- Author
- Fenves, S. J. | Wright, R. N.
- Title
- Representation and Use of Design Specifications. Final Report.
- Coporate
- National Bureau of Standards, Washington, DC
- Report
- NBS TN 940, June 1977,
- Distribution
- Available from National Technical Information Service
- Keywords
- specifications; construction industry; building codes; computer programming; graph theory; network flow; performance standards
- Identifiers
- design specifications; computer aided design; decision tables
- Abstract
- Design specifications are presented as the primary communication and control tool for the design and construction industry. Requisite properies of completeness, uniqueness and correctness are identified, and the role of performance and limit state concepts in specifying intent of the specifications are emphasized. Formal representation methods are presented at three levels: decision tables for specification provisions, an information network for related provisions, and argument trees for organizing and outlining. An idealized process for specification development is presented, and the use of the representational tools for checking specifications and providing strategies for textual expression is described and illustrated. Development of computer aids for specification processing in design and conformance checking is described.