Writing Special Provisions

In Writing Special Provisions , you'll learn ...

• Preparing a set of questions to ask that cover essential "What", "Where" and "How" issues in a manner that will avoid rework later in the project
• The ability to differentiate between various types of Special Provisions
• The ability to recognize when a Special Provision is needed
• How to write the various parts of a Special Provision

Overview

Credit: 1 PDH

Length: 8 pages

This course covers the general format, content and purpose of a Special Provision that could be used in a set of contract documents for an infrastructure project such as a roadway, drainage or utility improvement. The course describes the basic format of a Special Provision by defining its purpose, identifies the various types of Special Provisions, and explains the importance of proper grammar for the communication of the intent of any design team faced with the task of writing a Special Provision.

Completion of this course will provide the student with an understanding of the issues to be covered by a Special Provision in a typical set of contract documents. This will provide the student with a basis for discussion with the team or project manager on each assignment. This in turn can reduce false starts, provide specific direction to the various disciplines involved and prepare questions for the client from a pro-active position. The result is intended to be a savings in labor spent on corrections and re-typing of text, which will help contribute to the completion of a project within the budget.

This course draws on the author's extensive experience with contract documents to provide valuable project execution tips that can save your project cost and schedule. Several minutes of discussion during the kick-off of a project can prevent costly last minute changes.

This course is a "How To" for preparing the format and text of Special Provisions for a project. Any engineer involved in preparing the contract documents for infrastructure / roadway plans will benefit from the lessons learned by the course author from a career that has spanned three decades and has seen hundreds of sets of plans and special provisions.