Coordinating Drawings and Specifications

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In this brief examination of a perennially popular topic, let's look at coordination of Drawings and Specifications.

Drawings show:

  • Size
  • Form
  • Quantity
  • Relationship
  • Graphic representation

Specifications show:

  • Quality
  • Materials
  • Workmanship
  • Administrative procedures

Drawings and Specifications are complementary:

  • Specifications supplement, but should not repeat information shown on the drawings
  • Drawings supplement, but should not repeat information shown in the specifications

As we will see in a forthcoming slide, the specifications primarily contain qualitative information.  More discussion to come.

Frequently, information is shown in the documents in locations other than the optimum locations shown.  This can occur for many reasons; lack of familiarity with process, information developed at different times by different people, changes in information not followed through on all occurrences, etc.

Proper separation of drawing information and specification information can increase productivity and produce clearer, more understandable documents which are also easier to revise, if necessary.

Coordination is required at all of the following levels or interfaces:

  • Within Project Manual
  • Between drawings and Project Manual
  • Within drawings of each discipline
  • Between drawings of each discipline
  • Within specifications of each discipline
  • Between specifications of each discipline

Failure to Coordination can result in any or all of the following:

Conflict:

  • Redundant requirements shown in multiple places may not agree.
  • Incompatible conditions may require costly changes to be constructed

Omission:

  • Failure to show information in the proper place may result in some critical information not being shown at all anywhere.
  • Lack of critical information may result in violation of codes and added costs to comply.

Discrepancy:

  • Revision may change an item in one location and overlook it in another.
  • Multiple "intents" may be shown, leaving option for selection to Contractor.