Agreement & Specification
Prepared by: LEUL YISHAK January, 2023
Co-Instructors: Hawassa, Ethiopia
Institute of Technology, Department of Architecture, Chair of Architectural Design, Professional Practice & Ethics
Agreement
Is a term of common consensus used to guide the relation
ship between two or more people or Institutions.
Design Service Agreement
Is a binding arrangement made between an Architect/
Consultant and a Client/ Institution in order to provide a certain
Architectural Service.
Elements of Architectural Agreement
Cover Page
Article-I Concerned Parties and Date of Agreement
Article-2 Scope of Service
- Schematic
- Final Design
- Design Document
- Permit
- Supervision
Elements of Architectural Agreement
Article-3 Remuneration
- Design Fee
- Terms of Payment
Article-4 Obligation
- Obligation of the Architect
- Obligation of the Client
Article-5 Time Frame of Payment
Article-6 Signatory
SPECIFICATION
Chapter Outline
• Introduction
• Purposes of specifications
• Types of Specifications
• Specification writing
Introduction
• The information that is needed for construction is usually conveyed
by two basic communication lines.
• They are Drawings (pictorial) and Specifications (written).
• Specifications are devices for organizing the information depicted on
the drawings.
• They are written descriptions of the legal and technical
requirements forming the contract documents.
Difference:
Drawings should generally show the following:
• Dimensions, extents, size, shape, and location of
component parts
• Location of materials, machineries, and fixtures
• Interaction of furniture, equipments and space
• Schedules of finishes, windows and doors
Cont.
• Specification is defined as the designation or statement by
which written instructions are given distinguishing and/or limiting
and describing the particular trade of work to be executed.
• Specification is one of the contract documents.
• Specifications are written based on the prepared design,
drawings, general and scientific trends of workmanship, quality
expected, equipment involved and materials to be used for the
particular trade of work.
The specifications should clearly specify
• Type and quality of materials, equipments, labor or
workmanship
• Methods of fabrication, installation and erection
• Standards, codes and tests
• Allowance, submittals and substitutions
• Cost included, insurance and bonds
• Project records and site facilities.
Purpose of specifications
• Guide the bidder at the time of tendering to arrive at a
reasonable cost for the work
• Provide guidance for execution and supervision of works.
• Guide the contractor for the purchase of materials
• Serve as a part of contract document to limit and describe
the rights and obligations of each contracting parties.
• Guide the bidder to identify his capacity to execute the
work.
Cont.
• Serve as fabrication and installation guide for temporary and
permanent works.
• Guide the contractor for the purchase and/or hiring of
equipments.
• Serve for the owner to know what he/she is entitled to
receive
• Serve for the manufacturers of construction materials,
equipments, tools etc to grade, classify, and improve
qualities of their produces.
Cont.
• Indirectly, the specifications are very much related to the
legal considerations,
• insurance considerations, bidding requirements, alternates
and options, rights,
• obligations and remedial measures for the contracting
parties.
• Note: In the events of conflicts between specification and
drawings, the specification governs.
Types of Specifications
In general, specifications can be broadly classified into four
categories as follows:
• Manufacturer’s specification: Manufacturers prepare specification
of their product for the guidance of their users, which may include
property description and installation guide lines.
• Guide Specification : Specifications prepared by an individual or
group of individuals based on manufacturer’s specifications,
established trends of workmanship, service and laboratory tests and
research findings to be used as guide lines for preparation of contract
specifications.
Cont.
• Standard Specification: Specifications which are intended
to be used as a reference standard in the construction of a
project. The guide specification which has been standardized
by a recognized authority is considered as standard
specification.
• Contract (Project) Specification: the specification prepared
for a particular project to accompany the drawings and other
contract documents.
Cont.
• BATCODA:
• “Technical Specification and Methods of Measurement
for Construction of Buildings”, March 1991, is the
standard specification which has been in use for many
years as one of the contract documents in our country.
• This material has the general requirement part and the
specific part.
Cont.
• Division 22/ 64 / 00 (Trade No./ Dr. No./ Ref. No. )
• Description
• General – Scope description, Spec reference, Quality
assurance, Submittals, Publications & Standards
• Product – Product description, Performance requirement,
Material requirement
• Execution – Installation requirement, Required start-up &
Testing, Training of Owner staff
Cont.
• In the general requirement part the following items, which
may be applied to any
• project and any trade of work are described in general terms:
• 011 - General 012 - Site Description
• 013 - Quality Assurance 014 - Project Records
• 015 - Site Facilities 016 - Cleaning up
• In the specific part the different trades of works (excavation
and earthworks, concrete works, etc.) are described in
details and the method of measurements are given.
