Table Of ContentENGINEERING
CONSTRUCTION
SPECIFICATIONS
ENGINEERING
CONSTRUCTION
SPECIFICATIONS
The Road to Better Quality,
Lower Cost, Reduced Litigation
Joseph Goldbloom, FASCE, PE
~Van Nostrand Reinhold
___N ew York
~
Copyright © 1989 by Van Nostrand Reinhold
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1s t edition 1989
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 89-5551
ISBN-13: 978-1-4684-1454-7 e-ISBN-13: 978-1-4684-1452-3
DOl: 10.1007/978-1-4684-1452-3
All rights reserved. No part of this work covered by the
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Goldbloom Joseph
Engineering construction specifications.
Bibliography: p.
Includes index
1. Engineering-Contracts and specifications. I. Title.
TA180.G63 1989 620.1 89-5551
ISBN-13: 978-1-4684-1454-7
To
The Engineering Profession
Foreword
For the past 25 years, Joe Goldbloom and I have conducted a running debate
over whether specifications writers engage in the unlawful practice of law. Joe's
position is that lawyers have no business writing specifications, that being the
designer's province. Having been given the honor to write this foreword, I have
the opportunity for the last word, at least for now.
Joe Goldbloom and I first met in 1964, while serving together on the ASCE
Committee on Contract Administration. Joe became my teacher, mentor, and
friend. Underlying our good natured debate was the serious issue of the technical
qualifications required of a specifications writer. As a matter of fact, specifi
cations writing traditionally has fallen in a crack between the two professions.
Specifications writing typically is neither taught in engineering school nor in law
school. Engineers are taught how to design; lawyers are taught how to draft
contracts. Specifications writing requires mastery of the technical elements of
design as well as the skills of contract drafting. Specifications writing is neither
glamorous nor sexy; it is often viewed as a necessary evil of the designer's job.
Having professional training in both engineering and law, and being engaged
in legal practice specializing in construction, I nevertheless feel unqualified to
write specifications because I lack a further necessary element of training: namely,
practical field experience in construction. After all, specifications are intended
to be the written communication between the designer and the constructor,
expressing how the project is to be built. Specifications must be written for the
person in the field who is charged with the responsibility of building the project.
Ironically, all too often specifications are a stepchild, written by a designer with
little or no practical field experience, and, after a dispute has arisen, are ultimately
interpreted by a judge, possessing no engineering training or construction ex
perience. It is then a matter of the blind leading the blind.
As the reader will soon see, Joe Goldbloom has abundant skill in the art of
communication. Moreover, he has a lifetime of experience in construction, start
ing as a field engineer and superintendent for a contractor, then as an inspector
and resident engineer, and finally as the chief specifications writer for the in
ternationally preeminent design firm of Parsons Brinckerhoff. The book is not
merely a primer in how technically to specify the bricks and mortar of construc
tion. It extends to the philosophical underpinnings of the construction process,
involving issues of fundamental fairness and risk allocation as between owner
and constructor.
The book is scholarly and at the same time intensely practical. It describes
vii
viii FOREWORD
current specifications practices, defines good practices, and admonishes against
specifically defined poor practices. The book lays out potential pitfalls in spec
ifications and how to avoid them. It defines when, and under what circumstances,
to seek legal counsel. The book is filled with illustrative case histories from the
author's extensive experience in construction.
In the same manner that the book instructs on how to prepare well organized,
well written specifications, the book, itself, is exceptionally well organized and
well written. Explanations are clear and concise; technical jargon is avoided.
The book is a pleasure to read.
The book is nearly encyclopedic. It contains a wealth of information, including
check lists, sources of information for specifications writers, a bibliography, and
specimen provisions. It is extensively cross-referenced. It is both a valuable
primer for students and beginning specifications writers and an invaluable ref
erence for the seasoned practitioner. Joe Goldbloom is to be congratulated on
producing an absolutely superb, if not monumental, book that fills a void in
current construction literature.
Robert A. Rubin, Esq., P.E.
Partner, Postner & Rubin, NYC
Fellow, American Society of Civil Engineers
Preface
There are two major areas of designed construction:
(1) Building (architectural) construction, whose design is performed and su
pervised by architects. This type of construction is sometimes referred to as
vertical construction.
(2) Engineered construction, which this book is concerned with, includes the
construction of bridges, highways, tunnels, dams, pipelines, airfields, rapid
transit facilities, and other types of construction that utilize the designs of en
gineers. This type of construction is generally referred to as heavy construction.
When a construction contract is signed, the Specifications become the rule
book that governs performance of the Work and controls the official relations
between the Contractor, Owner, and Engineer. This book has been prepared for
both the practicing engineer and the student of engineering. It is presented in
two parts:
Part I, Explaining Engineering Construction Specifications, is directed to the
student. It describes and explains the elements that make up the set of engineering
construction specifications. Part I presents the "whys" and "wherefores" of the
various requirements and instructions encountered in the Specifications. It also
explains construction contracts and the relationship of the Plans and Specifica
tions.
Part II, Preparing and Presenting Engineering Construction Specifications, is
devoted to the specification writer. It presents guidelines and recommendations,
"do's" and "don'ts," and pitfalls to be avoided in preparing Specifications.
Among the items discussed are: the difference in responsibilities represented by
"quality control" and "quality assurance"; identifying and controlling the risks
in construction; full disclosure of known information; and the Engineer's re
sponsibility when assigned authority to supervise the Contractor's work, or to
suspend his operation.
