00469480

Component

http://onlinepubs.trb.org...trr/1987/1126/1126-003.pdf

https://scholar.google.co...nson&publication_year=1987

One of the essential qualities of a specification is reasonableness. Court decisions and their economic consequences demand that specifications be based on reasonable requirements. Specifications that call for unnecessary perfection through so-called "hard" or "tight" requirements are hardly reasonable; furthermore, they do not assure performance. Specifications that attempt to control quality through extremely limited tolerances may in fact be counterproductive. When quality control efforts are directed to compliance with the letter of such specifications, quality may be compromised, contract administration may be difficult, and additional costs may be incurred, all without improving performance of the completed work. In this paper, a case study of a small paving project is presented to illustrate the problems created by a too-restrictive specification. Alternatives and comments to improve the specification are offered.

Publication of this paper sponsored by Committee on Construction Management. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved

01418147

pp 37-41

1987

Transportation Research Record

0309045177

Print

Figures (1) ; References (1) ; Tables (9)

Case studies; Compliance; Construction; Engineering tolerance; Improvements; Legal factors; Paving; Quality control; Specifications

Construction specifications; Restrictions

Construction; Highways; Law; I52: Construction of Pavements and Surfacings

TRIS, TRB, ATRI

Jul 31 1988 12:00AM

• A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF PERFORMANCE-RELATED MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION SPECIFICATIONS
• A NUCLEAR DENSITY GAUGE FOR THIN OVERLAYS OF ASPHALT CONCRETE
• COMPUTER-AIDED PROJECT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM OF THE NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION: A USER'S PERSPECTIVE
• CONSTRUCTION DATABASE MANAGEMENT BY NATURAL LANGUAGE
• CORRELATION OF NUCLEAR DENSITY RESULTS WITH CORE DENSITIES
• EVALUATION OF SCHEDULING TECHNIQUES FOR HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS
• MANAGING CONCRETE BY COMPUTER
• PORTLAND CEMENT CONCRETE PAVEMENT PULVERIZING EQUIPMENT
• QUALITY CONTROL IN HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE WHEN THE MEASUREMENT PARAMETERS ARE HIGHLY NONUNIFORM
• SENSITIVITY OF CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT PRICES TO REQUIRED RATE OF RETURN AND RETAINAGE
• SPREADSHEET AIDS FOR FINANCIAL PLANNING FOR CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS
• STUDY OF JOINT DENSITIES IN BITUMINOUS AIRPORT PAVEMENTS
• USE OF MARSHALL SPECIMENS IN A NUCLEAR ASPHALT CONTENT GAUGE