Author: Frank W. Macey Publisher: Routledge ISBN: 1317742850 Category : Architecture Languages : en Pages : 649
Book Description
Sir Roger Pratt's "Rules for the Guidance of Architects", written on 7 December 1665, included the following statements which embody succinctly the principles of the specification of building works and indeed of contract administration, and are as true today as they were nearly 350 years ago: To determine anything without due premeditation is rashness. Not to come to any determination in a convenient time is an effect either of ignorance or sloth. To wittingly omit to do that at the first, which at last we shall be forced to, at our greater disadvantage, is the extremity of folly. To be so forward in premeditation as to make no trade at a stand for want of direction, which will cause great repining etc. and to be careful to see them exactly performed, for otherwise all trades will be at catch with him. To contrive all things with the most orderly thrift and longest duration. However, Pratt seems to have relied on entrusting the works to known competent workmen rather than incorporating these wise principles in a written specification. This method of working appears to have continued until the rise of the general contractor in the nineteenth century when a written specification became an essential part of the design process. The specification was needed to describe the materials to be used and ways of working them and to ensure comparability of tenders, particularly for public works. This encouraged books on specifications, starting with Alfred Bartholomew's "Specifications for Practical Architecture" in 1840, revised in 1846. It began with a long 'essay on the decline of excellence in the structure and in the science of modern English buildings with the proposal of remedies for those defects'. This was followed by 54 specifications for various types and classes of buildings, notes on various materials, and an alphabetical digest of the London Building Act, with a comprehensive index - a multi-purpose book, like many of its successors. Noting that Bartholomew was no longer in print, T. L. Donaldson was prompted to produce his Handbook of Specifications in 1859, in which, after setting out the principles of specification writing, he reproduced 46 specifications for actual buildings and other works by his illustrious contemporaries. This included the "Houses of Parliament" by Sir Charles Barry and "Newcastle High Level Bridge" by Robert Stephenson, and was followed by 136 pages on the law as applied to building matters. This is a fascinating book, invaluable to construction historians, but will have been of less use to authors of specifications than a sequential list of trade-based clauses. Bartholomew's book was revised again, twice, by Frederick Rogers, in 1886 and 1893, but still with a similar 'essay' followed by specifications for various types of building (but now only 27), rather than trade-based clauses, for which we had to wait for the first edition of Macey in 1898. Frank W. Macey's predecessors had a tendency to set out what should be covered in specifications and the ills of poor specification, together with a quantity of information about the use of various materials and construction methods. This was admittedly useful, but better covered in the books on building construction that had started to appear at about the same date, such as Mitchell and Rivingtons (published in facsimile by Donhead in 2004). Macey, by contrast, dived almost straight in to trade-based clauses in a logical order. The specification author in an architect's office must have heaved a sigh of relief when Macey landed on his desk, because here was a book that provided just what he needed to 'cut and paste', in the order he needed it, and with marginal sketches showing how the materials and details were applied. Similarly, students of architecture had a useful source of reference for the work by the various trades, instead of having to look at the trade in each specification when referring to earlier books to decide which example to follow. Contemporary reviews of Macey criticized the book for being 'out of date' as he failed to cover all the latest developments in materials. In hindsight that attitude appears less than fair, because any architect incorporating recently introduced materials, such as reinforced concrete or metal lathing, would make sure he was fully conversant with them and their use, and would be able to describe them adequately as a matter of common prudence. No book would be able to keep up to date with the rapidly developing variety of materials appearing almost daily at the dawn of the Edwardian era. That was more than adequately addressed by the annual (initially quarterly) Specification published by the Architectural Press, which started the same year that the first edition of Macey was published and continued to keep construction professionals informed every year until 1992. Frank Macey revised and enlarged the text in 1904 for the second edition, having published his companion volume on "Conditions of Contract" in 1902, and taking account of criticisms in The Builder's review of his first edition. It is his second edition that this introduction accompanies, having been chosen by Donhead to give us an exhaustive reference to the materials and construction in use at the