October 2022

Lecture 2
Civil Engineering Practice
How to write Specifications

1.0 ORGANIZATION OF SPECIFICATIONS

It is important for the specifications section of the project manual to be arranged in an orderly and
comprehensive format. If the section is organized clearly and follows a defined procedure it is less likely that
the specifier will overlook or forget something. It will also help the contractor, estimator, inspector, or other
reviews find information more easily.

Section Format is a nationally approved, industry-accepted standard that provides a defined procedure for
organization of the specifications section. It provides guidelines for the arrangement of information within
the technical section of specifications. The concise orderly method reduces the chance for omissions or
duplication of information and it assists users of the document by consistently locating similar information in
the same place in each Section. Section Format has three separate parts:

Part 1 – General:
This section describes administrative, procedural and temporary requirements specific to this section
of specifications.
Part 2 – Products:
This section describes, in detail, the materials, products, equipment, systems or assemblies to be
used in the project.
Part 3 – Execution:
This section describes, in detail, any preparatory actions and how the products shall be incorporated
into the project.
Section Format and Page Format
To go along with Section Format is Page Format. Page Format is a standardized presentation of text
for each page of a specification Section. It provides a concise and orderly arrangement of Articles,
Paragraphs and Subparagraphs and it addresses the physical arrangement on the page, such as
margins, indents, headers and footers. The following list is the levels of organization for Page
Format:

2.0 DRAFTING THE SPECIFICATIONS

2.1 Sources of Information

When drafting the specifications for a civil engineering project information may be sourced from:
a. Previous specifications for similar job
In this case you update, delete irrelevant information or add some information you feel is
missing that relates to your job.
b. The contractor drawings
These show the conceptual and preliminary design of the work
c. Employer Requirements
d. Site investigations or reconnaissance survey
Examples are soil conditions, water table level, slope stability and extent of site clearance
e. The location of the material site/borrow pits
f. The standard codes of practice

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Examples are Kenya Bureau of Standards, BS and any other relevant codes of practice. In order
to reduce the length of your specification do not copy the clauses but just refer to them since it
is well communicated to the contractor.
g. Trade catalogues / brand names
Examples are Barolo welded tubes, Mareba tiles, Cabro blocks, paving blocks such as the Dogra.

2.2 General Clauses

These relate to the contract as a whole and therefore may vary from project and also in particular disciplines.

Sometimes, this section is included as particular specifications in some contract documents. This may fall
under the following headings:
a. Extent of contract
i. This is similar to the list of principle quantities in CESSM e.g. 20 km of road, 5 bridges plus
side drains, road markings and road furniture and maintenance for 12 months.
ii. List of six documents not eight

b. Legal Provision
This shows the compliance with any existing statutes and regulations e.g. NEMA requirements.
c. General matters affecting the cost of the job
 Labour issues
 Health and safety, accidents and welfare
 Order of works and working hours
 Water and electricity supply
 Information from the exploration sources and pits
 Access to the site

2.3 Technical specifications

It specifies the quality of the final product and inspections and tests which should be conducted during
construction.

Technical specifications are of the following types”

 Specifications for materials and workmanship
 Specifications for performance
 Specifications for proprietary commodities
a Standard specifications
Most of the works are usually standardized which are numbered serially so while writing the
contract bond only serial numbers of standard specifications are written. This saves time, labour
and stationary expenditure.

1.0 General Specifications

General specifications give the idea and class of work in general terms and are generally attached with the
cost and detailed estimates.

1.1 General Specifications on Buildings

a Foundation and plinth
Shall be of burnt bricks in lime or cement mortar (1:6), over a bed of cement concrete (1:6:12) or
1:8:16 by design.
b superstructure
Shall be of burnt work in lime or cement mortar (1:6).

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c Damp proof course

Shall be of 8 cm thick cement concrete (1:2:4) with one layer of bitumen laid hot or any other
specified water proof material.
d Roofing
Shall be of R.C.C slabs (1:2:4) covered with two coats of bitumen laid hot and a layer of lime or
cement concrete 8 cm thick over it with a tile flooring with cement flush pointed on the top.
e Flooring
Shall be of terrazzo in drawing, dining, bath and WC, 4 cm thick plain conglomerate polished
floors in bed rooms and in other rooms.
f Doors and Windows
Doors and windows shall be of teak wood, paneled or paneled and glazed with wire gauge
shutters to outer doors and fixed wire gauze to windows and ventilators. Fittings shall be
preferably of brass or good quality metal.
g Finishing
The inside and outside walls shall have 1.25 cm thick cement plaster (1:5). Drawing, dining and
bedrooms inside of walls shall have 2 coats of distember and other rooms shall have three coats
of white washing. The outside of the walls shall have two coats of colour washing over one coat
of white washing.
h Painting
Doors and windows shall be given three coats of white lead where exposed and white zinc or
cream or grey silicate paint elsewhere.

