Almost every specification section most specifiers will ever need is available in one or more commercial master guides, and for those that aren't, there are other options.  Many manufacturers provide guide specs for their products.  Most offices have a..

When writing construction specifications what is really important the format or content? Listening to some design teams, it seems lack of consistent format generate the greatest anxiety. Why is this? Well architects are generally visual creatures...

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..

The construction industry in general and the architectural profession specifically, seem to enjoy the same challenge on every project. You would think the challenge is about the design - trying to optimize the response to the owner's program and the..

Construction specifications contain data, lots of data. These data must be easily found by the hundreds of individuals involved in any construction project - not just the architect and contractor, but the subcontractors, materials distributors,..

I would like to produce perfect documents every time. However, I remember Hal Barcus, one of my architecture professors saying, "Architecture is never done; you just run out of time, patience, or money." As a student, I didn't appreciate the valuable..

An interesting question--no doubt about it! More than 90 Specifying Practice Group members, an attendance record, met last week to discuss it.

What, you say? Of course, different products are specified differently! Concrete block, doors, and air handlers are simply not the same. Why would the specs ever be the same?

CSI's Specifying Practice Group met to debate why contractor submittals are required, how submittals are classified, and the A/E's responsibilities for submittals. Must the A/E require submittals to ensure the owner gets what is due? Will submittals help..

Fifty-three members of CSI's Specifying Practice Group met August 5 to discuss the updates for two of CSI's formatting documents: SectionFormat and PageFormat. The meeting included wonderful discussion and interaction among the members while reviewing..