PRESENTATION No.

1
SEM II

CHECKLIST FOR SPECIFICATION

WRITING

Ar. PRAKASH A JOSHI

Dr. BHANUBEN NANAVATI COLLEGE OF
ARCHITECTURE, PUNE
SPECIFICATION WRITING FOR BUILDING CONSTRUCTION
1) SPECIFICATIONS DEPEND UPON THE SITE CONDITIONS , NATURE
OF WORK AND THE PURPOSE FOR WHICH THE WORK IS CARRIED
OUT.
2) SPECIFICATIONS SHALL BE ARRANGED IN THE ORDER IN WHICH
WORK SHALL BE CARRIED OUT.
3) WHILE FRAMING CLAUSES FOR QUALITY AND DESCRIPTION OF
MATERIALS, WORKMANSHIP, TOOLS & PLANTS ETC, PRACTICAL
POSSIBILITIES SHALL BE REALISED.
4) CORRECT AND COMPLETE BUT NOT REPEATED INFORMATION
SHALL BE GIVEN SO THAT THE OWNER AND THE CONTRACTOR
CAN CARRYOUT THE WORK FOLLOWING THE SPECIFICATIONS.
5) ABBREVIATIONS WHICH ARE FAMILIAR CAN BE USED.
6) SPECIFICATIONS ARE LEGAL DOCUMENTS HENCE WORDS
HAVING MORE THAN ONE MEANING SHALL BE AVOIDED.
 CHECK LIST: AN EFFECTIVE TOOL OF QUALITY
MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
THE ‘CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY’ IS VERY COMPLEX IN TERMS OF
ITS OPERATIONS AND PRODUCTION PROCESS, IT IS UNIQUE. AS A
CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY, THE PRODUCT GETS MANUFACTURED
ON SITE. IT IS ‘ONE-OFF DESIGN WITH NO PROTOTYPE’ OR ‘A TAILOR
MADE CONCEPT’. THE DESIGN SHOP (CONSULTANTS) IS SEPARATE
FROM CONSTRUCTION SITE, WITH VERY COMPLEX
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE, LESS STANDARDIZATION AND
WORKMANSHIP SKILLS FROM UNORGANIZED SECTOR.
POST WORLD WAR II, IN THE ERA OF INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION, THE
‘MANAGEMENT THEORY’ EVOLVED AND ‘MANAGEMENT’ BECAME
BUZZ WORD. THE ENTIRE EFFORT WAS TO MANAGE DIFFERENT
RESOURCES LIKE MEN, MATERIAL, MONEY, MACHINERY AND
METHODS.
CONTD…..
THE THEORY OF MANAGEMENT BROUGHT THE CONCEPT OF
‘MANAGEMENT FUNCTIONS’. ‘CONTROLLING’ IS ONE OF THE IMPORTANT
FUNCTIONS, WHICH HELP IN KEEPING CHECK ON EVERY ACTIVITY FROM
DESIGNING STAGE TO COMMISSIONING STAGE. IN MANAGEMENT
THEORY AND PRACTICES, AT MOST IMPORTANCE IS GIVEN TO ‘QUALITY’
AND ‘QUALITY MANAGEMENT’ (QM). THE THEORY OF QM IS CLASSIFIED
IN TWO SECTIONS, NAMELY, ‘QUALITY ASSURANCE’ AND ‘QUALITY
CONTROL’.
‘QUALITY ASSURANCE’ INVOLVES ESTABLISHING PROJECT RELATED
POLICIES, PROCEDURES, STANDARDS, TRAINING, GUIDELINES, AND
SYSTEMS TO ACHIEVE INTENDED PRODUCT QUALITY. WHILE, ‘QUALITY
CONTROL’ IS A SET OF SPECIFIC ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN ‘IN EXECUTION
PROCESS’ AND ‘POST EXECUTION PROCESS’ TO CONFIRM THE QUALITY
BASED ON GUIDELINES OF QUALITY ASSURANCE PROTOCOLS.
 ‘CHECK LIST’, IS ONE OF THE BEST CONTROLLING
TOOL UNDER QA WHICH HELP IN PLANNING &
SCHEDULING PROJECT ACTIVITIES.
BROAD CECKLIST FOR SPECIFICATION WRITING FOR
BUILDING CONSTRUCTION

