ABDULKARIM, JABEER A.

BS- ARCH 3B

BUILDING TECHNOLOGY 4 (WED 12:00-5:00)

1. What is a specification?

A building Specification is usually understood as a central document in a building process. It,

traditionally functions between the design phase and the actual construction phase. It is contract
document, part of the Tender Documents, detailing the agreements made between the Client
and the Contractor.

2. Sight a purpose and important of specification

First of all, if you know what the specs say, you may be more respected by the contractor and
the guys in the field. If your specifications are good, and you and the contractor both know what
they say, the specs can be a foundation for mutual trust and respect, between architect and
contractor. If there is extra information in the specifications, the contractor will assume that the
specifications are boilerplate specifications that are reused on all projects, and are not specific
to the project, and will ignore all the specifications.

3. Qualification

4. Types of specification

Performance Specifications address the operational requirements of an installation. The focus

is on the project outcome, indicating how the final installed project must be able to function.
Here, architects provide direction to the general contractor about what is needed and the
general contractor must determine the best path to achieve the desired outcome. While this
approach gives the general contractor flexibility in his construction approach, it limits how much
authority an architect maintains once construction is underway.

Prescriptive Specifications contain detailed descriptions of what specific materials must be

used as well as the installation instructions. This type of spec usually involves three key
components:

General provisions: requirements surrounding codes and standards

Required products: the type of products required based on performance and structural
stipulations
Execution procedures: how to do the install and measure its effectiveness

Prescriptive specs put a greater burden on the architect (as opposed to the general contractor)
to ensure proper installation.
Proprietary Specifications demand that only one specific product be used for a given
installation. It commonly utilized if the portion of a project requires a certain performance that
only one product can achieve. This could ultimately drive up project costs.

It is critical for building/design product manufacturers to understand the various types of

specification as well as in which spec scenarios their products will most frequently be
considered.

5. Enumerate the division of Specification

SPECIFICATIONS GROUP
General Requirements Subgroup

Division 01 General Requirements

Facility Construction Subgroup

Division 02 Existing Conditions

Division 03 Concrete

Division 04 Masonry

Division 05 Metals

Division 06 Wood, Plastics, and Composites

Division 07 Thermal and Moisture Protection

Division 08 Openings

Division 09 Finishes

Division 10 Specialties

Division 11 Equipment

Division 12 Furnishings

Division 13 Special Construction

Division 14 Conveying Equipment

Division 15 HVAC

Division 16 RESERVED
 Division 17 Telecommunications

Division 18 RESERVED

Division 19 RESERVED
Facility Services Subgroup:

Division 20 RESERVED FOR FUTURE EXPANSION

Division 21 Fire Suppression

Division 22 Plumbing

Division 23 Heating Ventilating and Air Conditioning

Division 24 RESERVED FOR FUTURE EXPANSION

Division 25 Integrated Automation

Division 26 Electrical

Division 27 Communications

Division 28 Electronic Safety and Security

6. 3 Parts Section Format

Masterformat standardized the arrangement and naming of specification sections within project
manual. There is also a need to standardize the way in which information is presented within the
individual sections. The 3-Part Section Format groups information into three distinct categories
or parts. These are the 3-parts are:

Part 1, General
Part 2, Products
Part 3, Execution

Part 1, General Defines the specific administrative and procedural requirements unique to this
section.

Part 2, Products Describes, in detail, the quality of items that are required for incorporation
into the project under this section.

Part 3, Execution Describes, in detail, preparatory actions and how the products are
incorporated into the project.
7. Elements of Specification