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Arch 561 LEC 2 Types of Specification

There are three main types of construction specifications: 1) Performance specifications specify the required functional outcomes without dictating how to achieve them, allowing contractor flexibility. 2) Prescriptive specifications provide detailed instructions on approved materials, installation methods, and quality standards. 3) Proprietary specifications require a specific brand or product be used. They are less common to avoid favoring a single manufacturer. Specifications can also be classified based on their level of design completion, ranging from outline to project specifications. The type and level of detail in specifications depends on the stage of the project.

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Muhtadin Iqbal
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57 views

Arch 561 LEC 2 Types of Specification

There are three main types of construction specifications: 1) Performance specifications specify the required functional outcomes without dictating how to achieve them, allowing contractor flexibility. 2) Prescriptive specifications provide detailed instructions on approved materials, installation methods, and quality standards. 3) Proprietary specifications require a specific brand or product be used. They are less common to avoid favoring a single manufacturer. Specifications can also be classified based on their level of design completion, ranging from outline to project specifications. The type and level of detail in specifications depends on the stage of the project.

Uploaded by

Muhtadin Iqbal
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Specification for...

Product Gadget Bride/ Bridegroom

Clothes

Construction ???
Specification for construction
Specifications describe the

• products,
• materials
• work
required by a construction contract.

They do not include


• cost,
• quantity or
• drawn information,

and so need to be read alongside other information such as

• quantities,
• schedules and
• drawings.
Specification for construction
Can be of two types

• Based on Content
• Based on Intent

On the basis of Content….


• Prescriptive Specification
• Performance Specification
• Proprietary Specification

On the basis of Intent….


• Outline Specification
• Guide Specification
• Standard Specification
• Project Specification
Prescriptive Specifications

Of the three types of construction specifications, prescriptive


specs focus on the details for the types of materials used
and the installation of said materials. Architects or engineers
tend to take over the job of project design in prescriptive
specs. Prescriptive specs give a better image of what the
final product will look like compared to other specs.

Prescriptive specs can be broken up into three separate


parts: general, products, and execution. General consists of
information such as national quality standards, product
handling, design requirements, and keeping quality control.
The products phase will go over the different products
necessary for each task as well as the individual
performance levels of each product. The execution phase
will go over how to prepare materials and go through with
installing them. This process also involves testing the quality
of the materials and checking if they were installed correctly.
Performance Specifications

After prescriptive specs come performance


specs. Performance specs discuss the operational
requirements of a project. It details what the final
installed product has to be capable of doing. In this
phase, the owner or general contractor doesn’t give
a subcontractor specs detailing how to finish the job.
Instead, designers and architects give contractors
details on how the final product has to work in this
phase. For example, a contract asks the team to
make a pump that pumps 300 gallons per minute.
There are no directions on how to make the pumping
system go that fast, so it is up to the contractor to
figure it out.

Of the three types of construction specifications, this


phase involves most of the testing to make sure a
project meets all of its operational requirements. The
architect or engineer describes the project outcome,
and trusts the trade contractor’s experience to get
there. Since the contractor has to figure out what to
do, decisions about materials and strategy move
away from the architect and engineers and shift
towards the contractor.
Proprietary Specifications

Proprietary specs are used when you need to use a single


type of product for any kind of installation. These are the
least common of the three types of construction
specifications, but they are for jobs involving existing
equipment and already completed installations. When the
owner or client wants to be consistent with their materials
or just prefers a specific type of material, use proprietary
specs. Contractors use proprietary specs when their
section of the project is dependent upon the performance
of a specific product.

Architects and engineers tend to try and avoid proprietary


specs because it can lead to promoting a specific
manufacturer. Favoring a manufacturer can discourage
competition during the bid phase of the project, which may
increase the total cost of the project. Architects and
engineers will give the contractor a list of reliable suppliers
to choose from to stop this.
On the basis of Intent….

• Outline Specification The first stage in the development of a specification is the


preparation of an outline specification. An outline specification is
a brief description of the main components to be used
in construction. They should be described in sufficient detail to allow
the cost consultant to prepare some approximate quantities.
• Guide Specification

• Standard Specification

• Project Specification sets the contractual requirements, directing


the subcontractors employed by the contractor in terms of
the products to be used,
confirming workmanship, tolerances or other aspects that must
be adhered to
Types of Construction Specifications
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.

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: performance, 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
Specifications vary considerably depending on the stage to which the design has been developed, ranging
from
performance specifications (open specifications) that require further design work to be carried out,
prescriptive specifications (closed specifications) where the design is already complete.

Having a prescriptive specification when a contract is tendered gives the client more certainty about the end
product,
whereas a performance specification gives suppliers more scope to innovate and adopt cost-effective
methods of work, potentially offering better value for money.
Typically, performance specifications are written on projects that are straight-forward and are well-
known building types. For more information, see Performance specification.
Whereas prescriptive specifications are written for more complex buildings. For
more information see: Prescriptive specifications.
They can also be used in combination. Items crucial to the design may be specified prescriptively (such
as external cladding) whilst less critical items may be specified only by performance (such as service lifts).

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