L.R. Kimball

DB's Corner - Aluminum Finishes

by Dennis Buirge

After being volunteered to write specifications approximately 25 years ago, I am still amazed at the knowledge base one must have to prepare accurate specifications.  This relates to not only knowing original material, but also keeping up with changes to industry standards and company mergers.  Feeling my oats regarding the knowledge of the aluminum finish standards, specifications for exterior sheet aluminum wall panels were prepared referencing AAMA 2605.  The manufacturer’s representative, upon review of the draft, politely informed me that the finish specification was improperly referenced.  Do you know why?

Decades ago while still a neophyte to writing specifications, someone was kind enough to explain potential finishes on aluminum products using American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) standards.  At that time, the AAMA standards used 3 digit numbers; however, the standards were revised to 4 digits around 1998.  A ‘good’ system coating currently referencing AMMA 2603 - Pigmented Organic Coatings on Aluminum Extrusions and Panels, formerly 603, uses thermosetting acrylics, polyamides (Nylon), polyolefins (polyethylene or polypropylene), and PVC (PolyVinyl Chloride) and essentially covers the lower end coating systems.  The ‘better’ and ‘best’ systems use PVDF (PolyVinyliDene Fluoride) or fluoropolymers, better known by their trade names of Kynar or Hylar and according to an internet website are the number one specified architectural coating for aluminum in the world. These systems use higher performing coatings such as aliphatic urethanes, super-durable siliconized polyesters, and PVDF powder coatings. AAMA 2604 - High Performance Organic Coatings on Aluminum Extrusions and Panels, formerly 604, contains a minimum of 50% by weight of either Kynar 500 or Hylar 5000 resin, while AAMA 2605 - Superior Organic Coatings on Aluminum Extrusions and Panels, formerly 605, contains a minimum of 70% by weight of either resin. These superior coatings exhibit superior color retention, chalk resistance, corrosion resistance, flexibility, stain resistance, and overall durability over AAMA 603 coatings.

 It was only several years ago that a lesson was learned regarding the difference of aluminum finishes and standards.  Wanting a superior two coat 70% fluoropolymer finish on the exterior sheet aluminum wall panels and related sheet trim, AAMA 2605 was specified.  The ‘draft’ version of the specification was transmitted to the manufacturer’s representative for technical review.  It was then of learning why AAMA 2605 finish does not always apply to aluminum.  But why?  The AAMA 2603 - 2605 series relates to an extruded aluminum substrate (ASTM B 221 - Aluminum and Aluminum-Alloy Extruded Bars, Rods, Wire, Shapes, and Tubes) … it does not apply to a sheet coil coated aluminum substrate (ASTM B 209 - Aluminum and Aluminum-Alloy Sheet and Plate).  So then, what is the proper reference?  Specify AAMA 620 for sheet aluminum substrates and AAMA 621 for sheet steel substrates.  As Ricky Nelson sang in the 1972 chorus of Garden Party, “I learned my lesson well”.

DB's Corner: Cool Terms

 by Dennis Buirge

 
There are times during specification editing when the following question comes to mind: How many contractors truly know the meaning of that sentence I just wrote?  Language in some specification software packages incorporate terms not normally used by the general public.  Does the following sentence, which incorporates terms found in some construction related project manuals, make sense to you?  "Use laitance to verify that the deleterious substrate is acceptable to code required dunnage." 

This blog identifies and defines three of these not so commonly used specification related terms. 

LAITANCE:  This is a result of the improper placement and finishing of concrete.  When concrete is placed containing excessive water, when the concrete mixture is overworked, when improper or excessive finishing is performed, or when any combination of the aforementioned occurs, a wear layer of cement and aggregate fines can accumulate on the concrete wear layer.  A milky white substance, which we call laitance, is the accumulation of fine particles on the surface of fresh concrete and is caused by the upward movement of water.  The root word of laitance, lait, is French based and means milk.  What happens if the laitance is not removed?  The base concrete without any subsequent finish covering can cause dusting.  If any type of coating or paint is to be applied to the laitance bearing concrete that finish material will not properly bond to the concrete due to laitance interference, since concrete requires a clean and sound substrate; the coating most likely will delaminate over time.  If any finish flooring such a vinyl tile is to be applied, the flooring will again over time delaminate, since the adhesive is bonding to the laitance and not to the concrete.  Therefore, various finish flooring specifications should include a paragraph in PART 3 - EXECUTION requiring the removal of any laitance.  Wording in the Examination or Preparation Articles might be something like the following:

Examination:  Verify that finishes of substrates comply with tolerances and other requirements specified in other Sections and that substrates are free of cracks, ridges, depressions, laitance,, and deleterious deposits that might interfere with floor covering adhesion.