end of the Victorian era and the dawn of the twentieth century. It will also help us today when drafting specifications for work on buildings that have just passed their centenary. Frank William Macey (1863-1935) practised as an architect in the City of London before emigrating to Canada. He was the first resident architect in Burnaby in British Columbia, where he settled in the first decade of the twentieth century, and obtained a number of commissions from prominent businessmen who were building grand homes in the new community of Deer Lake. He designed predominantly in the British Arts and Crafts style and introduced the use of rough-cast stucco for building exteriors, a characteristic for which he was renowned. He also designed three churches, two of which are still standing. Macey's Specifications in Detail survived his departure to Canada. The third edition, co-authored by J. P. Allen, PASI was published in 1922, and the fourth edition, revised by Donald Brooke, MA BArch ARIBA MIStructE, a Lecturer in Architecture at the University of Liverpool and J. W. Summerfield, FASI MRSanI, a quantity surveyor, was published in 1930, with a second impression in 1937. The fifth edition, revised by the then late Donald Brooke and Stanley Wilkinson, BArch ARIBA, a Senior Lecturer in Architectural Construction at the University of Liverpool, was published in 1955 and takes specification writing through to the introduction of the National Building Specification in 1973, continuing where Macey had started, with trade-based clauses in a logical order. A contemporary reviewer of the first edition praised 'so much that is excellent in the book and so many things explained, of which the young architect would have much difficulty in finding a description in other books'. The fact that Macey gave 'a great amount of practical information as to the details of construction on points which are not usually to be met with in text books' means that this facsimile should find a place on the bookshelves of construction professionals from all disciplines today, alongside Donhead's other facsimiles, as a well indexed guide to what they can expect to find when working on late Victorian and Edwardian buildings. Students of conservation practice may like to note this comment from the same contemporary reviewer: It may, therefore, be looked upon as a guide to the young architect in practical matters, quite as much as a model for specification writing. It indeed attempts to furnish the novice with the knowledge that he ought to possess before sitting down to write a specification. If Macey's book was valued a hundred years ago for these reasons, there is all the more reason today to use it as a reliable reference to what will be found in buildings that have celebrated their centenary. Lawrance Hurst August 2009.
Author: Gojko Adzic Publisher: Simon and Schuster ISBN: 1638351368 Category : Computers Languages : en Pages : 346
Book Description
Summary Specification by Example is an emerging practice for creating software based on realistic examples, bridging the communication gap between business stakeholders and the dev teams building the software. In this book, author Gojko Adzic distills interviews with successful teams worldwide, sharing how they specify, develop, and deliver software, without defects, in short iterative delivery cycles. About the Technology Specification by Example is a collaborative method for specifying requirements and tests. Seven patterns, fully explored in this book, are key to making the method effective. The method has four main benefits: it produces living, reliable documentation; it defines expectations clearly and makes validation efficient; it reduces rework; and, above all, it assures delivery teams and business stakeholders that the software that's built is right for its purpose. About the Book This book distills from the experience of leading teams worldwide effective ways to specify, test, and deliver software in short, iterative delivery cycles. Case studies in this book range from small web startups to large financial institutions, working in many processes including XP, Scrum, and Kanban. This book is written for developers, testers, analysts, and business people working together to build great software. Purchase of the print book comes with an offer of a free PDF, ePub, and Kindle eBook from Manning. Also available is all code from the book. What's Inside Common process patterns How to avoid bad practices Fitting SBE in your process 50+ case studies =============================================== Table of Contents Part 1 Getting started Part 2 Key process patterns Part 3 Case studies Key benefits Key process patterns Living documentation Initiating the changes Deriving scope from goals Specifying collaboratively Illustrating using examples Refining the specification Automating validation without changing specifications Validating frequently Evolving a documentation system uSwitch RainStor Iowa Student Loan Sabre Airline Solutions ePlan Services Songkick Concluding thoughts
Author: Kamil Nicieja Publisher: Simon and Schuster ISBN: 1638353905 Category : Computers Languages : en Pages : 449
Book Description
