For the past 25 years, Joe Goldbloom and I have conducted a running debate over whether specifications writers engage in the unlawful practice of law. Joe's position is that lawyers have no business writing specifications, that being the designer's province. Having been given the honor to write this foreword, I have the opportunity for the last word, at least for now. Joe Goldbloom and I first met in 1964, while serving together on the ASCE Committee on Contract Administration. Joe became my teacher, mentor, and friend. Underlying our good natured debate was the serious issue of the technical qualifications required of a specifications writer. As a matter of fact, specifi cations writing traditionally has fallen in a crack between the two professions. Specifications writing typically is neither taught in engineering school nor in law school. Engineers are taught how to design; lawyers are taught how to draft contracts. Specifications writing requires mastery of the technical elements of design as well as the skills of contract drafting. Specifications writing is neither glamorous nor sexy; it is often viewed as a necessary evil of the designer's job.

Updated edition of the comprehensive rulebook to the specifier's craft With this latest update, Construction Specifications Writing, Sixth Edition continues to claim distinction as the foremost text on construction specifications. This mainstay in the field offers comprehensive, practical, and professional guidance to understanding the purposes and processes for preparation of construction specifications. This new edition uses real-world document examples that reflect current writing practices shaped by the well-established principles and requirements of major professional associations, including the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the Engineers Joint Contract Documents Committee (EJCDC), and the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI). Also included are guidelines for correct terminology, product selection, organization of specifications according to recognized CSI formats, and practical techniques for document production. Fully revised throughout, this Sixth Edition includes: Updates to MasterFormat 2004, as well as SectionFormat/PageFormat 2007 and Uniformat End-of-chapter questions and specification-writing exercises Samples of the newly updated construction documents from the AIA New chapter on sustainable design and specifications for LEED projects Updated information on the role of specifications in Building Information Modeling (BIM)

In order to ensure the quality and safety of masonry structure engineering, implement the policies of energy saving, land saving and promotion of new masonry materials, protect the ecological environment, ensure the safety of life, property and personal health of the people, and improve the sustainable development level of masonry structure engineering, this Code is formulated.

In order to protect life and property safety, public safety, and ecological environment safety in engineering construction, meet the basic needs of economic and social management, and standardize the basic requirements of engineering survey, this Code is formulated in accordance with relevant national laws and regulations.

This Code is formulated to ensure the quality of concrete structural engineering, the safety of people's lives and property, personal health, and promote the green and high-quality development of concrete structural engineering. This Code must be implemented for concrete structural engineering.

In order to implement the construction policy in engineering construction, ensure the safety, applicability, durability of the project structure, meet the needs of normal use and green development of construction projects, this Code is hereby formulated.

This Code is formulated, in order to implement the national laws and regulations on earthquake prevention and disaster reduction of buildings and municipal projects, implement the principle of prevention first, so that buildings and municipal projects can achieve the target of reducing earthquake damage, avoiding casualties, reducing economic losses after seismic fortification.

In order to implement the building policy in the construction of foundation projects, ensure the safety of foundations and superstructures, meet the needs of normal use of construction projects, protect the ecological environment, promote green development, this Code is hereby formulated.

In order to ensure the quality and safety of steel structure projects, implement policies on resource and energy conservation and rational utilization, protect the ecological environment, ensure the safety of people??s lives and property and personal health, prevent and reduce steel structure engineering accidents, improve the level of green development of steel structure projects, this specification is hereby formulated.

This specification is hereby formulated, in order to ensure the quality and safety of timber structure projects, implement resource conservation and environmental protection policies, ensure the safety of people's lives and property and personal health, improve the sustainable development level of timber structure projects.