Surface Preparation:  Prepare concrete leaving sound surfaces free of laitance, glaze, efflorescence, curing compounds, form-release agents, deleterious films, and other contaminants incompatible with finish flooring system materials.

DELETERIOUS:  There are many problems that can occur during an installation, application, and construction of various products.  When something is harmful or its use causes trouble, often in a subtle or an unexpected way, it can be considered deleterious.  One can better understand a term when considering synonyms and antonyms, some of which for deleterious are as follows:  Synonyms - adverse, bad, damaging, dangerous, harmful, injurious, and noxious; and Antonyms - advantageous, beneficial, benign, favorable, innocent, inoffensive, and safe.  The reference of deleterious in specifications is used as an adjective and should include a noun such as film, deposit, effect, result or like term.  The word deleterious occurs in both of the aforementioned examples for laitance.

DUNNAGE:  During construction it is always beneficial to have shop-fabricated and manufactured materials delivered to the site, stored, and handled unharmed and ready for incorporation into the project.  The term dunnage is taking from the shipping industry where it means ‘pieces of wood, matting, or similar material used in stowing cargo in a ship’s hold’ with another definition being ‘loose packing material used to protect a ship’s cargo from damage during transport’.  The Material Handling Industry of America (MHIA) defines dunnage as “materials or devices used in the securing and/or bracing of products during shipments”.  During a quick internet investigation, I was unable to find a synonym or antonym for dunnage.  The following MasterSpec example using the term dunnage in a specification most likely would be found in the Delivery, Storage, and Handling Article in PART 1 - GENERAL:  Store materials to permit easy access for inspection and identification.  Keep steel members off ground and spaced by using pallets, dunnage, or other supports and spacers.  Protect steel members and packaged materials from corrosion and deterioration.

Next time: When editing, reading, or interpreting specifications, you should understand the meaning of these three less commonly used, construction related terms; cool terms I like to use.

{DB's Corner - #9} Mood Writing

 by Dennis Buirge

Various English subjects such as grammar, spelling, vocabulary, and syntax have always been my worst topics of study with little to no interest over decades.  More learning regarding proper English usage has occurred during specification writing than any previous attempt.  Of particular interest to preferred specification writing techniques is the sentence mood.  Depending on which internet sites are reviewed, 4 major moods seem to be identified, (imperative, indicative, interrogative, and subjunctive) along with several minor moods (infinitive, declarative, exclamative, optative, and that one seeming to be so pervasive today … cursing).

The four major moods in alphabetical order are defined as follows:

• Imperative - to express a request or command, such as ‘paint the walls a white color’
• Indicative - to make a factual statement, such as ‘the architect designs the building’
• Interrogative - a question, generally initiating with the W words of who, what, where, when, why, and how, such as ‘who builds the building?’
• Subjunctive - to show a wish, doubt, or anything else contrary to fact or action that has not yet occurred, such as ‘the Owner requested the Contractor submit his payment application before the end of the month’. 

 According to the Project Resource Manual (PRM), only the indicative and imperative moods are referenced regarding proper specification writing.  So what is the major difference and what does The Construction Specification Institute (CSI) recommend as the preferred specification writing mood(s)? 

The older method, and one used by those who have not been trained via CSI philosophies, is the indicative mood.  This method generally starts with a noun and then identifies the action, causing a longer sentence than the imperative mood.  An example of the indicative mood would be, ‘The general contractor shall secure drywall with metal screws.’  This type sentence structure can cause unnecessary wordiness, repetitiveness, and monotony.  The imperative mood on the other hand generally starts with a verb and then identifies the action.  An example of the previous sentence in the imperative mood would be, ‘Secure drywall with metal screws.’  This type of sentence structure is concise, is readily understandable, and is the recommended mood by the PRM. 

On occasion however, use of the indicative mood becomes mandatory and must be used in a project manual to clearly identify work scope responsibility, such as when identifying either a scope to the Owner or Contractor and during projects involving multiple prime contracts.  The imperative mood cannot be used in those cases to clearly delineate accountability.  This condition of using the indicative mood occurs primarily in Division 00 Documents and Division 01 Sections.  One example is where some Owner’s may provide their own or certain temporary utilities and controls or require the Contractor to do so. 

