Unit 3 : Specifications & Rate Analysis

Part A : Specification

Defination:
Specifications describe the products, materials
and work required by a construction contract.
They do not include cost, quantity or drawn inform-
-ation, and so need to be read alongside other inform-
-ation such as quantities, schedules and drawings.

Purpose of Specification:
1. The cost of a unit quantity of work is governed
by its specification.
2. A work is carried out according to its specification
and the contractor is paid for the same. Any change
in specification changes the tendered rate.
3. The necessity of specification is to verify and
check the strength of materials for a work involved
in a project.
4. Specification is an essential contract document
and is required for Arbitration or court cases.
5. Specification is necessary to specify the equip-
-ments, tools and plants to be engaged for a work
and thus enables to procure them beforehand.
Principles of specifications:

1. Description of materials: The quality and size of

materials required to do an item of work shall be
fully described for checking up at site according to
the bindings provided in the specification.
2. Workmanship: Complete description of workman-
-ship, the method of mixing to the proportion, the
method of laying, preparation of base or surface,
compaction, finishing and curing etc. specifically
applicable to the item of work shall be clearly stated
in different clauses.
3. Tools and plants: The tools and plants to be
engaged to carry out a work shall be described.
The method of operation and by whom to be
supplied shall be stated.
4. Protection of new work: The method of protec-
-tion of new works against damage or the method
of curing if required, the test of completed work if
necessary shall be described in separate clauses
5. Expression: While writing a specification endeavor
shall be made to express the requirements of the
specification clearly and in concise form avoiding
repetition and unusual words. The style of tense
shall remain same throughout.
6. Clauses of specifications:Clauses shall be arranged
in flow of work. All practical possibilities for material,
workmanship, tool & plants shall be realized.
Some principle guidelines for writing specifications
are as follows.

• The layout and grouping of subjects should be

logical. These need planning out beforehand.

• Requirements for each subject should be stated

clearly, in logical order, and checked to see all aspects
are covered.

• Language and punctuation should be checked to

see they cannot give rise to ambiguity.

• Legal terms and phrases should not be used.

• To define obligations the words ‘shall’ or ‘must’

(not ‘should’ or ‘is to’, etc.) should be used.

• Quality must be precisely defined, not described as

‘best’, etc.

• Brevity should be sought by keeping to essential

matters.

Types of Specifications
The specifications are broadly divided into three categories as
1. General or brief specifications,
2. Detailed specifications, and
3. Standard specifications.
Standard specifications.

1. General or Brief Specifications:

=> General specification gives the nature and class of work and
materials in general terms to be used in the various parts of
the work, from the foundation to the superstructure.
=> It is a short description of different parts of the work
specifying materials, proportions, qualities etc.
=> General specifications give general idea of the whole work or
structure and are useful for preparing the estimate.
=> These general specifications doe not form part of the
contract document.
=> They are used in the estimates by the person who
prepares the estimates.

Detailed Specifications :
=> The detailed specifications form a part of the contract
document.
=> The detailed specification of an item of work specifies the
qualities and quanitites of materials, the proportion of mortar,
whorkmanship, the method of preparation and execution and the
method of measurement.
=> The detailed specifications of different items of work are
prepared separately which describe what the work should be
and how they should be executed and constructed.
=> Detailed specifications are written to express the requirements
clearly in concise form avoiding repetition and ambiguity.
=> The detailed specifications are arranged as for as possible in
the same sequence or order as the work is carried out.
 The following provisions are made in the detailed specification
a. General provisions
b. Technical provisions.

a. General provisions
=> These are also known as conditions of contract and they apply
to the work as a whole.
=> In this document, the conditions governing the contract are
written.
=> The following groups of conditions of contract are generally
accommodated under the general provisions.

i. Conditions a relating to documents

=> These pertain to
* Bill of quantities and schedule of prices
* Drawings
* Standard specifications

ii. Conditions relating to the general obligations of the contractor

=> These pertain to
* Acts, bye-laws and regulations
* Fencing, watching and lighting of the work spot
* Insurance

iii. Conditions a relating to labour and personnel

=> These pertain to
* Accidents to workmen
* Contractors representative
* Rates of wages paid to the employees
* Removal of the employees of the contractor
 iv. Conditions a relating to the execution of the work
=> These provisions are related to
* Alterations, additions and omissions during the progress
of work
* Amount of extra items
* Damages
* Defective work
* Work at night and on holidays
* Workmanship etc.

v. Conditions a relating to measurements and payments

=> These pertain to
* Method of measurement of completed works
* Method of payments etc.

vi. Conditions a relating to default and non-completion

=> These pertain to
* Failure to complete the work in time
* Right to suspend the work
* Time of completion etc.

vii. Conditions a relating to settlement of dispute

=> These pertain to
* arbitration
* Jurisdiction of court etc. b.
Technical Provisions
=> These specifications describe the technical requirements of
each type of constructions.
=> The technical provisions contain detailed instructions
regarding the desired quality of the final product.

