grade of redwood specified for an entrance door pull and the grade of the redwood strip indicated at the edge of the parking lot paving should not be the same. Avoid elaborate and expensive requirements for items that are not critical to the success of the project.
Consider only the selection of appropriate grades of materials for the specific part of the project under consideration.
1.7.2 Work Results Structure
When organizing and writing specification sections, the A/E must understand that neither the section titles nor their arrangement are organized by work results and do not control how the work of the project is to be assigned to various construction trades and subcontrac- tors. For example, the cold-formed metal framing for an exterior wall may involve welders and ironworkers, while non-load-bearing wall framing for gypsum board partitions may be erected by carpenters or lathers. Although MasterFormat® division and section titles may correlate with the activities of traditional contractor groups, and though the specification sections for products, materials, and systems installed by a single trade are often placed con- secutively in its Master List of Numbers and Titles, it is not the intent of MasterFormat® to
assign work to specific construction trades. Conversely, the subcontractor and the installing trade should not influence the arrangement of the specification sections. Published standard conditions of the contract further emphasize this philosophy within their requirements.
1.7.3 Industry Conditions and Availability of Products
The A/E should consider the availability of products being specified. A product available today may not be available some months later when the project is under construction.
Similarly, some products require long delivery times and may not be appropriate for proj- ects with short construction periods or when early completion of the project is extremely important. If the A/E is aware of items that may be susceptible to major availability or price fluctuations, these factors should be considered when making product selections.
Another consideration is the availability of skilled workers within specific geographic areas. It may not be appropriate to specify a specialized construction technique for a project located in an area where skilled workers are not available to do the work.
1.8 Specifying Quality Assurance and Quality Control
The A/E prepares construction documents that set forth the requirements for construc- tion of the project. These documents are based on the agreed-upon requirements, sched- ule, and budget. These requirements establish the project quality. The A/E’s ability to administer quality assurance and quality control during construction depends on how clearly these requirements are stated in the contract documents. The contract documents establish requirements for the work and procedures for administering the contract. Speci- fications generally stipulate qualitative requirements, and the drawings generally indicate
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quantitative requirements. Therefore, the major criteria for quality are described in the specifications. Every specification requirement establishes the quality of work, which is not always limited to articles that use the word quality. Requirements range from proce- dural issues to performance criteria and workmanship.
1.8.1 Quality Assurance in the Conditions of the Contract
The basis for quality assurance is included in the conditions of the contract. For example, preconstruction submittals, such as bonds and certificates of insurance, are assurances of performance, payment, and financial responsibility. Most standard general conditions in- clude warranty provisions requiring the contractor’s affirmation that materials and equip- ment will be new and of good quality, unless otherwise required or allowed; will be free from defects not inherent in the quality required or allowed; and will conform to the requirements of the contract documents. The warranty provisions summarize the con- tractor’s responsibility for quality and for conforming to the requirements of the contract documents. The warranty should not be confused with, and is not limited to, the one-year period for correcting defective work.
1.8.2 Quality Control in the Conditions of the Contract
The quality control provisions in the conditions of the contract require verification of conformance with the contract requirements. Many standard general conditions require the contractor to supervise the work using expertise, skill, and attention.
The contractor is solely responsible for controlling the means, methods, techniques, sequences, and procedures for construction and is therefore responsible for controlling the quality of the work.
The A/E usually visits the site to become familiar with the progress and quality of the completed work. On the basis of field observations, the A/E reviews the contrac- tor’s applications for payment and certifies or recommends payment of amounts due.
The A/E through this process may alert the owner if the quality of work is found to be in nonconformance with the contract documents or below the level of completion represented by the payment request; however, primary responsibility of conformance with the contract documents still lies with the contractor. Standard general conditions typically give the A/E authority to reject work that is defective or does not conform to the contract documents. This authority does not constitute control of the work, nor does this authority establish a responsibility for means, methods, techniques, sequences, or procedures for construction. The A/E may require additional independent inspection and testing.
The general conditions typically stipulate that the contractor shall bear the expense of any additional testing and inspection only if the work is found to be defective. Work not conforming to the contract documents may be considered defective or nonconforming.
The owner, however, has certain rights and remedies with respect to defective or nonconforming work and may elect to accept such work along with an adjustment in the contract sum.
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1.8.3 Division 01—General Requirements
Division 01 contains sections that specify procedures affecting project quality. The fol- lowing are several Division 01 sections that often include provisions for quality assurance or establish quality controls over the work:
• Regulatory Requirements. Identifies AHJs along with related codes and require- ments.
• Project Management and Coordination. Describes various types of meetings to en- sure and monitor quality through interaction of the participants. A typical quality assurance meeting, which may be called for in an individual specification section, is the preinstallation meeting. All meetings, however, have the potential for some positive influence on quality.
• Submittal Procedures. Includes such things as shop drawings, product data, and samples and provide proactive quality assurance through mutual understanding of the design intent and the contract requirements. This documentation and the samples provide assurance that the required quality will be obtained.
• Quality Assurance. Includes subjects such as manufacturer qualifications, supplier qualifications, installer qualifications, and testing agency qualifications as well as field samples, mock-up requirements, and contractor’s quality control.
