Later this month, we will begin the holiday season with Thanksgiving, a great time of year to reflect and be thankful for the many gifts in our lives. Many will cook, eat, watch parades, eat, watch football, eat, visit with family and did I mention..
Pre-Con: The Critical Conference
by Steve Gantner, RA, CSI, AGCMO, CCS, CCCA | Oct 30, 2020 | Construction Administration, Construction Manager, Contractor, General contractor, Architect, Construction Alliance, Division01, Pre-Construction
The Right and Wrong Time to Review Installers' Qualifications
by Elias Saltz | May 29, 2018 | bidding, Construction, Construction Administration, contract documents, Professional Practice, Quality Assurance, Specifications
One of the significant reasons for the existence of specifications is to describe the level of quality to the products and work that go into a building project. Specifications establish the performance of the products and assemblies and their..
Linking BIM and Specs with Keynotes
by David Stutzman | Sep 13, 2015 | BIM, Construction Administration, contract documents, Coordination, Design Considerations, Drawings, keynote, Quality Assurance, Specifications
Coordination, coordination, coordination! The better construction documents are coordinated, the better the outcome for the owner - not to mention the design and construction teams. Imagine the perfect set of construction documents: no bidder's..
Single Source Responsibility
by David Stutzman | Aug 17, 2015 | Construction Administration, Design Considerations, Division 07, Division 08, Division 11, Envelope, MasterFormat, Quality Assurance, Specifications
Construction specifications define work results. The results are divided among Divisions and Sections according to CSI's MasterFormat, the industry's organizational standard. Complying with MasterFormat allows specification readers to find information..
Ensuring Construction Quality
by David Stutzman | Jun 9, 2014 | Certification, Construction Administration, contract documents, Part 3, Professional Practice, Quality Assurance, Specifications, Specifier
How can an owner be sure construction produces the quality the owner desires? There is likely no way to be absolutely certain. But specifiers rely on several techniques to help ensure work results meets the owner's project requirements.
Owners - What did you buy?
by David Stutzman | Jun 2, 2014 | C1010, Construction Administration, contract documents, Division 09, Metal Stud, Professional Practice, Quality Assurance, Specifications, Specifier, Tech Tips
Friday, an architect asked for help researching a question about metal stud installation for interior partitions. The question was the result of a site visit. The resolution needed to be speedy. Monday the contractor planned to install gypsum board,..
Plywood Structural Panels
by David Stutzman | May 27, 2014 | B2010, Construction Administration, Division 06, plywood, Product Applications, publications, B1010, B1020, Sheathing, Specifications, Tech Tips
Why does the code require trademarks to distinguish the various plywood types? All plywood is not the same. Panels may be suitable for specific applications. The trademarks give basic information about expected performance and allowable use. Know and..
Contract Documents are Related
by David Stutzman | May 26, 2014 | AIA, Construction Administration, contract documents, CSI, Division 00, Division 01, MasterFormat, Professional Practice, AIA A201, SectionFormat, Specifications, Specifier, UniFormat
It's a debate. The debate is evidenced in all the commercial guide specifications and even CSI's SectionFormat™. Related Requirements is an article heading near the beginning of specification sections. This article gives specifiers an opportunity to list..
Is the Spec Open or Closed?
by David Stutzman | Apr 14, 2014 | comparable products, Construction Administration, contract documents, Division 01, Professional Practice, Specifications, specifying, substitutions
Is the contractor permitted to submit substitutions or propose comparable products? Not if the spec is closed, he is not. Be careful if you think you know, just from reading a technical section of the specifications. The manufacturer and product..
Studs and Piping
by David Stutzman | Nov 19, 2013 | C1010, Construction Administration, D2020, Design Considerations, Division 09, Division 22, Metal Stud, Plumbing Piping, Product Applications, Product Failures, publications, Specifications, Tech Tips