The reader will benefit by reviewing related material that is presented in both
Part I and Part II. This will particularly hold true for Chapters 4 and 11, dealing
with the General Conditions, and Chapters 5 and 12, dealing with the Bidding
Documents.
Throughout the book, actual case histories are presented to illustrate problems
on the job because of inadequate or poorly prepared Specifications, and how the
ix
x PREFACE
Specifications enabled the Engineer to control and handle other situations such
as unanticipated subsurface conditions; an uncooperative contractor; and ques
tionable work which had to be uncovered for reexamination. In addition to
benefitting the student and the specification writer, material presented in this
book will be found useful by the project engineer, the Designer, the Owner's
site representative, the construction Contractor, and the construction claims law
yer.
It has been said that over 50 percent of the construction claims that occur,
are caused by Drawings and Specifications that are unclear, ambiguous, or
contradictory. When these claims wind up in court and there are questions
concerning the intent of the Contract, the court will most likely tum to the
Specifications rather than to the Drawings. It is much easier for judges and juries
to interpret Specifications which are the written word, than it is to comprehend
a technical drawing.
There appears to be no recently prepared text on engineered construction
specifications. The authors of current texts on Specifications portray an archi
tectural background. It was this author's goal to produce a text that could be
used in a classroom by the engineering student, as well as in a design office by
the engineer who writes Specifications.
This book reflects the experience and general knowledge acquired by the author
in a professional career spanning more than 45 years. Of the first 25 years, which
were spent in the field on construction projects, the author served 21 years as a
representative of the Owner. One of his many responsibilities required the inter
pretation, enforcement, and defense, of the Contract Specifications. In the second
half of his career, the author transferred to the design office where his respon
sibilities progressed from the preparation of Specifications, to the supervision
oftheir preparation, and to the final review of completed Contract Specifications.
In preparing this book, permission has been granted for the use of quotations
and reproductions from previous publications. It is the author's sincere hope that
the material presented herein will be of help to both the practicing engineer and
the student, in developing a sound knowledge of the subject of engineering
construction specifications.
The author wishes to express appreciation to his employer, Parsons Brinck
erhoff, Inc., New York, New York, and in particular to Henry L. Michel, Chief
Executive Officer, for making the office facilities available throughout the years
of research and preparation of this book. My sincere gratitude goes to Mrs.
Susan La Regina of the Specifications Department for her tremendous assistance
in transforming my pencilled drafts into the final copy. And last but not least,
lowe a tender debt of gratitude to my wife Doris for her patience, understanding,
and encouragement, during the years 1981-1988 of my so-called retirement, in
the preparation of this book.
Contents
Foreword, Robert Rubin ...................................... vii
Preface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix
PART I-EXPLAINING ENGINEERING
CONSTRUCTION SPECIFICATIONS
CHAPTER 1, CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS
1. 1 Introduction ......................................... 3
1.2 Proposal Solicitation .................................. 3
1.3 Types of Contracts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
A. Fixed Price Contract ..................................... 4
B. Cost Reimbursable Contract ............................... 5
1.4 Contractual Relationships .............................. 6
A. Construction by a Single Prime Contractor ................... 6
B. Design-Build Contract .................................... 6
C. Multiple Prime Contracts .................................. 7
D. Construction Manager .................................... 7
CHAPTER 2, FUNCTION, COMPOSITION, AND ARRANGEMENT
OF THE SPECIFICA nONS
2.1 Introduction ......................................... 9
2.2 Function of the Specifications ........................... 9
2.3 Composition of the Specifications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
A. The Bidding Documents .................................. 10
B. The General Conditions ................................... 11
C. The Technical Sections ................................... 11
2.4 Arrangement of the Specifications ....................... 11
A. Users of the Specifications ................................ 11
B. Optimum Arrangement for Users ........................... 12
xi
xii CONTENTS
CHAPTER 3, THE TECHNICAL SECTIONS
3. 1 Introduction ......................................... 13
3.2 The Technical Section (Five Part Format) ................. 13
1. DESCRIPTION.......................................... 14
A. Shop Drawings ....................................... 14
B. Working Drawings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
C. Design Criteria ....................................... 14
D. Warranty........ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
E. Permits and Notices ................................... 15
F. Work By Others ...................................... 15
G. Salvage ............................................. 15
2. MATERIALS ........ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
A. Physical and Chemical Requirements ..................... 16
B. Samples............................................. 16
C. Tolerances........................................... 16
D. Mix Proportions ...................................... 16
E. Tests (Contractor) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
F. Fabrication .......................................... 17
G. Certification ......................................... 17
H. Shop Painting ........................................ 18
I. Shipping ............................................ 18
J. Storage on Site ....................................... 18
3. CONSTRUCTION REQUIREMENTS ........................ 18
A. Preliminary Preparations ............................... 18
B. Disposition of Removed Material ........................ 19
C. Procedures .......................................... 19
D. Allowable Tolerances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
E. Finishes............................................. 20
F. End Results. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
G. Inspections .......................................... 21
H. Tests (Engineer) ...................................... 22
4. METHOD OF MEASUREMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
A. Linear Foot. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
B. Square Yard ......................................... 23
C. Cubic Yard .......................................... 23
D. Pound.............................................. 24
E. Each ............................................... 24
F. Lump Sum .......................................... 24
5. BASIS OF PAYMENT .................................... 24
A. Linear Foot Basis ..................................... 25
B. Area Basis .......................................... 25
