STANDARD SEQUENCE

Evening Star, Issue 23701, 8 October 1940, Page 3

STANDARD SEQUENCE

MAKING OUT SPECIFICATIONS SCHEDULE HOW IH PREPARATION TIMS SAVINGS ANTICIPATED One of the most important schedules connected, with the industry is now in preparation by the New Zealand Standards Institute (says ( Building Progress ’) The draft, winch has been provisionally headed “ New Zealand Standard Sequence of Trade Headings and Specification Items for Building Work,” is probably the most comprehensive work of its kind ever evolved. There are 31 sections in the draft, and each section has a varying number of sub-headings: these sub-headings altogether running into several hundreds. The sections included arc the following: .—Preliminaries, demolition work, excavation, under-pinning, piling, concrete work, reinforcing steel, structural steelwork, asphalting, brickwork, masonry, metal work (excluding sheet metal work), metal windows, carpentry, joinery, roof coverings, plumbing, d*ai|iage, heating and ventilation, gas fitting, electric work, lifts, solid plaster, fibrous plaster, floor and wall tiling, terrazzo work, resilient floor coverings, painting and, paperhanging, glazing, glass masonry, and provisional sums. It will immediately be seen from the above list that the schedule has been designed to cover the most intricate and elaborate building construction, and that nothing of importance has been omitted. It is not intended that

every possible item should be included ni the schedule; but that a standard sequence should be adopted in the making out of building specifications, in order that whoever has to deal with the specifications will be able to pick up any required item at mice knowing whore" to find it, and not being required to search through the specification every time a particular item is sought. COMPLETE LIST UNESSENTIAL. It will be seen that this arrangement is likely to save much time and trouble to all concerned. Also in making out the building specification, there will be less likelihood that items will bo overlooked by being dealt with in a recognised sequence, and always to be found in the same relative positions in every building specification. It will be realised from the list of items above noticed that the draft is provided for a full building specification, and that several sections will not ho included in any but the largest building undertakings. 'The home builder will find that probably half tile above list will not be requisite for the making of a specification relating to the erection of an ordinary home; 'consequently this long list of 31 items need not frighten the builder by the great number: it is merely the sequence of the items that should be taken into consideration in preparing the specification, whether all or only few of the items require to he listed. SIMPLIFICATION THE MAIN AIM. The main aim of standardisation is simplification, and the aim in respect of the present draft is to form and stick to a logical sequence of items for the entire building industry. It must be remembered that a building specification constitutes a legal document which cannot be altered at random once it has been signed by the contracting parties. Everything should be done, therefore, to make every building specification perfectly clear and to state every requirement in simple terms. Ambiguous terms must, above all, be strenuously avoided ; the specification should also contain nothing redundant which will add unnecessarily to its length and it should be clearly pointed out in the specification that, wherever no specific details are given, it is intended _ that common usage in the building industry of the country shall be observed. “ Wo welcome this attempt by the New Zealand Standards Institute to prepare a suitable sequence for items contained in specifications for building undertakings; and we believe that all. architects, builders, engineers, subcontractors, clerks of works, and all who arc calk’d upon to deal with the specifications in their entirety or in part will also welcome this attempt,” continues the report. “ Every year hundreds of building specifications pass through our hands: many of these arc so loosely constructed that, they have no definite meaning, while others are crowded with unnecessary details which tend to produce much 'huger documents than are required. In respect of both these types of specification for building there is left much to be desired, and it is hoped that the attempt now being made by the Standards Institute will result in bringing about a general , acceptance throughout the building industry in New Zealand of a logical sequence of items in compiling building specifications.