• Master Specification of US – Also being used
There are the following types of technical
specifications:
1. Proprietary Specifications:
• This specifications call for desired materials, producers,
systems, and equipments by their trade names and model
numbers. For detailed descriptions reference should be
made to manufacturer’s specifications.
• They are of two types: Closed (sole) source and Open or
equal source.
Example:
i. Water reducing agent shall be used in all concrete, in strict
accordance with the manufacturer's printed instructions. Total
air entrained shall be 5.0% plus or minus 1.0% of volume of
concrete with required strengths maintained.
ii. Air – Entraining Agent: “Darex” by W.R. Grace Company,
“Aerolith” by Sonneborn Building Products or equal meeting
ASTM C260 as approved by the architect.
2. Performance Specifications
• Specifications which define products based on desired end
results which are performance oriented
• Most appropriate when new or unusual products or systems
are required or when innovation is necessary.
• Testing methods and evaluation procedures for defining the
required performances must be explicitly specified.
Example
• Stud shear connectors shall conform to the requirements
of Article 4.26 of the American Welding Society.
3. Reference Specifications
• which refer to levels of quality established by recognized testing
authority or standards set by quality control authorities.
• These specifications are also used in conjunction with other
types of specifications.
• Example : - C – 25 Concrete.
4. Descriptive Specifications
• Which describe all components of products, their arrangement and
methods of assembly, physical and chemical properties, arrangement
and relationship of parts and numerous other details.
• The specifier shall take total responsibility for the function and
performance of the product.
• Example: Supply and fix 40mm. thick flush wood door with hard wood
frames and both sides covered with best quality 4mm thick ply wood.
Price includes approved quality lock, hinges, three coats of varnish
paint, door stopper and all necessary accessories to comply ES’’.
5. Cash Allowance Specifications
• Specifications meant to direct bidders to set aside a specified
amount of money to be applied to the construction work at
the direction of the specifier.
• Example: - “A lump sum of $3,000.00 for purchase of
hardware, as defined by and specified in Specification
sections of Division 8”
Specification writing
• Specification writing embodies certain methods of presenting
information and instructions.
• When specifications are to be written, the following shall be
taken into consideration:
Specification writing require
1. Visualization (having clear picture of the system)
2. Research (to know the legal impact correctly)
3. Clear thinking (understanding things directly without
misleading)
4. Organizing (organizing what we know to write the
specification)
Specification writing:
• Require professional ability to read drawings
• Require wide knowledge of the construction materials, various
levels of workmanship, different construction equipments and
method of construction to be employed.
• To be brief and short as much as possible
• Shall include all items affecting the cost of the work
• Shall be fair and do not attempt to throw all risks and
responsibilities on one of the parties signing the contract, the
employer or the contractor.
• Shall avoid repetition of information shown on drawings to avoid
mistakes and duplications within the specifications and
drawings
• Shall not include inapplicable text and do not specify the
impossible or anything not intended to be enforced.
What are the useful references
in specification writing?
The following are useful references in Specification Writing:
• Codes and ordinances of governments, cities, or municipalities.
• For example, Ethiopian Building Code of Standards (EBCS)
• Standards prepared by distinct societies and government agents.
• For example, ACI standards, ASTM standards, BS, ES, ISO.
• Standards or model specifications prepared by manufacturers,
professional societies, and government bodies.
• Master specifications and previously written specifications.
• Information or experience acquired by personal observation and
contact with trained or experienced people in the construction
industry.
Specification language
The specification writer should present his instructions regarding the
particular work under consideration in such a manner that: -
1.The drawings are more clearly interpreted, not duplicated.
2. Rights, obligations, and remedial measures shall be designated
without ambiguity or prejudice.
3. Clearly express the extent of works under consideration; therefore, the
phraseology used in this regard shall be: -
i) Judged by its quality not its length
ii) Should be concise and short and written with commonly used words
iii) Punctuations are important but their usage shall be limited to few
Specification language
Capitalizing the first letters is mandatory for the following
expressions:
1. Parties to the contract; e.g. Employer/Client /Contractor/ Engineer
2. Space within the building; e.g. Bed Room, Toilet, Living Room
3. Contract documents; e.g. Bill of Quantity, Working Drawing,
Specification
• Minimize pronouns(I, Me, She), better to repeat nouns
• Minimize the use of symbols
• Do not use foot notes, do not underline within a sentence for
emphasis
Words shall be used as follows:
• shall in place of must; use “shall” for the duties of the contractor or the
consultant to represent the word “must”
• “will” is used for the duties of the employer to represent the word “must”
• “must” –avoid the use of the word “must” and substitute by the word shall
to prevent the inference of different degrees of obligation
• Avoid the use of words which have indefinite meanings or limitless and
ambiguous in their meanings. For example, any, either, same, similar, etc.
Thank You
All !