=> The technical provisions are of three types.

i. Specifications for materials and workmanship

For materials the following properties should be included in the

specifications.
* Physical properties such as size, shape, grade, strength,
hardness etc.,
* Chemical composition of the material
* Electrical, thermal and acoustical properties
* Appearance of the material
* A clear statement regarding the inspection and procedure
of test of the material.

For workmanship, the following important features should be

included in the specifications.
* The results desired
* The tools and plants to be engaged
* Detailed description of the construction method for
each item
* Instructions regarding the protection of the finished work
as well as of the adjacent property.
 ii. Specifications for performance
=> These specifications are written for the overall performance
of the finished product and hence they are written if the
contract is for the supply of equipment and machinery such as
pumps, motors etc.
=> In these specifications, general description, design and
installation and guarantee etc., of the equipment are
specified.

iii. Specifications for proprietary commodities

=> Commercial products which are standardized or patented are
called proprietory commodities.
=> The specifications written for such materials should include
the name of a particular brand or firm. (eg. Sun brand, Everest
brand etc.)
=> However, it is not desirable in case of public works to specify
certain trade names or brands. To avoid monopoly and
favouritism, it is general practice to specify the selected brand
and then it is followed by the phrase “or equal”.

3. Standard Specifications

=> Specifications are seldom written completely for all items

of the work.
=> It is possible to standardize specifications for most of the
items occurring in works of similar nature.
=> Hence every engineering department prepares the detailed
specifications of the various items of works and gent them
printed in book form under the name “Detailed Standard
Specifications”.
 => When the work, or a structure or project is taken up0,
instead of writing detailed specification every time, the printed
standard specifications are referred in the contract document
and other documents pertaining to the work.

Essential Requirnments of Specification:

Following are some of the essential requirements of good

specification writing.

1. Subject matter
=> The subject matter of specifications should relate to the
information required after the contract is given to a particular
contractor. The requirements which are to be enforced
should only be included in the specifications.
2. Grammar
=> All sentences of the specifications should comply with the rules
of grammar. The style and tense should remain the same
throughout.
3. Selection of works
=> While writing specifications, only suitable works with desired
meaning should be used. Unfamiliar works of works having more
than one meaning should never be used in the specifications.
4. Accuracy
=> The information given in the specifications should be complete
and correct, otherwise the contractor may claim for any extra
cost due to damage occurred to him by the misleading
information supplied by the specifications.
 5. Practical limits and commercial sizes
=> The specifications should be framed keeping in view the
practical limitations of materials and workmanship and they
should not specify practical impossibilities. Also, the
specifications should specify use of commercial sizes and
patterns of the material.

6. Fairness
=> The specifications should be fair and they should not be
framed in such a way as to throw all the risks on the shoulders
of the contractor.

7. Brevity
=> The sentences of the specifications should be short, simple
and concise. This is essential as the main purpose of the
specifications is to give directions to the contractor and the
supervising staff in carrying out the construction work.

Points to be Included in the Specifications

In the case of Civil Engineering Works, the specifications shall
contain the following points.
i. Quality of materials to be used with strength/size
requirements,
ii. Quantity of materials to be used and the methods of
measurements to be followed.
iii. Method of mixing when different materials are used.
iv. Construction methods to be followed mentioning
the equipment and machinery to be used.
v. Dimensions of works such as breadth, thickness etc.
vi. Methods of measurements of works for payments.
Brief or General Specifications:

1 . General specifications of some works involved in the const-

-ruction of a residential building
i. Foundation Concrete: Cement concrete 1:4:8 using 40 mm
size blue granite broken stone.
ii. Foundation and Basement: Brickwork in cement mortar
1:5 using 7.5 grade bricks.
iii. Super Structure: Brickwork in cement mortar 1:6 using
7.5 grade bricks.
iv. Flooring: Mosaic flooring over a base of 100 mm thick
cement concrete 1:5:10 using 40 mm size brick bats.
v. Roofing: 120 mm thick R.C.C. roof in 1:2:4 concrete using
20 mm size blur granite broken stone.
vi. Finishing: Plastering the walls and ceilings with cement
mortar 1:3, 12 mm thick and finishing the same with three
coats of white washing.
vii. Doors and Windows: Country wood doors and windows
painted two coats with ready mixed paint over a primer
coat.