2.0 Detailed Specifications

Detailed specifications give the method of construction and specify the nature of work. It gives the detailed
description of each item and forms a part of the construction document.

It can be subdivided as follows:

 General provisions these are the general conditions of the contract.
 Technical provisions specify the quantity of the final product and the inspections and
tests which should be conducted during construction
The technical provisions include:
 Specifications for materials and workmanship
 Specifications for performance
 Specifications for proprietary commodities
 Standard specifications most of the works are usually standardized which are numbered
serially so while writing the contract bond only serial numbers of
the standard specifications are written. This saves time, labour and
stationary expenditure.
Examples:
a Site Clearance and Topsoil Removal
Site clearance shall be carried out over the areas to be occupied by the Permanent Works before
beginning excavation or filling or other work, and shall include the clearance of all trees, stumps,
bushes and other vegetation and the removal of all boulders between 0.01 and 0.2 m3
volumes. Boulders located within 1 m of any pipe centerline shall be removed where directed by
the Engineer.

Before beginning clearance in any area the Contractor shall give seven days’ written notice of his
intention to the Engineer who will determine the extent and limits of such clearance.

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Topsoil shall mean the surface layer of soil which by its humus content supports vegetation and
is unsuitable, as a formation to roads and concrete structures or as a backfill or bedding
material. The extent and depth of topsoil that needs removal shall be agreed with the Engineer.
Topsoil shall be set aside for re-use or disposal as directed by the Engineer.

Trees to be removed shall be uprooted or cut down as near to the ground level as possible.
Bushes, undergrowth, small trees stumps and tree roots shall, where directed by the Engineer,
be grubbed out. All holes left by the stumps or roots shall be backfilled with suitable material in
a manner approved by the Engineer.
b Excavation for Foundations of Structures
A bottom layer of excavation of not less than 75mm thickness shall be left undisturbed and
subsequently, taken out by hand immediately before concrete or other work is placed.
Formations which are to receive concrete blinding or a drainage layer shall be covered with such
blinding or layer immediately the excavation has been completed, inspected and approved by
the Engineer.
Surfaces against which permanent works are to be placed shall be kept free of oil, water, mud or
any material.
No concrete or other materials shall be placed until formations have been approved. Adequate
notice shall be given to the Engineer to enable him to examine the formation.
c Backfilling of Excavations
Backfilling shall be thoroughly compacted in layers not exceeding 150mm compacted thickness
and by means which will not damage the Works. Backfilling of reinforced concrete structures
shall be with suitable material approved by the Engineer. “Granular material” as backfill is
defined as unconsolidated quarry dust, gravel, sand or similar in which the clay or silt content is
not predominant. The use of angular crushed stone shall not be permitted.
d Cement concrete
Cement concrete shall be prepared by mixing graded coarse aggregates with fine aggregates and
cement in specified proportions with required quantity of water.

3.0 GENERAL ARRANGEMENTS

3.1 General Clauses

General Clauses relate to job as a whole covering special responsibility of the contractor which is not
covered in the conditions of contract (a standard document).

3.2 Materials and Work Clauses

Materials and work clauses relates to various sections making up the work of a particular project.

3.3 Standard Specifications / General Specifications

Theses cover both the general material and work clauses for particular type of projects e.g. on road
and bridges, water and sewerage, general civil engineering works, buildings and railway.

3.4 Special Specifications/Particular Specifications

Highlight/amplify the particular sections of the standard specifications which specify relate to the
project at hand.
It also includes or refers to special requirements of the project at hand, any material report and any
peculiarities of the site e.g. swampy conditions, water logged area, depth of rock level, etc.

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4.0 ARRANGEMENT OF MATERIAL/WORK CLAUSES

This is made in two ways:
a. Material clauses entered first followed by work clauses in each section of the works e.g. a
section of concrete works will start by describing the materials which make up the concrete
(cement, sand, water and aggregates) followed by how concrete will be made.
b. Materials clauses are written as one section of the specification followed by work clauses
that are sub-divided on sectional basis.
Specifications are therefore numbered for ease of reference and each clause has a sectional heading
and further sectionalized into different elements.

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