Summary Writing Great Specifications is an example-rich tutorial that teaches you how to write good Gherkin specification documents that take advantage of the benefits of specification by example. Foreword written by Gojko Adzic. Purchase of the print book includes a free eBook in PDF, Kindle, and ePub formats from Manning Publications. About the Technology The clearest way to communicate a software specification is to provide examples of how it should work. Turning these story-based descriptions into a well-organized dev plan is another matter. Gherkin is a human-friendly, jargon-free language for documenting a suite of examples as an executable specification. It fosters efficient collaboration between business and dev teams, and it's an excellent foundation for the specification by example (SBE) process. About the Book Writing Great Specifications teaches you how to capture executable software designs in Gherkin following the SBE method. Written for both developers and non-technical team members, this practical book starts with collecting individual feature stories and organizing them into a full, testable spec. You'll learn to choose the best scenarios, write them in a way that anyone can understand, and ensure they can be easily updated by anyone.management. What's Inside Reading and writing Gherkin Designing story-based test cases Team Collaboration Managing a suite of Gherkin documents About the Reader Primarily written for developers and architects, this book is accessible to any member of a software design team. About the Author Kamil Nicieja is a seasoned engineer, architect, and project manager with deep expertise in Gherkin and SBE. Table of contents Introduction to specification by example and Gherkin PART 1 - WRITING EXECUTABLE SPECIFICATIONS WITH EXAMPLES The specification layer and the automation layer Mastering the Given-When-Then template The basics of scenario outlines Choosing examples for scenario outlines The life cycle of executable specifications Living documentation PART 2 - MANAGING SPECIFICATION SUITES Organizing scenarios into a specification suite Refactoring features into abilities and business needs Building a domain-driven specification suite Managing large projects with bounded contexts
Author: Construction Specifications Institute Publisher: John Wiley & Sons ISBN: 0470904879 Category : Architecture Languages : en Pages : 312
Book Description
The must-have specifications writing reference and essential study aid for the Certified Construction Specifier (CCS) Exam The CSI Practice Guides are a library of comprehensive references specifically and carefully designed for the construction professional. Each book examines important concepts and best practices integral to a particular aspect of the building process. The CSI Construction Specifications Practice Guide is focused on the roles and responsibilities of the specifications professional in meeting the challenges of the changing world of construction. In this volume, guidelines on topics like writing quality construction specifications and product selection are meshed with best practices for managing project information, working with Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Integrated Project Delivery, and writing sustainable design specifications. Other material covered in this guide includes: The Construction Specifications Institute's collected best practices for authoring specifications Specialized guidance on presentation and management of project information in the context of Building Information Modeling and sustainable design Includes access to a password-protected web site with bonus content, including a PDF of the printed book and copies of CSI format documents, such as UniFormat and SectionFormat/PageFormat An authoritative resource for effective written communication of design intent, The CSI Construction Specifications Practice Guide presents construction professionals and students studying for the Certified Construction Specifier (CCS) Exam with a solid foundation for improving their methods of collecting and delivering important specifications data. Serves as an authoritativeresource for effective writing of design intent Includes CSI's best practicesfor authoring specifications Offers specialized guidance on project information in the context of BIM and sustainable design
Author: Julia McMorrough Publisher: Rockport Publishers ISBN: 1610587812 Category : Architecture Languages : en Pages : 272
Book Description
DIV Most architectural standards references contain thousands of pages of details—overwhelmingly more than architects need to know to know on any given day. The Architecture Reference & Specification Book contains vital information that's essential to planning and executing architectural projects of all shapes and sizes, in a format that is small enough to carry anywhere. It distills the data provided in standard architectural volumes and is an easy-to-use reference for the most indispensable—and most requested—types of architectural information. /div
Author: Fred A. Stitt Publisher: McGraw-Hill Professional Publishing ISBN: 9780071341035 Category : Buildings Languages : en Pages : 0
Book Description
CONTENIDO: Common problems with specifications - How to create set of specifications - How to create office master specifications - Instructions for using the CSI format - Specification section checklist long form - Project manager and specifications - Writer considerations and decisions - Specifications development - Don't be taken in by bad substitutions during biddin.