2. General specifications of few items of works involved in the

laying of a village road:

i. Sub grade: Leveling and compacting the surface with a

camber of 1:48 for 8 metre width, uniform along the full
length, with watering.
ii. Soling: Soling with 150 mm size granite boulders, packed
completely with gravel and compacted with hand roller,
dry and wet rolling.
 iii. Spreading gravel: Red gravel spread over the base for
20 mm thickness, watered and rolled.
iv. Finish: Covered with a thin layer of sand.

3. General (or) Brief specifications of few works involved in

laying a bitumen road:
i. Preparation of Base: Clearing the surface with wire
brushes and removing the dust completely patching all pot
holes.
ii. Application of Bitumen binder: Applying heated bitumen
uniformly at the rate of 0.9 kg/m2.
iii. Spreading of Chips: Spreading 12 mm size stone chips
uniformly, 20 mm thick.
iv. Rolling: Rolling 6 to 8 trips with 8 ton power roller.
 Detailed Specifications of Works:

Building Constructions =>

1. Detailed Specification for earth work excavation for foundation

Leveling the surface

The whole area of construction is to be cleared of tees, grass,
roots of trees etc., complete and leveled horizontally to enable
easy marking of centre line of the building.

Dimensions
The excavation shall be done in accordance with dimensions of
trenches shown in the working drawings.

Shoring
The sides of the trenches should be vertical and the bottom of
the trenches should be flat. In the case of loose soils the sides
of the trenches should be shored with steel sheets.

Fencing
Suitable temporary fencing is to be provided around the site of
excavation to avoid any accidental fall into the trenches.

Dumping the soil

The excavated soil is to be dumped and heaped at a minimum
distance of 1.5 metre away from the trenches so that it does not
slide again into the trenches.
 Treatment of the bottom
The bottom of the trench shall be watered and compacted by
ramming before the foundation concrete is laid.
Excessive excavations should not be adjusted by filling with
loose excavated soils. Sand or plain concrete may be used for
the adjustment of levels, that too with proper compaction.

2. Detailed Specification for lime concrete in foundation

Lime
The lime used for the concrete shall be freshly burnt and slaked.
It should be free from clayey particles and ashes. Unslaked
stone particles should be removed by shifting.

Broken Bricks
The overburnt bricks and the pieces of well burnt bricks are to
be broken to sizes ranging from 20 mm to 40 mm and stacked
for easy measurement. The brick bats shall be free from dirt,
dust, rubbish, leaf etc.

Fine aggregate
Surki made from well burnt brick bats is to be used as fine
aggregate. It should pass through I.S. sieve no.48 and free from
dust and dirt.

Proportioning
Lime, surki and broken bricks are to be mixed in the proportion
of 1:2:5 by volume. The materials are to be measured loose
without shaking or ramming.
 Mixing
The mixing shall be done only by mechanical mixer. The broken
bats are to be soaked in clean water for atleast 2 hours before
mixing. The materials are first mixed to get uniform distribution
and then water is gradually added. The mixing process is to be
continued till all the brick bats are coated with mortar uniformly
and a workable concrete is obtained.

Laying compacting
The concrete shall be laid to the required thickness, not more
than 200 mm and a time, and compacted by ramming with
rammers weighing 4.5 to 55 kg.

Curing
The lime concrete, so laid, is to be kept wet for atleast 7 days.

3. Detailed specification of random rubble masonry in foundation

and basement

Stone
The stone shall be obtained from the approved queries. It shall
be sound, free from cracks and decay and shall have a specific
gravity of not less than 2.5.

Mortar
Cement mortar 1:6 to be used.
 Method of Laying
The stones are to be laid on broadest face which gives better
opportunity to fill the spaces between stones by the mortar.
The stones are laid layer by layer with sufficient mortar in
between them for better binding. The outer face of the
basement should be vertical and the joints are to be staggered.
There shall be no gap, between the stones, unfilled by mortar.

Curing
The masonry should be kept in we condition by sprinkling water
thrice daily for atleast 7 days after construction.

3. Detailed specification for brickwork in cement mortar 1:6

using first class bricks in super structure

Bricks shall be table molded, well burnt in approved kiln,

copper coloured, free from cracks and with sharp and square
edges. Bricks shall be uniform in shape and shall be of standard
size and shall give clear ringing sound when struck with each other.

