ABSTRACT
Specifications consist of detailed written descriptions relating to the standards of materials and workmanship required to implement the project. Conventional specification structure is driven by the ‘Common Arrangement of Work Sections’, the product of a government initiative ‘Coordinated Project Information’ in 1979. The aim of a specification is to guide and to assist rather than to confuse. Specification clauses must be clear and unambiguous. The specification should state whether samples of particular components are to be provided for inspection. Nominating a particular supplier within the specification limits competition and denies contractor(s) a competitive ‘edge’ over their rivals. The introduction of a National Plant Specification was originally intended to address a lack of rigour in specifying plant material and disparate information on the subject, in order to provide an industry ‘standard’. National Plant Specification planting lists/palettes can be opened directly into computer Aided design programs for labelling, automatic plant number calculations, preparation of schedules, Bills of Quantity and project specifications.