In another example, even using the indicative mood is not sufficient where using “Contractor shall” when more than one Contractor is under contract will lead to work scope ambiguity.  If the scope is to be performed by a particular Contractor, then proper language could be “General Contractor shall”, which identifies the specific Contractor responsible for the action.  In the case of temporary heating where multiple Contractors could be responsible at different times during construction, the specification should identify who and when, such as the “General Contractor” shall provide temporary heating until the building is fully enclosed, at which point scope responsibility transfers to the “Heating Contractor”.  The indicative mood in these examples gives clear, complete, concise, and correct communication and is better than the imperative mood.  In Divisions 02 through 49, use of the imperative mood is preferred, since particular work scopes and Contractors are generally defined via Division 01 specification Sections. 

In summary, use the imperative mood as the standard method and the indicative mood when identifying scope by either the Owner or Contractor and with multiple prime contracts to clearly define scope responsibility for each Contractor.

DB's Corner: ASTM

By Dennis Buirge

It would be surprising to find someone using construction documents who has not ‘heard’ of ASTM standards.  How many, though, have an introductory understanding regarding the meaning of those letters and numbers?  Specification writers in particular are familiar with those 4 letters, ASTM, as standards are frequently used when preparing a specification, especially in the ‘reference standard’ method.  The intent of this blog is to give an introduction to various meanings so that one could at least call themselves an introductory neophyte regarding an understanding of ASTM standards. 

If your specification Section incorporates a PART 1 Article entitled ‘References’ and includes “ASTM - American Society for Testing and Materials”, you are now about a decade behind the times.  With ASTM founded in 1898 as the American Section of the International Association for Testing and Materials, it predates other standards organizations such as BSI (1901), DIN (1917), ANSI (1918) and AFNOR (1926).  The organization's headquarters located in West Conshohocken, PA, is about 5 miles NW of Philadelphia.  ASTM currently includes members from more than 120 nations, and with about one of every five members living outside the United States and the standards being used around the world in many applications, a new name, ASTM International, Inc. was established in 2001.  In addition, a new logo was included to underscore their international scope and message.  There are now about 12,000 standards that can be searched for titles, scopes, adoptions, referenced documents, index terms, number of pages, and prices on the ASTM website. 

In a specification, one might see a standard reference of ASTM B 221, where there is at least a letter and up to a four digit number, but may also include a dash and a two digit number.  So what is the meaning of that designation in ASTM standards?  The first letter identifies a general designation, followed by its serial number, which is separated from the standard’s year designation by a dash.  The general designation legend is as follows:  A = Ferrous Metals, B = Nonferrous Metals, C = Cementitious, Ceramic, Concrete, and Masonry Materials, D = Miscellaneous Materials, E = Miscellaneous Subjects, F = Materials for Specific Applications, G = Corrosion, Deterioration, and Degradation of Materials, and H = Joint Committee and District Recipients.  One would then know that ASTM B 221 falls into the nonferrous metals category and happens to be extruded aluminum; B 209 identifies sheet aluminum.  The year need not be referenced in Divisions 02 - 49 specifications, if there is a statement in Division 01 that the most current standard at the time of bidding is valid. 

All ASTM standards fall into 15 sections with each section containing many volumes.  The example for construction relates to its falling in Section 4, where there are 13 volumes (4.01 - 4.13).   If one were interested in obtaining all 12,000 standards in all 82 volumes, get out your checkbook, as the 2010 edition is available for approximately $9,700 (verify actual amount with the ASTM website).  About 1,300 construction related standards in a 4 volume set are available, however their website indicates only electronic files are now available and no longer in book form.  The beginning of each construction related volume first includes an alphabetic listing of standards by “content” and then by “list of subjects”, which identifies each standard in one of the six different types explained in the next paragraph. 

The standards are uniform in format and follow the same rigorous approval procedures.  In general, there are six different types of ASTM standards: Test Method - a definitive procedure that produces a test result [Example - E 283-04 Standard Test Method for Determining Rate of Air Leakage Through Exterior Windows, Curtain Walls, and Doors Under Specified Pressure Differences Across the Specimen]; Specification - an explicit set of requirements to be satisfied by a material, product, system, or service [Example - B 2-08 Standard Specification for Medium-Hard-Drawn Copper Wire]; Guide - information or series of options that does not recommend a specific course of action [Example - C 1193-09 Standard Guide for Use of Joint Sealants]; Practice - a definitive set of instructions for performing one or more specific operations that does not produce a test result [Example - A 807-08 Standard Practice for Installing Corrugated Steel Structural Plate Pipe for Sewers and Other Applications]; Classification - a systematic arrangement or division of materials, products, systems, or services into groups based on similar characteristics such as origin, composition, properties, or use [Example - D 448-08 Standard Classification for Sizes of Aggregates for Road and Bridge Construction]; and Terminology - a document comprising definitions of terms; explanations of symbols, abbreviations, or acronyms [Example - D 16-08 Standard Terminology for Paint, Related Coatings, Materials, and Applications]. 

