Chapter One

1.1 Project Manual Concept

The documents commonly referred to as the specifications normally contain much more than that name implies. The procurement requirements, contracting forms, and conditions of the contract are usually included, but they are not specifications. In most cases, these are prepared by, or in coordination with, the owner and the owner's legal counsel and insurance adviser. This information, along with the specifications, is, in fact, a collection of certain written construction documents and project requirements whose contents and functions are best implied by the title "Project Manual." The project manual concept provides an organizational format and standard location for all of the various construction documents involved. For efficient coordination, document and section titles and their sequence of use should be the same for each project. With different methods of construction procurement, some documents become unnecessary. For example, in the owner-build delivery method and with negotiated contracts, bidding requirements are not applicable. Figure 1.1 shows an example of the recommended order of information and documents in a project manual. Separate volumes of the project manual are necessary when the number of pages makes them impractical to bind together in a single volume. Addenda and modifications are difficult to add to the bound project manual and are often compiled in a separate volume. Separate volumes can also be used for multiple contract construction projects.

1.2 Specifications Production

Specifications may be produced in a variety of ways, depending on individual office p