INTRODUCTION

This course, based on CSI's Manual of Practice recommendations and principles, will enable you to update and increase your fluency in CSI specification writing, production, and application techniques and will teach you how to use these recommendations to prepare project documents in current industry standard formats.  This course will introduce the basic principles of CSI construction document organization; identify the relationship and coordination of these documents and to define the CSI standard classification systems for construction information and the formats used to organize project manual data.

It will present CSI writing techniques; define CSI's basic concept of General Requirements administrative and procedural specification sections; learn the organization and applications of CSI's standard specification formats and recommendations for methods of specifying construction products and emphasize the principles of accuracy, clarity, correctness and conciseness as requirements for effective communication.

WORKSHOP OBJECTIVES 

1. Introduce the basic principles of CSI construction document organization; identify the relationships and coordination of these documents and to define the CSI standard classification systems for construction information and the formats used to organize project manual data.    
2. Present CSI writing techniques; define CSI's basic concept of Division 1 - General Requirements administrative and procedural specification sections; learn the organization and applications of CSI's standard specification formats and recommendations for methods of specifying construction products and emphasize the principles of accuracy, clarity, correctness and conciseness as requirements for effective communication.  
3. Learn CSI recommended production techniques; introduce effective methods and techniques for evaluating and selecting construction products and review the advantages of using master specifications and procedures for developing and maintaining an office master specification.
4. Apply CSI principles and recommendations for project manual preparation to solve sample problems; and demonstrate a basic understanding of CSI's specification section writing recommendations.
5. Developing an understanding of CSI principles and recommendations for assembling the written construction documents into a project manual and demonstrate CSI specification writing, production and application techniques using practice exercises and sample problems.

Dr. AlBahar, President of PROMIS, Project Management Engineering Systems, is an expert in construction contracts and claims analysis and project management tools and techniques. His recent consulting work is focusing on analysis of delay claims using CPM schedules and amicable settlement of disputes between Clients and Contractors. Dr. AlBahar is a frequent regional and international speaker on all subjects related to project management, construction contracts, tendering procedures, claims analysis and evaluation, contract administration and management, and value engineering.

Dr. AlBahar is a registered arbitrator in the Emirate of Dubai, U.A.E., the State of Kuwait, and was a full time professor at Kuwait University where he taught project management, contracts and specifications, construction management, construction methods, surveying, legal, social and ethical aspects of engineering. He was formerly a marketing and business development manager for Morrison Knudsen Corporation in San Francisco, California

Dr. AlBahar has conducted over 500 public and in-house training courses in the last 25 years on subjects related to contracts, claims, project management, PMP Exam Preparation Workshops, value engineering, budgeting and cost estimating and effective project administrative procedures. His most recent consulting agreement, and as part of team, was to review and rewrite the General Conditions of Contracts and Consultancy Agreement (both General and Particular) for Dubai Municipality and Public Works in Abu Dhabi. He is a Contract Advisor for Qatar Petroleum, Doha, Qatar.

DAY ONE

FUNDAMENTALS AND FORMATS

PROJECT MANUAL CONCEPT

• Construction Documents
• Background and Principles
• Contents
• Project Manual Arrangement: Bidding, Contracting, and Specifications
• Project Life Cycle/Phases

CLASSIFICATION SYSTEMS

• Systems and Assemblies - UniFormat
• Products and Materials - MasterFormat
• Purpose, Structure, and Application of CSI Classification Systems

FORMATS

• CSI Standard Formats
• Divisions and Sections
• Page Layout
• Steps for Specifications Writing
• Understanding Job Requirements
• Types of Specifications: Functional (Performance), Descriptive, Standard

CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS

• Bidding Requirements
• Contract Documents
• Contract Types and Forms
• Conditions of Contracts
• Project Manual Concept:
• Design and Construction Participants
• Design Team Co-ordination

DAY TWO

SPECIFICATION WRITING

CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION SECTIONS

• Basic Concept
• Division 1 Relationship to Other Documents
• Administrative Requirements
• Procedural Requirements
• Temporary Facilities and Controls

CONTRACT CONTRACTS

• Contractual Relationship between Parties
• Method of Contractor Selection
• Number of Contracts
• Contract Type
• Basis of Payment

 MASTERFORMAT AND SECTIONFORMAT

• Work Information Locations
• Project Information Locations
• Levels of Specifying
• Product Information Locations

METHODS OF SPECIFYING

• Selection Method Controls
• Definition of Specifying Methods
• Advantages and Limitations of Each Method
• Order in Specifications: Divisions and Sections

DRAWINGS

• Role and Function of Drawings in Project Phases
• Design Phase Drawings
• Drawings during Construction
• Drawing Categories
• Co-ordinating Drawings, B.O.Q. and Specifications
• Sample Co-ordination Checklist

LANGUAGE AND WRITING STYLE

• Requirements for Effective Communication
• Vocabulary and Sentence Structure
• Writing Style
• Specification Language: Vocabulary, Spelling, Sentence Structure, Abbreviations, Symbols, Numbers, Capitalization, Punctuation, Grammar, etc.
• Practical Considerations during Writing
• Specification Detail
• Practice Exercises

DAY THREE

SPECIFICATION APPLICATION

PRODUCT EVALUATION AND SELECTION

• Establishing the Requirements
• Establishing Product Selection Criteria
• Determining Project Requirements
• Listing Performance Requirements
• Allowances and Alternates
• Specifying Allowances
• Identifying and Evaluating Products
• Selecting and Documenting Final Product Selection

 MASTER SPECIFICATIONS

• Advantages of Master Specifications
• Contents and Organization of an Office Master
• Preparing Master Specification Sections
• Using and Updating Master Specifications
• Commercial Master Specifications

METHODS OF SPECIFYING

• Outline Specifications
• Descriptive Specifications
• Performance Specifications
• Reference Standards
• Incorporate the Standards Properly
• Enforce the Requirements of the Standards
• Proprietary Specifications
• Closed and Opened Proprietary Specifications
• Selection of Proprietary Methods
• Non-Restrictive Specifications

DAY FOUR

SPECIFICATION PRODUCTION

WRITING SPECIFICATION SECTIONS

• Gathering Information
• Drafting the Specification Sections:
• Part 1 – General
• Part 2 – Products
• Part 3 - Execution
• Selecting Products
• Writing Considerations
• Practice Exercises

SUBSTITUTIONS

• Substitutions Requirements and Definitions
• Substitutions Proposed during the Bidding Phase
• Substitutions Proposed with the Bids
• Substitutions Proposed After the Bidding Phase
• “OR EQUAL” Clauses
• Substitutions as they relate to the various Methods of Specifying
• Substitution Procedures Before and After Bidding
• Standard Form to Request Approval
• Practice Exercises

DAY FIVE

PRACTICE EXERCISES

WARRANTIES

• Definition of Terms
• Guaranty and Warranty: What is the Difference?
• Construction Warranties
• Terms and Conditions
• Purpose and Benefits of Warranties
• Limitations and Exclusions
• Remedies and Duration of Warranties
• Procurement Warranties

PRODUCING A PROJECT MANUAL

• Product Decisions
• Preliminary Specifications
• Project Type and Document Requirements
• Organizing Specifications
• Specification Preparation
• Editing
• Preliminary Review and Coordination
• Final Preparation

SPECIFICATIONS WRITING

• Practice Exercises
• Using Software for Construction Specification Writing and Editing
• Demonstration of SPECLINK and ARCON Construction Specifications Writing and Development Software