2. Project Organization

2.2 PROJECT DOCUMENTS

Project documents are developed by the design team and are part of the bid letting. These documents illustrate and describe the scope of work to be done under the contract. Specific definitions of these documents and other terms that apply directly to a project are normally included in the first section of the governing standard specifications. Project documents include the following:

• Plans—Drawings that show the project location and layout, cross sections of the pavement, dimensions of the work, roadway or airfield appurtenances, striping and traffic control, and other details of the work to be done.
• Standard specifications—Written technical documents that provide detailed technical requirements for the materials, products, and methods used to perform the work described in the plans. These specifications are designed to ensure that the pavement performs adequately for its intended use. Some may outline performance criteria for achieving the desired outcome. Standard specifications are usually published by an agency as a volume of many specifications that the agency owns and periodically updates. Categories of standard specifications include materials, construction, QA, and performance.
• Special or supplemental specifications—Approved additions and revisions to the standard specifications. These are typically newer specifications adopted since the last standard specification volume was published.
• Special provisions—Additions or revisions to the standard or supplemental specifications that are applicable only to an individual project.

Agencies often incorporate several other documents by reference into the standard specifications, supplemental specifications, and special provisions. Material specifications and test procedures from AASHTO and ASTM are often listed in the specifications and become part of the contract documents. Additional documents, such as the Federal Highway Administration’s Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations, are treated in the same manner when referenced in the specifications. For airfields, AC 70/7460-1K Obstruction Marking and Lighting is an important document for construction equipment, etc.

Many of the material specifications and test methods written by AASHTO or ASTM for national use are modified by State or local agencies for their specific use. Governmental agencies often publish their own material specifications and test methods. These publications are also referenced in and become a part of the contract documents. Inspection manuals or guidelines are normally intended for use by the agency’s representatives and are not part of the contract documents.

If a discrepancy exists between the instructions and specifications in any of the contract documents, the order of priority, from highest to lowest, is usually as follows:

1. Special provisions.
2. Plans.
3. Special or supplemental specifications.
4. Standard specifications.

This hierarchy corresponds to the documents’ specific applicability to a project or contract.

Plans and specifications need to be accurate and complete, and they should leave little room for assumptions or interpretation. Accurate and complete contract documents result in comprehensive bids, save many hours of later discussion between agency and contractor representatives, and often prevent contract disputes that are expensive and time-consuming for all parties. To ensure that the full scope of the project is fully cataloged, pre-bid meetings and a time allowance for written pre-bid questions and official responses should be built into the bid-letting process.

If QA specifications are used, the requirements for the contractor to monitor its own work and for the agency or designated entity to do the necessary acceptance testing should be provided in detail. The project documents should clearly state testing methods and frequencies.

Chapter 11 is dedicated to the topic of QA, with sections on definitions, general types of specifications, QC plans, sampling methods, and QC at the plant and in the field, as well as acceptance.