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Civil Engineering & Construction vocabulary · Drawings and Specifications

Specification

Meaning in civil engineering & construction, with examples

/ˌspesɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/nounCore term

In civil engineering & construction, specification means: A written document that describes the materials, standards, workmanship and testing required for a project. It is used together with the drawings.

In Turkish: şartname, teknik şartname

How it is used

Often shortened to 'spec' in speech. Work must comply with or meet the specification, and contractors check the spec before ordering materials. Clauses are quoted by number, such as Clause 5.2.

Example sentences

  1. The specification requires concrete class C30/37 or higher for all foundations.

  2. These tiles don't meet the specification, so the consultant rejected them.

Common collocations

  • technical specification
  • comply with the specification
  • performance specification
  • specification clause
  • out of spec
  • drawingA scaled technical picture of a structure or part of it, such as a plan, section or detail, that shows the builder what to construct and where.
  • toleranceThe amount by which a dimension, level or position is allowed to differ from the value on the drawing, such as ±10 mm.
  • compressive strengthHow much crushing pressure a material, especially concrete, can take before it fails. For concrete it is measured in megapascals (MPa) on cubes or cylinders, usually at 28 days.
  • RFIRequest for information: a formal written question from the contractor to the designer or engineer when drawings or specifications are unclear, missing or in conflict.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Drawings and Specifications

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