• Quality Control. Includes subjects such as testing laboratory services, source and field testing, and inspection services.
• Substitution Procedures. Establishes procedures for proposing and evaluating sub- stitutions during the bidding/negotiating/purchasing and construction periods without compromising quality.
• Commissioning. Identifies process and requirements for facility, system, and com- ponent operation testing and checkout.
1.8.4 Specifications
Divisions 02 through 49 are composed of individual sections, each addressing a distinct subject area. The issues and requirements concerning quality assurance and quality control specific to that section are addressed. The contract documents are so interrelated that none of them can stand alone. An examination of SectionFormatTM will help clarify the inter- relationships between the requirements of articles within individual sections in Divisions 02 through 49 and Division 01 specification sections. The requirements in Division 01 are dependent on provisions in the conditions of the contract.
PART 1—GENERAL of a specification section includes articles on administrative matters. Three articles that deal specifically with quality are “Administrative Require- ments,” “Submittals,” and “Quality Assurance.”
• Administrative Requirements include preinstallation meetings that may be required for complex items requiring coordination and understanding among several participants.
• Submittals include preconstruction submittals, shop drawings, coordination draw- ings, product data, samples, quality assurance and quality control submittals, infor- mational submittals, construction photographs, and closeout submittals. Quality assurance and quality control submittals are generally in response to requirements
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specified in the articles “Quality Assurance,” “Source Quality Control,” and “Field [or] Site Quality Control.”
• Quality Assurance Requirements include prerequisites, standards, limitations, and criteria that establish an overall quality for products and workmanship and may include the following subjects:
• Regulatory Agency Sustainability Approvals include procedures and requirements for posting bonds, jobsite and recycling requirements, restrictions on airborne pollution, requirements to submit a procedures plan, and securing review and approval by AHJ.
• Qualifications state the minimum expertise of the manufacturer, supplier, fabri- cator, erector, applicator, or installer. They also include qualifications of testing agencies and a design engineer employed by the contractor or manufacturer.
• Regulatory Requirements describe obligations for compliance with codes for con- tractor-designed items. They include the requirements of AHJs.
• Certifications may be required to verify that performance is equivalent to that of tested units or specified criteria. Certifications may also be required by AHJs.
• Field or Site Samples are usually used to state requirements for sample field appli- cations of finishes, such as paint or other finish materials and coatings. Accepted samples may establish a minimum standard of workmanship.
• Mock-ups state the requirements for full-size erected assemblies to ensure under- standing and coordination of required construction. Mock-ups may also be used for testing and observation and for establishing standards by which workman- ship will be judged.
PART 2—PRODUCTS of a specification section includes articles related to the manufacture and fabrication of products. Following are several articles that specifically address quality control:
• Assembly or Fabrication Tolerances establish a statistical range of acceptability for properties of products before they are incorporated into the project.
• Source Quality Control involves quality control of products during their manufac- ture. These controls become assurances of a product’s quality.
• Tests may include compression tests for verification of a concrete mix design, sieve analysis of natural materials such as aggregates or soil, and test curves for fabricated units such as electrical switchgear.
• Inspections may include a checklist of items to be verified by inspection of products at their source. The qualifications of the inspector are significant when inspections require judgments based on experience and knowledge of a particular field.
• Nonconforming Work may include requirements for identification and correction of nonconforming work and final actions required to prepare installed products to perform properly.
• Manufacturer Services may require coordination during manufacture at the source for special inspections, including access by AHJ and other third parties.
PART 3—EXECUTION of a specification section covers work performed at the project site. The following articles in PART 3 relate to quality control:
• Tolerances is used to establish an acceptable range of deviation. Verification of dimensional tolerances may be required if the deviation appears unacceptable.
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Dimensional tolerances may involve such issues as surface flatness or alignment.
Frequency of the deviation from tolerances is sometimes controversial. A toler- ance that indicates the deviation shall not exceed 6 mm in 3000 mm (1/4 inch in 10 feet) may be questioned as to direction and whether the deviation is cumulative, such as 20 mm in 9100 mm (3/4 inch in 30 feet); fragmentary, such as 6 mm in 300 mm (1/4 inch in 1 foot); or multiple, such as 6 mm every 150 mm (1/4 inch every 6 inches).
• Field or Site Quality Control represents the last form of verification and may form the basis for decisions about defective work during or after installation.
• Field or Site Tests usually involve quality control of variable conditions. Test meth- ods, intervals between tests, and test sites are important issues. Field testing may include soil compaction, load tests, compression tests, and various other forms of nondestructive testing. Field testing may not always be performed at the site and may be performed on samples taken from the site.
• Field or Site Inspections may involve visual observation for compliance with speci- fied criteria. This may involve such items as joints and connections.
• Nonconforming Work may include requirements for identification and correction of nonconforming Work and final actions required to prepare installed products to perform properly.
• Manufacturer’s Services may require a manufacturer’s representative to visit the site to instruct an installer or owner’s personnel in the proper installation of a material or the operation of specialized equipment. The manufacturer’s field service may also be required to verify compliance with the manufacturer’s instructions. A field report is an appropriate quality control submittal for these services.