In addition to all of the aforementioned information, there can still be up to 5 callouts with additional numbers and letters that could cause severe confusion.  One example for a classification type standard would be: ASTM D 4066-01 PA0610G33A49360UA067.  Have fun with that one!  Anyone seeking more detailed information regarding ASTM standards can ‘google’ various websites. 

Lastly, MasterSpec and other specification software generally incorporate ASTM standards that include references to both Imperial and SI (metric) units.  An example relating to guy and tie wires for planting stabilization in Section 329300 would be ASTM A 641/A 641M.  If the project manual is not specifying SI units for the project, the specification writer(s) SHOULD NOT include those SI references.  The previous example would be correctly written as ‘ASTM A 641’.  Removing those SI references could be physically deleted or ‘turned off’ via electronic software. 

Next Blog:  Are you sure?

DB's Corner - Substantial Completion

By Dennis Buirge

QUESTION:  How many inspection(s) does the design professional perform during the construction of a project, albeit site related, landscape related, building related, or facility related?

A.   None.  Only observations are performed.

B.   One.  Only at substantial completion.

C.   Two.  At substantial completion and final completion.

D.   Many.  During each site visit and job conference meeting, as stipulated in the Owner/Architect Agreement. 

During the construction period the design professional visits the site, attends job conferences, resolves design issues, and monitors the work via observations.  At some point during construction of a project and prior to Owner occupancy, it becomes necessary for an initial formal review of the completed work to confirm whether it conforms to the Contract Documents.  Anything not in compliance, either if not yet complete and/or being contrary to project requirements will be so noted for resolution by the Contractor(s).  This process is clearly defined in Section 007200 - General Conditions, identifying Contractor, Architect, and Owner actions. 

That INITIAL formal review is normally referred to as Substantial Completion (SC) and differs in time and action from the FINAL formal review that occurs during Final Completion (FC).  SC is defined as the date when the project, or a portion of the project, is determined by the A/E to be sufficiently complete so that the Owner can use it for its intended purpose.  While references to SC can be found in miscellaneous paragraphs of Section 007200, the main Article occurs as 9.8.  That article clearly defines 6 issues that must be addressed prior to the project being considered SC: all project parts and systems are accessible, operable and usable by Owner, including site work and HVAC systems; project is clean; operation and maintenance manuals have been submitted; training of Owner’s personnel has taken place; annotated Record Documents have been submitted; and certifications and approvals by authorities having jurisdiction have been issued.  SC includes the Contractor(s) providing a ‘comprehensive’ list of incomplete work that is given to the design professional, who then establishes its own list, which when combined become the ‘punch list’.  The punch list needs to include costs associated with each work scope and a total time to complete all outstanding and/or corrective work.  The design professional completes a form, includes various attachments, at which point the Owner may take possession of the facility.  SC could be established for the entire project; however phased SC can occur commensurate with phased construction.  While the date of SC will be defined in the Contract Documents as contract time, the date of FC may or may not, but it will be established as part of SC. 

While some work scopes are a bit easier to identify during design as it relates to projecting work time frames and establishing the date of SC, what about those few that might be problematic?  How are they to be defined in the Contract Documents?  At least one of you might be thinking, Denny, what are you talking about?  I am thinking about landscaping.  With growing seasons in various areas having limited time frames and work occurring around the site, it might not be possible for landscaping to be totally ‘complete’ within the contract time.  Complete for grass by my definition means grass sown, grass matured, grass cut, and grass fully established.  When does the grass become substantially complete when the building was SC months previously? 

Division 32 specification Sections regarding landscaping would define acceptance parameters for grass and plantings.  Possibilities for defining SC for this work scope could be:  1) identify the grass/plantings as a phased element, coordinating its SC date with the landscape architect, and stating such in the bidding documents; 2) include the grass/plantings as part of the original SC and identify the grass/plantings as a punch list item with a sufficient FC date allowing for full development of the landscaping. 

