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detail plans, or drawings, showing how all parts of the proposed work shall be done.

In the case of public works, also, when the law requires the contract to be let in open competition, and also specifies that it shall be let to the lowest bidder, it is almost necessary to prepare full detail plans in order to avoid an inadequate or inferior design being put into competition with better ones, and, from its diminished cost, receiving the contract.

(b) If the engineer can limit the bidders to a selected class of reliable contractors, who have reputations to lose if they should do inferior work, he may prepare very general plans only and allow the contractor to make the details to suit himself, in accordance, however, with certain specific requirements as given in the specifications, and subject to the approval of the engineer.

(c) If the engineer is indifferent as to even the general design, provided the finished work answers equally well certain prescribed demands, as given in a set of general specifications, he may not prepare any plans whatever, but leave the contractor (who must now also be chosen by the engineer or only responsible parties allowed to bid) to use any design he may choose, such designs to be submitted, however, with his bid, and this, together with the general specifications to form the basis of the contract.

75. General and Specific Clauses. Any specification may be said to be composed of two kinds of clauses, general and specific.

All those clauses which relate to the business portion of the contract, or which go to define the relations of the parties. to the civil contract as a business proposition, may be said to be the general clauses.

All those clauses which are descriptive of the engineering or structural features of the design, either as explanatory of the

plans, or of the materials to be used, or of the methods to be employed, may be called the specific clauses.

Since the general clauses are common to all kinds of specifications, they will be discussed first.

THE GENERAL CLAUSES IN SPECIFICATIONS.

76. The General Clauses in Specifications may relate to any or all of the following subjects:

(1) Time of commencement, rate of progress, and time of completion of the work.

(2) As to the character of the workmen to be employed. (3) Suitable appliances to be used.

(4) Monthly estimates of work done and payments to be made.

(5) Provision for inquiring into the correctness of the monthly estimates.

(6) Reserving a certain percentage as a repair fund, for a stated period after completion.

(7) Conditions of the final estimate.

(8) Engineer's measurements and classifications final and conclusive.

(9) Determination of damages sustained by failure to complete the work within the time agreed upon, or as extended. (10) The discharge of unpaid claims of work men and material men.

(11) No claims for damages on account of suspension of work.

(12) No claims for damages on account of delay.
(13) No claims on account of unforeseen difficulties.

(14) Protection of finished work.

(15) Protection of property and lives.

(16) Protection against claims for the use of patents.
(17) Assignment of contract.

(18) Contractor not released by subcontracts.

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(20) Cancellation of contract for default of contractor.

(21) Workmen's quarters and other temporary buildings. (22) Cleaning up after completion.

(23) Removal of condemned material.

(24) Relations to other contractors.

(25) Provision for drainage.

(26) Provision for public traffic.

(27) Contractor to keep foreman or head workman, and also copy of plans and specifications on the ground.

(28) Cost of examination of completed work.

(29) Faults to be corrected at any time before final acceptance.

(30) Surveys, measurements, and estimates of quantities not guaranteed to be correct.

(31) The contract subject to interpretation and change by the engineer.

(32) Settlement of disputes.

(33) Extra work.

(34) Definition of "Engineer" and "Contractor."

(35) Documents composing the contract.

(36) Meaning understood.

77. Explanatory Note. In all that follows on the subject of specifications, after explaining and discussing a given subject, one or more illustrations will be given in solid type, from actual specifications, together with the initials of the author. The full name and professional engagement of the author can then be found by referring to the Key to Personal References, page 5. In general the latest practice only of the engineers quoted in this way will be cited. It must also be

understood that in every case the gentlemen so quoted have themselves selected the sample specifications used and have consented to such use.

78. Time of Commencement, Rate of Progress, and Time of Completion of the Work. It is usual to make the time of commencement of the work as soon after the signing of the contract as is thought practical, as, for instance, ten, fifteen, or thirty days, depending on the character of the work.

The rate of progress is specified in order to give the engineer authority for canceling the contract if the rate of progress is such as to indicate that the contractor will certainly be unable to complete the work on time, or at all. Thus he may be obliged to abandon the work altogether, or he may choose to do so, in which case, if rate of progress is specified, the parties of the first part need not wait for the full time for completion to arrive before being able to take the work from the hands of the contractor and complete it by hiring the labor and purchasing the materials, or by reletting it to another contractor.

The time of completion is nearly always stated, and while the time allowed should be ample it should be only such as is required when a reasonable degree of diligence is exercised on the part of the contractor.

If, for any sufficient reason, the contractor is delayed in his work, for reasons beyond his control, the time of completion is usually extended by the principal by a corresponding length of time, and then this extended period fixes the required, or specified date of completion.

And the said party of the second part further agrees that he will commence the work herein contracted to be done within twenty days from the date of this contract; that the rate of progress of his work shall be such as, in the opinion of the Engineer, is necessary for completion within the time herein specified, and that he will so conduct the said work that on or before July 1, 1899, the whole work covered by this contract and specification shall be entirely completed.

A. F.

79. As to the Character of the Workmen to be Employed. In order to secure good work it is necessary to employ skilled workmen. The engineer must therefore have some control over the character of the labor employed by the contractor. This is obtained by specifying that only skilled labor shall be employed and giving to the engineer the power of discharge over any laborer, mechanic, foreman, or superintendent employed by the contractor on the work. It is also customary to provide that this power shall extend to cases of disobedience of instructions, impudence to engineer or inspectors, drunkenness, etc., as shown in the following illustration:

And the said party of the second part further agrees to employ only competent, skillful men to do the work; and that whenever the Engineer shall inform said party of the second part in writing that any man on the work is, in his opinion, incompetent, or unfaithful, or disorderly, such man shall be discharged from the work, and shall not again be employed on it. A. F.

80. Suitable Appliances to be Used. If not prevented by a special clause in the specifications, contractors who are unprovided with suitable mechanical appliances for doing the work properly will often undertake to perform the work with cheap and inadequate means, which would necessarily result in faulty construction, or in delaying the work. It is customary, therefore, to prescribe that all appliances shall be suitable and adequate to the purpose, and subject to the approval of the engineer. It is not wise, however, to specify particular methods or means of doing the work, since if for any reason a partial failure should result, the contractor will endeavor to obtain personal release by charging failure to the specified appliances or methods. A specification like the following is therefore recommended.

The contractor is to use such methods and appliances for the performance of all the operations connected with the work embraced under this contract as will secure a satisfactory quality of work and a rate of progress which, in the opinion of the engineer, will secure the completion of the work within the

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