huangyhg

structural specs
i am just getting into specs and i am curious what the typical practice is around the country.
are the specs that you use based off of masterspec with your own personal touches??
if so, is there anything specific that you would recommend adding to the common specifications that might not be so intuitive??
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i've generally used masterspec and gone through each of the major structural sections to edit out stuff i know won't be used by me for most general projects.
for larger or more unique projects i start with a non-edited section.
csi used to have a spec system that i didn't care for because it was so additive based (it had all sorts of blanks you had to fill in). masterspec is more "subtractive" based in that it includes everything and you delete out what doesn't apply and edit what needs changing.
we do include some various provisions that we prefer over the base spec provided, but when you get updated specs it is a hassle to update your "masters" each time. therefore we try to include our preferential items in plan general notes instead.

i generally do similar to jae. sometimes i screw up and edit an edited version instead of the master....
7. cross check your specs against any general notes on your drawings.

8. realized that many contractors never open that odd thick book of bound paper in their job trailer known as the specifications and be prepared to prod and remind as necessary.
whenever you run into a problem or something that needs clarification on a project, take care of the problem first and then update your specs and general notes to avoid that problem in the future. in a few years, you will have a pretty air tight spec!
first, you need to decide which information belongs in the spec and which information belongs in the general notes on the drawings. some information could go either place. it's just not possible to put all the info in the general notes. but, as willisv pointed out, many building contractors never open the spec book, 'till there's a problem.
i generally try to avoid putting the same information into the spec and the general notes. my criteria for what belongs where is this: when the building needs to be renovated, the engineer may be lucky enough to find the drawings, but will almost never be lucky enough to find the specs. put all the info he will need for renovation on the drawings and not in the spec.
for buildings, i keep my own "master" specs and delete what isn't relevant to a particular job. it's a little more work keeping the referenced specs up to date, but it gives me more control over what i think belongs in the spec.

i whole-heartedly agree with miecz; number 8 is a world-wides issue... i have learnt to add as many notes as i think are reasonably necessary to build the structure without any major f*#$& ups, while including all the finer details and catch all clauses in the specs.
this makes numbers 1 and 7 not just important, but essential.
cheers,
ys
b.eng (carleton)
working in new zealand, thinking of my snow covered home...
i often use a fairly comprehensive set of notes plus a regular spec (and they're coordinated) with the intent being that after 20 years, it is often possible to find drawings, but no one seems to keep a copy of the specs.
dik
i've noticed at my workplace, it is common practice to leave extraneous text in certain sections.
for example, we may do a wood-framed job that has a few steel pipe columns at isolated locations. hence, we need to include a steel section in specs. our common practice is provide our standard, unabridged steel specification, that references practices geared towards conventional steel-framed buildings. at times, we may trim out a few things, but there is certainly a lot left in that is not relevant.
i can see the logic that what isn't present on the project drawings should be taken not to apply in the project specifications (i.e. the contractor should ignore any statements about steel beams if there are none on the project). i cannot see how it could be construed otherwise. however, i am cautious to think that the aforementioned cannot lead to any problems at all.
what say you guys?? do you always trim out the extraneous text?
i trim out all that i can. i believe that it saves me time in the shop drawing phase. i believe that a contractor is more likely to submit the proper materials if my spec looks like it was written specifically for the job. who knows...

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