ABSTRACT
The conventional method of information transfer from designer to builder consists of graphical description of the various building components and a detailed specification, in terms of matersials and methods, of the tasks to be performed for their construction. These specifications, many of them included in institutional codes of practice, evolved with time and are adjusted to the conventional levels of building quality. This approach, which confines the builder to a particular building method, could be employed when the building construction was executed with commonly applied traditional methods. It proved inadequate, however, with the advent of industrialized systems, using a variety of components, finishes, and connections. A precise specification of the construction method by the designer may, in such cases, preclude an employment of alternatives with a definite economic or performance advantage.
