When specifications don’t solve the problem

Specifications are passed down a lengthy chain. In the process of this journey, the intent behind the original specification can be lost, resulting in sub-optimal solutions that entail a risk to your project. This risk can be avoided simply by getting the specification right. Here, Adam Fox, director at vibration isolation specialist, Mason UK, offers three key principles for writing a good specification.

At its heart, a specification is a document that both defines a problem, and offers a solution. It also establishes a set of criteria whose satisfaction entails the successful implementation of that solution. This definition is a useful way of thinking about some common pitfalls that can emerge when writing a specification, so I’ll return to it shortly. 

For now, let’s begin with why this matters so much. Part of the reason why a specification is such a crucial document is because of its finality. As an acoustic consultant, once you produce this document and hand it over to the contractor, then that may well be the last you see of it. For a hospital or medical facility, getting this right is especially important. Noise and vibration emanating from nearby traffic, heating and ventilation systems, or the operation of equipment, is not only a form of noise disturbance, but can also interfere with the functioning of equipment like MRI scanners.