During my early years in the business, I was incorrectly informed regarding the meaning of observations and inspections with the true definitions being learned through CSI related activities. Initial and final formal reviews performed by the design professional during SC and FC are considered inspections; previous reviews are observations.  Therefore the correct answer to the initial question is C, two inspections.

Next Blog:  What’s with ASTM?

DB's Corner - Procurement Documents

 

 As referenced in the last issue of The Spec Den Blog, document types include construction documents, procurement documents, and contract documents; this entry attempts to describe procurement documents.  These documents are prepared by the Professional (Architect/Engineer/Landscape Architect) and used during the process of selecting a constructor.  In its simplest definition, to procure means ‘to obtain or receive’, which in our case relates to construction materials.  There are many different methods of construction procurement; however the three most common types of procurement are:  traditional design-bid-build; design-build; and management contracting.  Of these three, bidding is the most frequently used procurement process.

Considering bidding scenarios, the following are the most frequent ways for the Owner to receive a bid:

*  Closed, Selective, or Invited Bidding:   Method of competitive bidding where the Owner restricts those who are permitted to submit a bid.  The Owner, at its discretion, establishes a list of bidders to the exclusion of everyone else.  This method cannot be used on projects where financing occurs via public funding.

*  Open Bidding:   Method of competitive bidding where bids are received from all interested contractors, rather than from a select list of bidders privately invited to compete.  This procurement method generally involves advertising in local newspapers to legally notify contractors of the bidding process.  This is the process most frequently used on projects with public funding.

*  Two Step Bidding:   Method of competitive bidding procedure where bidders submit technical proposals in response to performance specifications.  Each bidder whose technical proposal is acceptable, then submits a sealed bid in accordance with normal bidding procedures. The government is one entity using this process.

*  Total Cost Bidding:   Method sometimes used for FF&E where the purchase price from the buyer is guaranteed and will not exceed a set maximum amount during a fixed period.  The equipment will be repurchased at a set minimum price when the original period ends.

But the question of this blog is what documents are used in the aforementioned bidding methodologies?  Bidding or procurement documents can be divided into 5 general components:  procurement requirements, contracting requirements, specifications, drawings, and resource materials.  Within each of these general components are the following elements:

*  Procurement Requirements:  ‘Solicitation’ (Advertisement for Bids, Invitation to Bid, Request for Proposals); Instructions for Procurement (Instructions to Bidders, Procurement Meetings); ‘Available Information’ (Existing Condition Information, Environmental Assessment Information, Geophysical Data, Geotechnical Data); ‘Procurement Forms and Supplements’ (Bid Forms, Bid Supplement Forms such as Allowance Form, Unit Prices Form, Alternates Form, and Wage Rates Form); and ‘Representations and Certifications’ (Bidder’s Qualifications, and Non-Collusion Affidavit).

*  Contracting Requirements:  ‘Contracting Forms and Supplements’ (Agreement Forms) Project Forms (Bond Forms, Certificate of Insurance, Schedule of Values Form Request for Interpretation Form, Change Order Form, and various Closeout Forms), ‘Conditions of Contract’ (General Conditions and Supplementary Conditions), and ‘Revisions/Clarifications/Modifications’ (Addenda, Record Clarification and Proposals, and Record Modifications such as Change Orders).

*  Specifications:  General Requirements (Division 01), Facility Construction (Divisions 02 - 19), Facility Services (Divisions 20 - 29), Site and Infrastructure (Divisions 30 - 39), and Process Equipment (Divisions 40 - 49).

*  Drawings:  For all contracts relative to the project.

*  Resource Materials:  These include any other type information needed to completely describe the Work so that constructors can adequately prepare their bid or proposal for the Owner’s consideration. Examples could be Owner’s Record Drawings of an existing building and/or of a previous construction phase.

 “BIDDER has examined copies of all the Bidding Documents.”  This statement that might be observed on a Bid Form raises another question that comes to mind relating to proper terminology used throughout the project manual: Should the words Procurement Documents, Bidding Documents, or something else be used in the Procurement and Contract Requirements?  MasterFormat 04, a publication from the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI), identifies recommended names and numbers of Documents and Specifications used in the project manual.  While the previous edition, MasterFormat 95, to my recollection used the term Bidding Documents, its 2004 replacement generally uses the term Procurement Documents.  MasterSpec, as prepared by Arcom, typically uses the term Procurement instead of Bidding.  The following illustration is a Paragraph from MasterSpec’s Document 001116 - Invitation to Bid:

“Printed Procurement and Contracting Documents: Obtain after <Insert date> by contacting <Insert Owner, Architect, or reprographic house address>.  Documents will be provided to prime bidders only; only complete sets of documents will be issued.”