Bricks shall e well soaked in water for atleast 12 hours before

their use, preferably in a tank provided at site of work.

The proportion of mortar shall be one part of cement to five

parts of sand by volume and shall be prepared as per standard
specification for cement mortar. The cement and sand shall
confirm to the standard specification.
Broken bricks shall not be used except as closers. All corners
shall be truly to plumb. Mortar joints shall break for bonding and
shall not exceed 10 mm in thickness.
 Only skilled masons shall be employed on the work and the
work shall be kept well watered for atleast 15 days. All brickwork
shall be carried out in such a way that no portion is raised unduly
above another.

The length and height shall be measured as on site. The

thickness of walls shall be paid for as one brick, one and a half
bricks, two bricks and so on. The rate for brickwork
includes necessary scaffolding also.

4. Detailed specification of mosaic flooring

Base Course
The basic course shall be of 25 mm thick cement concrete of a
1:2:4 mix using 12 mm size granite stone chips as coarse aggregate
and sand as fine aggregate. The top of flooring concrete or R.C.C.
slab shall be cleaned well and applied with cement slurry of
2 kg/m2 before placing the chips concrete. The base course is to
be compacted, leveled and smoothed by wooden floats.

Mosaic Tiles
Precast tiles of 200 mm x 200 mm x 20 mm size are to be used.
They shall be manufactured under hydraulic pressure of not less
than 14 N/mm2 and given the first grinding with machine before
laying. The proportion of cement to sand in the backing of the
tiles shall not be leaner than 1:3 by weight. The marble chips
shall be hard, dense sound and homogeneous in texture.
 Laying of Tiles
The bedding for the tiles shall be with cement mortar 1:3. The
average thickness of the bedding mortar shall be 20 mm and the
thickness at any place shall be not less than 10 mm. Cement
bedding shall be spread, tamped and corrected to proper levels
and allowed to harden before the tiles are set.
Neat cement slurry of honey like consistency shall be spread
over the bedding at the rate of 4.4 kg/m2. Tiles shall be washed
clean and shall be fixed in this grout one after another, each tile
being gently tapped with a wooden mallet till is properly bedded
and in level with the adjoining tiles. The joints shall be kept as
thin as possible not exceeding 1.5 mm and in straight lines.

Curing, Polishing and Finishing

The day after the tiles are laid, all joints shall be cleared of the
grey cement grout with a wire brush to a depth of 5 mm and all
dust and loose mortar removed and cleaned.
Joints shall then be grounded with whit e cement mixed with
pigment to match the shade of tiles. The same cement slurry
shall be applied to the entire surface of the tiles in a thin coat.
The floor shall then be kept wet for a minimum period of
7 days. The surface shall there after be grounded evenly with
the polishing machine fitted with coarse grade grit blocks,
adding required water during the process.
After grinding, the surface shall be washed clean and
covered with thin coat of cement slurry with pigment.
The surface shall be again cured and polished with machine
fitted with medium grade grit blocks. Similarly a third grinding
shall be done by fine grade grit blocks. The surface shall be
cleaned using diluted oxalic acid and wiped with a soft cloth.
5. Detailed specification for plastering with cement mortar:

Materials
Portland cement of initial setting time not less than 30 minutes
and medium size clean sand free from organic matters and salts
are to be sued for making mortar. The water to be used shall be
clean and potable.
Mixing Mortar
The sand and cement shall be first mixed dry in the required
proportion thoroughly to get a uniform colour. The required
amount of water shall be added slowly and gradually
and the mortar mixed wet to give a uniform paste.
Application of Mortar
The surface to be plastered shall be cleaned and wetted with
water before the mortar is applied. Plastering shall be started
from the top and proceeded towards the bottom. The plastered
surface shall be made level and flush with wooden straight edges
and rubbed thoroughly with wooden floats to ensure smooth and
even surface.
Curing
Plastered surface shall be kept wet by sprinkling water for atleast
7 days.
6. Detailed specification for distempering
The distemper shall be of the approved colour and quality.
Water shall be added as prescribed by the manufacture, stirred
well often during use, to maintain uniform colour and consistency.
The plastered surface of the wall is scraped and cleaned
with wire brushes and rubbed smooth with sand papers. Distemper
shall not be applied in wet weather. It shall be applied with good
brushes, first horizontally and then immediately crossed off
vertically which together shall constitute one coat.
The second coat will be also applied in the same manner
after the first coat has dried. The finished surface shall be even
and uniform and shall show no brush marks.

