Csi 3-part Specification
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These guide specifications should cover all options for a product or product line. For instance, manufacturers of sealants and waterproofing for the building envelope should clearly state how their products are used for air and vapor barriers, glazing systems and sealants & adhesives. The design specs should be written to clearly convey all options and selection criteria.
CAD files of products must be included in the specification submittal in a format that is easily included in the building information modeling (BIM) file. In creating appropriate specifications, manufacturers must keep in mind how architects and other designers will use their products in 3-part guide specifications.
Part 1 sets specific requirements regarding materials and workmanship and specifies the requirements of what is to be submitted. For instance, it sets conditions for documents submitted to an architect for authorization of use, quality assurance, and the administrative requirements of mechanical insulation, i.e., installing thermal insulation on any mechanical system, including HVAC systems, ducts, boilers and piping systems.
Each of the three parts includes a standard arrangement of paragraphs and articles, which only appear in the specification when applicable to the subject of the section and are arranged in the appropriate sequence. This allows for a systematic and simple recovery of information.
Be sure to guide the architect on the path of least resistance and speak their language. Following industry-standard, 3-part specification guide protocol and communicating using standard terminology, architectural symbols, and familiar formats in an organized fashion demonstrates that you are meeting the needs of the architect and contractor.
Product manufacturers can find, bid, and get specified and installed into projects from this platform, and architects, specifiers, contractors, engineers and facility managers can access and download all the information they need on over 100,000 products.
CSI 3-part specs tell the architect in short and easily-formatted terms how a product can fit into their specification for a project and the product details that need to be specified. Sifting through reams of data can take hours, but when information is organized into 3-part specifications, searching can take moments.
The mechanical insulation specification is an important but often overlooked part of the overall design process. Too often, mechanical insulation specifications are developed by "dusting off" the specification from a previous project. This often results in confusion, delays, and increased costs to resolve. Good specifications should communicate the design objectives, materials, thicknesses, finishes, securements and other systems requirements.
This section on specification writing was originally published as Section 4 of the 7th Edition of the National Commercial & Industrial Insulation Standards. It is reproduced here with permission of the Midwest Insulation Contractors Association (www.micainsulation.org). The assistance of MICA and Mr. Michael King of ARCOM is gratefully acknowledged.
The industry standard for specification organization and writing style is the Construction Specifications Institute's1 (CSI) Project Resource Manual (PRM), which has evolved for more than 30 years. The PRM discusses overall organization of contract documents. Understanding the overall organizational principles of construction contract documents is essential to writing clear and concise specification sections without creating conflicting requirements within the whole set of documents, which includes the drawings.
This specification writing guide provides an overview of the concepts contained in the PRM and some application techniques used by most architects and engineers and most commercially available master guide specifications. This includes MASTERSPEC Specification System2 and the Federal Government guide specifications known as the Unified Federal Guide Specifications (UFGS).
Along with these contract requirements and general requirements (Division 01), the drawings and specifications form the complete set of construction contract documents. Drawings communicate the quantitative requirements and show graphically the shape, location, joining, and general arrangement of construction. Specifications set the quality requirements for materials and workmanship.
The following paragraphs generally describe the role of each document within the set of documents. Even if the project is a simple contract without a full set of drawings and specifications, these principles remain valid.
In Division 01, some sections discuss the rules for product selection, such as what is meant by the phrase "or equal," if that phrase is used in the specification. Other sections include the procedures for submitting shop drawings, product data (also known as manufacturers' cut sheets), and samples. Other sections set general requirements for execution of the work and procedures for project closeout.
Specification Section Numbers and Titles: The Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) and Construction Specifications Canada (CSC) jointly publish a document called MasterFormat which is the master list of numbers and titles for organizing information about construction requirements, products, and activities into a standard sequence. In addition to other applications MasterFormat is the de facto North American standard for assigning numbers and titles to specification sections. CSI and CSC periodically update MasterFormat according to the changing construction industry. MasterFormat expands the divisions by assigning numbers to construction subjects known as specification sections. The system of numbers is open and flexible to allow user assigned numbers for additional subjects.
MasterFormat has been adopted by all Federal government agencies and the private sector design and construction industry throughout the U.S. and Canada. ARCOM3 uses MasterFormat to assign numbers and titles to the sections of MasterSpec.
Notice the similarity of the numbers and titles within each division. This similarity and the apparent redundancy end at the numbers and titles and the titles of articles and paragraphs with the sections. The requirements for insulation vary among the applications. In other words, the internal temperatures and conditions are different for each application and often require different materials or installation requirements.
Specifications sections can be written using the higher-level number (numbers ending in 00) or can be written using the lower-level numbers (ending with specific numbers in the third pair of numbers). Specifications for a specific project in a particular division should not be written using both higher- and lower-level numbers (i.e., 23 07 00 and 23 07 13). A project specification written using 23 07 00 would be inclusive of duct, equipment, and piping insulation as applicable to the project. This would be the choice when the project is simple and requires only one or two different types of insulation systems. When there are multiple types of insulation systems for ducts, equipment, and piping, using the lower-level numbers affords the ability to focus on each application more comprehensively while keeping the subject matter easy to find and read.
Example: Division 01 Section "Submittals" specifies general requirements for the procedures, including quantities, distribution, and actions to be taken by each party. In the Part 1 "Submittals" Article of a specification section, particular requirements about what to submit are specified.
In each of the three parts, a standard sequence of articles and paragraphs exists. Suggested articles and paragraphs should be retained only if they apply to the subject of the section and, when retained, they should be arranged in the recommended sequence. This continues the objective easy retrieval of information.
Several methods exist in which to write specification requirements to describe products. These methods are presented here in summary only, and each describes each method in its purest sense. Most specifications employ combinations of these methods to create a complete set of requirements.
Example: If the subject does not take action, but is something being described (such as a product), passive voice is clearer. If the subject is "the Contractor" then the subject is being directed to take action and the active voice is shorter and clearer.
Vocabulary (Terminology): Use terms with precise meanings and avoid jargon and ambiguous terms. Avoid the use of abbreviations unless they are well-known industry standards or are defined in the specification. Avoid the use of symbols. Use numerals consistently and set particular rules for capitalization. Set rules for spelling and select a particular dictionary for specification production. If there are optional ways to spell a word (e.g., calk and caulk), the shorter spelling is preferred in specifications.
Grammar Rules: English grammar rules apply. Proper sentence construction means that the subject and verb must agree, that sentences have parallel construction for both parts of compound subject or predicate, and that the style for nouns, adverbs, or prepositional phrases are identical. Avoid the use of unnecessary words and the excessive use of prepositional phrases.
The drawings are normally mute on the subject of mechanical insulation, except for the inclusion of an insulation schedule that identifies services to be insulated, locations and sizes of the services (because these items potentially determine materials and thicknesses), and the required insulation materials and thicknesses. These schedules also include required jackets, when applicable. These insulation schedules can also be included in the specifications
Designers must consider the internal temperatures of the equipment or systems being insulated, the ambient conditions within which the insulated equipment or system exists (or passes through), and the physical abuse the insulation system must withstand. In addition, the primary objective of the insulation system must be determined along with secondary and tertiary objectives. Pipe materials sizes must be determined before insulation systems can be designed. All of these factors must be known to determine the appropriate insulation materials, thicknesses, and required coverings. As an example, any given piping system will have multiple insulation materials and thicknesses along its route from central equipment to terminal equipment. This situation makes creating an insulation schedule a complex undertaking.
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