Author: Kenneth B. Sall Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional ISBN: Category : Computers Languages : en Pages : 1180
Book Description
This single-source reference and tutorial brings together up-to-the-minute information about every key XML technology. The book's unique features are designed to make XML easier than ever to master and use effectively. Throughout, Kenneth B. Sall provides two parallel sets of examples: "QuickTrack" examples for beginners and those seeking a quick overview of how the technology works, and "Advanced Track" examples for readers who want to drill down for a more sophisticated understanding. The book includes extensive tables designed for rapid access to key information, plus as a "Big Picture Map" showing how virtually every key W3C XML-related initiative fits together.KEY TOPICS:Sall begins by reviewing XML's history, goals, evolution, fundamental concepts, and syntax. He covers parsing and programming APIs, techniques for displaying and transforming XML, related core XML specifications, and specialized XML vocabularies. Among the XML-related technologies covered in this book: XSL, DOM, P3P, CSS, Xlink, and Xpointer. The book includes a full chapter on XSLT by G. Ken Holman, current chair of the OASIS XSLT Conformance Technical Subcommittee; and a full chapter on the Resource Definition Framework (RDF) by Oral Lassila, a member of the W3C working group on RDF.MARKET:For every Web professional and software developer working with XML.
Author: Mario Cardinal Publisher: Addison-Wesley ISBN: 0132776510 Category : Computers Languages : en Pages : 243
Book Description
Most books about specifications still assume that requirements can be known up front and won’t change much during your project. In today’s “real world,” however, you must specify and build software in the face of high and continuing uncertainty. Scrum and other agile methods have evolved to reflect this reality. Now, there’s a complete guide to specifying software in agile environments when prerequisites are unclear, requirements are difficult to grasp, and anything about your project could change. Long-time agile coach and enterprise architect Mario Cardinal shows how to create executable specifications and use them to test software behavior against requirements. Cardinal shows how to trawl requirements incrementally, step-by-step, using a vision-centric and emergent iterative practice that is designed for agility. Writing for analysts, architects, developers, and managers, Cardinal makes a strong case for the iterative discovery of requirements. Then, he moves from theory to practice, fully explaining the technical mechanisms and empirical techniques you need to gain full value from executable specifications. You’ll learn to connect specifications with software under construction, link requirements to architecture, and automate requirements verification within the Scrum framework. Above all, Cardinal will help you solve the paramount challenge of software development: not only to solve the problem right, but also to solve the right problem. You will learn how to • Establish more effective agile roles for analysts and architects • Integrate and simplify the best techniques from FIT, ATDD, and BDD • Identify “core certainties” on which your project team should rely to ensure requirements discovery • Manage uncertainty by discovering stakeholder desires through short feedback loops • Specify as you go while writing small chunks of requirements • Use storyboarding and paper prototyping to improve conversations with stakeholders • Express stakeholder desires that are requirements with user stories • Refine your user stories, and plan more effective Scrum sprints • Confirm user stories by scripting behaviors with scenarios • Transform scenarios into automated tests that easily confirm your software’s expected behavior as designs emerge and specifications evolve • Ensure higher-quality software by specifying nonfunctional requirements
Author: Ron Russell Publisher: John Wiley & Sons ISBN: 1394202555 Category : Technology & Engineering Languages : en Pages : 244
Book Description
Updated guidance for accurately interpreting graphic and written construction documents, including commercial ones Print and Specifications Reading for Construction is an easy-to-understand yet comprehensive manual on how to interpret construction documents, including the often quite complicated construction specifications for commercial building projects, covering both the graphic and written sets and demonstrating how they relate to each other. Complete sets of construction documents for three actual building projects are available on the book companion website. Practice questions and exercises are included throughout the text to aid in seamless reader comprehension and information retention. Written by a highly qualified author with more than three decades of experience in the field, Print and Specifications Reading for Construction includes information on: Basics of construction plan reading and relevant terminology, including architectural, structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and civil drawings and specifications Use of schematics in today's construction environment, and updates on soils and structural members Terminology and practical applications of BIM and sustainability, and clearly illustrated descriptions of various structural members Real construction problems in large-scale residential and commercial projects via included sample sets Covering both print reading and key construction specifications, Print and Specifications Reading for Construction is an easy-to-understand, accessible, and completely comprehensive guide on the subject for students in construction management and construction technology programs.
Author: Frank W. Macey
Author: Gojko Adzic
Author: Kamil Nicieja
Author: Construction Specifications Institute
Author: Julia McMorrough
Author: Fred A. Stitt
Author: Kenneth B. Sall
Author: Mario Cardinal
Author: Ron Russell
Author: