Writing Engineering Specifications

This concise guide to technical specifications leads the reader through the process of writing these instructions, with clear advice to help the student and professional avoid legal disputes or the problems caused by poor drafting.

This third edition of the standard construction specifications writing guide has been updated to include new information on linking specifications to computer databases and to other parts of the design process. Construction Specifications Writing shows how to organize documents, consolidate the Federal government systems, generate well-researched mastertexts, automate specifications, write more condensed text, use full-time specifications consultants, and use the new knowledge-based specifying systems.

Engineers need to understand the legal and commercial context in which they draw up technical specifications. This thoroughly up-dated edition of Haslam's successful Writing Engineering Specifications provides a concise guide to technical specifications and leads the reader through the process of writing these instructions, with clear advice to help the student and professional avoid legal disputes or the confusion and time wasting caused by poor drafting. Designers and project managers should find this invaluable, and it should be helpful to insurers, lawyers, estimators and the like.

Engineers need to understand the legal and commercial context in which they draw up technical specifications. This thoroughly up-dated edition of Haslam's successful Writing Engineering Specifications provides a concise guide to technical specifications and leads the reader through the process of writing these instructions, with clear advice to help the student and professional avoid legal disputes or the confusion and time wasting caused by poor drafting. Designers and project managers should find this invaluable, and it should be helpful to insurers, lawyers, estimators and the like.

The focus of this practical, hands-on book is on the preparation of the specification in the engineering industry - representing, along with the drawings, the final product of any engineering organization, and crucial to its success. Each chapter is supplemented by a checklist which can be used first to plan an effort, and later used to ensure that the effort is truly complete. Each chapter also contains practical guidance on all aspects of writing the engineering specification, and specification techniques common to all industries are presented.

Updated edition of the comprehensive rulebook to the specifier's craft With this latest update, Construction Specifications Writing, Sixth Edition continues to claim distinction as the foremost text on construction specifications. This mainstay in the field offers comprehensive, practical, and professional guidance to understanding the purposes and processes for preparation of construction specifications. This new edition uses real-world document examples that reflect current writing practices shaped by the well-established principles and requirements of major professional associations, including the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the Engineers Joint Contract Documents Committee (EJCDC), and the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI). Also included are guidelines for correct terminology, product selection, organization of specifications according to recognized CSI formats, and practical techniques for document production. Fully revised throughout, this Sixth Edition includes: Updates to MasterFormat 2004, as well as SectionFormat/PageFormat 2007 and Uniformat End-of-chapter questions and specification-writing exercises Samples of the newly updated construction documents from the AIA New chapter on sustainable design and specifications for LEED projects Updated information on the role of specifications in Building Information Modeling (BIM)