 Is there a ‘right way’, a ‘wrong way’, or a ‘better way’ when referring to Procurement Documents throughout the project manual?  My interpretation is to use the term Procurement Documents.  This is an issue that I will continue to research and discuss with others who are specification writers and users of these Documents.

 Next Blog:  Contract Documents.

Construction Specification: Five Things You Should Know About the Intent of Construction Documents

Blog post by Dennis Buirge on June 6, 2011

As a general rule, a typical Owner/Architect agreement divides the project design work scope into 5 phases with the following corresponding percentages as part of the total remuneration: schematic design (SD) - 15%; design development (DD) - 20%; construction documentation (CD) - 40%; bidding - 5%; and construction administration (CA) - 20%. 

It is in the construction documentation phase that various project documents are synthesized and finalized for bidding. Most documents used by the Contractor fall in the bidding and construction work phases; documents used in these two phases, in most cases, are not the same. Understanding the various documents for technical accuracy and related nomenclature are therefore important when preparing a deliverable to the Owner.

Welcome to the Corner of the Blog Spec Den by Denny Buirge

Blog post by Denny Buirge, RA, CSI, CCS, CCCA, Specification Writer

We employ a number of individuals involved in writing and using project manuals on a daily basis. Anyone involved with such activities should be aware of proper writing methodologies and interpretation protocol. 

After preparing almost 40 internal blogs for the company on specification related issues, this is my first venture into the external blogosphere. This initial entry is my introduction to the Blog Spec Den and summarizes goals and intents to be discussed in future editions regarding specification and drawing related issues.

Denny Buirge’s (DB’s) Corner of the Blog Spec Den will be the tag for my entries. 

The length of each blog will depend on the topic. One hope is for others to occupy additional ‘Corners’ in the ‘Den’ with a unified goal of increasing our knowledge base regarding construction related documentation. With that goal, L.R. Kimball will continue to improve the quality of final products to the owner and the construction community at large.

INTENT:  Offer Information.  Attempt to offer information, principles, and protocols primarily recommended by The Construction Specification Institute (CSI) related to the creation and usage of the various document types occurring within the construction industry.

INTENT: Review Concepts.  Attempt to select one concept or topic, define it, and show proper and improper examples of its use.  Current methodologies used by some companies and individuals do not follow recommended procedures.

INTENT: Define Terms.  Attempt to define A/E related vocabulary. Proper communication, both by the design team and by those performing Construction Administration (CA), is paramount to a successful project. Do you know what it means to ‘provide’ a material and do you correctly use that term in your documents?

INTENT: Introduce Developments.  Attempt to introduce new specification developments as they are introduced to the architectural community. With new project delivery methods and implementation of BIM philosophies in document production, specification preparation may require change; it is already happening in some architectural offices, via E-Specs and in-house creation. Are you familiar with Preliminary Project Description (PPD) concepts?

INTENT: Input Regularity.  Attempt to submit a blog entry on a regular basis, in a time frame yet to be determined.

INTENT: Offer a Dialog Forum.  Attempt to be a location where others can create a ‘Corner” and submit their own comments relating to specifications and drawings; there are no limitations as to the number of corners in the LRK Blog Spec Den floor plan.  

Besides architectural input, it would be encouraging to have representation by mechanical, electrical, civil, landscape, geotechnical, environmental, and others in the construction industry who are interested in sharing. My goal is to be moderator, not professor.

Meet Our Newest Blog Author: Denny, the L.R. Kimball Specification Guru

Meet Denny, a Specification Writer based in our Pittsburgh office.  Denny brings approximately 40 years of experience in the field of architecture.

Beginning today, Denny will become a regular blogger on the L.R. Kimball blog. (Congrats Denny!)

Denny’s career began as a mechanical draftsman (drawing with a pencil) and then spread across a variety of disciplines including designer, architect, project manager, marketer/seller, executive, and specification writer. Called trustworthy, loyal, and helpful by his peers, he brings vast amount of knowledge and experience to the design team… and to his blogging.

To help you easily locate Denny’s posts on our blog, we will tag them with this graphic that Denny custom-designed to represent his posts.

 

On a day-to-day basis, Denny interfaces with his fellow design team members to obtain project information and prepare project manuals to create a deliverable of written procurement documents. On our blog, he’ll address document creation, use and interpretation including different examples and materials in construction, new technology, and situations he encounters at work from which others could learn.