7. Detailed specification for A.C. Sheet roofing

A. C. Sheets
The sheets shall be approved quality, free from cracks and
damages. Semi corrugated sheets of 1100 mm width and 1750 mm
length are to be used. The thickness of the sheets shall not be
less than 6 mm.
Purlins
Angle purlins of required size shall be used at spacing not
exceeding 1.4m.
Laying of Sheets
The sheets should be laid starting from the eaves, with the
smooth side facing upwards and with a minimum of 150 mm lap
at the ends. The over hang of the sheets shall not exceed 300 mm.
Pitch
The slope of the roof shall be not flatter than 1 vertical to 5
horizontal and not steeper than 1 vertical 1 horizontal.
 Fixing
The sheets shall be fixed to the purlins from the top of
corrugation by 8 mm dia G.I. hooks and nuts. The holes shall be
drilled and not punched. Each hook shall have a bitumen washer
and metal washer placed over the sheet before the nut is
screwed.
Ridges and Hips
Ridges and hips shall be of the same brand of the sheets and have
the same patern of corrugations. They shall be free from cracks
and damages. The ridge capping shall be screwed to the ridge
purlins by same type of bolts used for fixing the sheets.

8. Detailed specification for form work and centering to R.C.C.

Roofing
Strutting
Props used for strutting shall be of casuarinas posts of 100 to
130 mm diameter. The props are to be vertical and rest on firm
ground or on wooden sole plates of thickness not less than 40 mm.
All props shall be provided with double wedges to facilitate
tightening and loosening of shuttering. The horizontal spacing of
props in both directions shall not exceed 750 mm. When the
height of strutting exceeds 3.5 m, suitable horizontal bracings
should be provided. Splicing of props shall be as per the approved
drawings. The props shall be constantly watched, by a carpenter,
during the process of concreting and immediate remedial
measures are to be taken in any of them get loosened.
 Form Work
The formwork shall be of stiff and strong wood, easily workable
with nails and light in weight. The form work shall be true to
shape and size specified in the structural drawings and strong
enough to with stand the forces caused by vibration of concrete
and the incidental loads imposed on it during concreting. The
unsupported length of the planks, particularly of the side plates
shall not exceed 1.0 m to avoid buckling. The levels of the form
work are to be checked before placing the reinforcement bars
in position.
Centering
Well seasoned wooden planks or steel sheets are to be used for
the shuttering work.The joints shall be water tight to avoid
leakage of cement slurry during compaction. The surfaces of
planks and sheets which would come into contact with concrete
shall be cleaned well and coated with oil of approved quality to
the prevent adhesion of concrete. The complete centering work
shall be assembled so that it can be removed, on completion of
the specified period, easily without causing any demand to the
concrete surfaces and edges.
9. Detailed specification for damp proof course (D.P.C.)
Damp Poof Course wil be of plain cement concrete of 1:2:4
mix and 30 mm thickness. 12 mm size hard and dense stone chips
shall be used as coarse aggregate and river sand of 5 mm nominal
size shall be used as fine aggregate. The aggregate shall be
clean and free from dust, dirt, mud, organic matter etc.
The coarse aggregate is to be washed well before mixing.
Fresh port land cement of I.S.I. approved brand of 43 grades is
to be used as the binding material. Potable water, free from
harmful salts, shall be only used for mixing the concrete.
The coarse aggregate and sand are to be measured separately
volume and mixed dry in a clean and stable platform to get a
mixture of uniform colour. This mixture is stacked to a uniform
height and the cement of required quantity is spread over the
stack, turned over in dry state first, and with water twice to get
a workable and uniform concrete. The brickwork in
basement is stopped at plinth level, cured will for 7 days, top
surface cleaned well for dust by wire brushes. Form work is
provided along the two sides of wall by wooden planks, to the
required height. Gauge plates are to be provided at one metre
interval, connecting the two side planks by nails, keeping at a clear
distance equal to the width of wall at plinth level.
The concrete, mixed as mentioned above, shall be placed and
compacted well by tamping rods to have a net thickness of 30 mm.
Damp proof course shall not have any joints, the whole
concreting be completed without any break, and it need not be
providedover door openings. The top surface of concrete, when
starts to dry shall be roughened to provided over door openings.
The top surface of concrete, when starts to dry, shall be
roughened to provide bondage with the super structure. The planks
shall be removed after 7 days.