EVREY SPECIFICATION SHOULD BROADLY HAVE

1) MANDATORY & INCLUSIVE ITEMS FOR WORK
2) DESCRIPTION AND QUALITY OF MATERIAL
3) WORKMANSHIP
4) TOOLS AND PLANTS TO BE ENGAGED
5) METHOD OF PROTECTION OF NEW WORK
NEED OF CHECKLIST AS CONTROLLING TOOL
CHECK LIST IS A WRITTEN COMMUNICATION SYSTEM DEVELOPED
TO ESTABLISH CONTROL OVER CONSTRUCTION PROCESSES &
PRACTICES. THE NEED OF CHECK LIST CAN BE ENLISTED AS :
1. IT IS THE DOCUMENT WHICH DESCRIBES THE REGULAR AND
RECURRING ACTIVITIES TO BE CARRIED OUT IN DIFFERENT
OPERATIONS.
2. IT ELABORATES STANDARDISED PRACTICES IN TERMS OF
PROCEDURES AND POLICIES TO BE FOLLOWED TO ACHIEVE
DESIRED OUTCOME.
3. DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY IT SUPPORTS IN CONTROLLING
IMPORTANT FACTORS OF CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY LIKE
QUALITY, SAFETY, TIME & COST.
Contd….
4. USE OF ‘CHECK LIST’ REGULARLY IN THE SYSTEM, HELPS IN
MINIMIZING THE DEFECTS AND ERRORS. THUS, ULTIMATELY
LESSEN THE OCCURRENCE OF CORRECTIVE ACTIONS.
5. IT PROVIDES A DESCRIPTION OF INDIVIDUAL’S RESPONSIBILITY
AND AUTHORITIES.

THE CHECK LISTS FOR FEW OF THE BASIC CONSTRUCTION

ACTIVITIES ARE MENTIONED BELOW AND SUMMARIZED TO
UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT OF ‘CHECK LIST’.
 BROAD HEADS AS
CHECKLIST FOR CONSTRUCTION WORK INCLUDES:
1. EXCAVATION AND EARTH WORK
2. PLAIN AND REINFORCED CEMENT CONCRETE ( INCLUDING
FORMWORK )
3. BRICK MASONRY/ STONE MASONRY
4. PLASTER
5. FLOORING AND WALL FINISHING
6. WATERPROOFING
7. WOODWORK
8. PAINTING AND POLISHING
9. METAL WORK
10. ROOFING
11. DRAINAGE, PLUMBING & WATERSUPPLY, STORM WATER DRAIN
12. ELECTRICAL WORK
1. EXCAVATION AND EARTH WORK
1. DRAWINGS
2. CLEARING
3. CLASSIFICATIONS
4. EARTH FILLING MATERIAL
5. FIELD DENSITY
6. LEAD
7. MEASUREMENT & PAYMENT
8. RUBBLE SOLING
2. PLAIN AND REINFORCED CEMENT CONCRETE
( INCLUDING FORMWORK )
1. APPLICABLE CODES
2. MATERIALS FOR STANDARD CONCRETE
3. WATER
4. REINFORCEMENT
5. MIX DESIGN
6. FORMWORK
a. DESIGN OF FORMWORK
b. TYPE OF FORMWORK
c. REUSE OF FORMS
d. REMOVAL OF FORMS
3. BRICKWORK MASONARY/ STONE MASONARY

BRICKS STONES
MORTAR RANDOM RUBBLE
LAYING OF BRICKS COURSED RUBBLE
JOINTS ASHLAR
CURING MORTAR
SCAFFOLDING LAYING
CURING
4. PLASTERING

1. MATERIALS
2. PREPARATION OF MORTAR
3. PREPARATION OF SURFACE
4. LAYING
5. CURING
6. POINTING
5. FLOORING AND WALL FINISHING

1. INDIAN PATENT STONE (IPS)

2. KOTAH/TANDUR/SHAHBAD/STONE FLOORING
3. MOSAIC TILE FLOORING
4. VITREOUS FLOORING
5. SKIRTING AND DADO
6. PUNNING TO WALLS
7. WHITE WASHING
 6. WATERPROOFING

1. CONCRETE/ MORTAR ( COBA ) WITH WATERPROOF AGENT AND

CEMENT SLURRY FINISH OR CHINA – MOSAIC FINISH ( TERRACE)
2. BASEMENT WATERFROOFING ( BOX TYPE ) USING SHAHBAD
STONES
3. CHEMICAL COATING FOR WATERPROOFING – Dr. FIXIT , LOCTITE
4. WATERPROOFING TO TOILET BLOCKS WITH GROUTING , CHEMICAL
COATING AND BRICKBAT COBA FINISHED WITH THICK CEMENT
SLURRY ( TROWEL FINISHED )