary structures, startup and
commissioning
2 Sitework The site materials and methods, earth work, tunnelling
3 Concrete Forms, reinforcement, cast in place, pre-cast, grouts
4 Masonry Masonry units, stone refractories, corrosion-resistant
masonry
5 Metals Framing, joists, metal finishes, railroad track
6 Wood and plastics Rough carpentry, finish carpentry, fasteners and
adhesives, plastic fabrications
7 Thermal and moisture
protection
Dampproofing, waterproofing, vapour and air retarders, insulation
8 Doors and windows Metal doors and frames, entrances and storefronts,
metal windows, hardware
9 Finishes Plaster, gypsum, tile, terrazzo, flooring, wall finishes
10 Specialties Display boards, pedestrian control devices, toilet and
bath accessories
11 Equipment Maintenance equipment, library equipment, security and
vault equipment
12 Furnishings Casework, artwork, rugs and mats, furniture, seating
13 Special construction Air-supported structures, ice rinks, solar energy systems
14 Conveying systems Dumbwaiters, elevators, lifts, scaffolding
15 Mechanical Piping, plumbing fixtures, heat-generation equipment, air
handling
16 Electrical Wiring, electric power, lighting, communications, controls
Figure 3.3 Masterformat technical specification divisions for buildings, from Construction Specifications Institute and Construction Specifications Canada.
or street improvement project. Then, for a particular project, a set of ‘special provisions’ is issued that (1) amends and adds to the general conditions (as in the special conditions discussed earlier) and (2) provides technical construction details only for those provisions in the standard specifications that must be modified.
64 The Management of Construction
Figure 3.4 Sample technical specification outline for highway construction (from Clough and Sears, 1994). Division number Title Division number Title 1 Obstructions 30 Painting
2 Clearing and grubbing 31 Rubbing masonry
3 Earthwork 32 Riprap
4 Erosion control and preparatory
landscaping
33 Concrete slope paving and aprons
5 Subgrade 34 Concrete curbs and gutters
6 Watering 35 Portland cement concrete sidewalks
7 Finish roadway 36 Right-of-way monuments and freeway
access opening markers
8 Cement-treated subgrade 37 Concrete barrier posts
9 Road-mixed cement treated base 38 Guard railing
10 Plant-mixed cement treated base 39 Pipe handrail
11 Untreated rock surfacing 40 Culvert markers, clearance markers
and guideposts
12 Crusher run base 41 Fences
13 Penetration treatment 42 Reinforced concrete pipe culverts and
siphons
14 Seal coats 43 Corrugated metal pipe culverts and
siphons
15 Bituminous surface treatment 44 Field-assembled plate culverts
16 Armour coat 45 Non-reinforced concrete pipelines
17 Non-skid surface treatment 46 Sewer pipelines
18 Road-mixed surfacing 47 Underdrains
19 Plant-mixed surfacing 48 Spillway assemblies and down drains
20 Side forms 49 Salvaging and re-laying existing
drainage facilities
21 Bituminous macadam surface 50 Reinforcement
22 Asphalt concrete pavement 51 Portland cement concrete
23 Portland cement concrete
pavement
52 Asphaltic paint binder
24 Timber structures 53 Paint
25 Concrete structures 54 Asphalts
26 Steel structures 55 Liquid asphalts
27 Piling 56 Asphaltic emulsions
28 Treatment of timber and piles 57 Expansion joint filler
It is common practice to refer in the technical specifications to codes and standards developed by industry associations, rather than to repeat those standards in the specifications themselves. For example, a UK technical specification for concrete testing might refer to the provisions of BS EN 12350 Testing Fresh Concrete, which is a European standard test method developed by the European Committee for Standardisation and published by the British Standards Institution (British Standards Institution, 2001). If this reference is part of the concrete technical specifications, the contractor will be obligated to follow its provisions for such practices as sampling, slump tests and air content testing, even though the requirements are not contained directly within the specifications.