Project Design and Specification Writing
From survey to specification
The Project Designer converts assessment data into a bidable, enforceable package. Core documents: a scope of work keyed to the inspection report's homogeneous areas, technical specifications (containment construction, negative pressure, decontamination units, work practices, clearance criteria), drawings showing containments and critical barriers, a schedule, and division 01 general requirements. Specifications should be prescriptive and verifiable: state the standard, the method, and the acceptance test. Use CSI format and avoid proprietary single-source language unless justified.
Traps
Vague language ("remove asbestos as required") is the classic wrong answer. Another trap is specifying clearance criteria without specifying the method and analyst accreditation that produce them. Watch for specifications that omit the decontamination sequence, the shower, or the waste manifest trail. Questions also test whether the designer coordinates with the owner's operations (HVAC shutdown, occupied-building phasing).
Rule of thumb
"If it isn't written, it won't happen, and you can't enforce it." Worked example: instead of "maintain negative pressure," write: maintain the containment under negative pressure relative to adjacent spaces, verified by a manometer visible from outside the containment, monitored and logged at intervals stated in the specification, with a designated responsible person named.