Specification and it's importance & purposes

1. PRESENTATION
Specification of Work
In
Estimation and Accounts (EA)
Presented By:
Vasu Goel
P.I.E.T.

2. SPECIFICATIONS
 A detailed description of the quality of materials and
workmanship required to complete an engineering project in
accordance with its drawings and details is known as the
specifications.
 A specification along with the drawings (including schedules
etc), form the part of the contract documents that translate the
client's requirements into the eventual building/construction.

3. DEFINITIONS
 There are a number of definitions of the term specifications -
two of the best are:
1. A detailed description prepared by a consultant Engineer
or Architect to tell the Contractor everything about
workmanship which cannot be shown on the drawings.
(Scott 1964).
2. The document that prescribes the requirements with
which the product or service has to conform (possibly
Gelder 2001).

4. The specifications shows the following details :
Type and quality of materials.
Method of preparation of an item.
Quality of workmanship.
Method of measurement of an item.
Other details related to the item, etc.

5. TYPES OF SPECIFICATIONS
The specifications are broadly into two categories :

6. IMPORTANCE OF SPECIFICATIONS :
1. Sometimes, it is not possible to furnish the information on
the drawings, regarding the quality of materials to be used
and the quality of workmanship to be achieved during
construction, due to shortage of space. Specifications
provide such useful data in a separate document.
2. The ‘drawings’ and ‘specifications’ form two important
contract documents. In case of discrepancy between the
drawings and specifications, the provisions of the
specifications are given more legal strength and shall
govern.

7. 3. The rates of items depend on the specifications. If the
specifications are rigid and demands for superior quality, the
rate of item will increase and vice versa.
4. Specifications are necessary during supervising the work.
5. The specifications of items are required by the contractor to
fill the rates of items in the tender document.

8. PURPOSES OF SPECIFICATIONS :
 To describe the quality of different materials required for
construction work.
 It enables the department, engineers, architect and contractor
to define, procure and check the material’s quality as per
specifications.
 To specify the quality of workmanship and method of doing
the same.
 Specifications are required to clarify the drawings.
 Specifications are helpful to the contractor in filling the
rates of various items in the tender.

9.  Specifications of a work serves as a guide to the supervising
staff of the owner as well as the contractor to execute the work
to their satisfaction.
 Specifications are necessary to verify and check the strength of
materials for a work.
 Specification is an essential contract document and is required
for arbitration (dispute between the contractor and owner) and
court cases.
 Specification is necessary to specify the equipments, tools and
plants to be engaged for a work and thus enables to procure
then before hand.