Section 2: New Special Specification and Special Provision Submission Requirements
Anchor: #i1008956Overview
In the early stages of design, the basic nature and character of work should be established, so that bid items may be selected. Also, this allows the designer to establish if any special circumstances may require Special Specifications or Special Provisions. Special Provisions and Special Specifications should be submitted only when it has been determined that construction under the Standard Specifications will not achieve the desired results or will not prove to be economical. If new Special Provisions or Special Specifications are needed, the early identification will allow time for them to be reviewed and approved by the Roadway Specifications Section (CST_RDWY_SPECS) prior to the submission of the PS&E.
Anchor: #i1008969General Guidelines
Special Provisions should modify the Standard Specification only to the extent necessary to accomplish the desired results. When voiding portions of an article, void only the sentences requiring removal/replacement and the remainder of the Article is exactly as it appears in the Standard Specification. While condensation and simplification may result in a more concise Special Provision, this practice has too often resulted in misinterpretation and important Standard Specification requirements being unintentionally omitted.
The same general format and wording used in the Standard Specifications should be followed in preparing Special Specifications. This can most readily be accomplished by using a similar standard item as a guide and substituting the desired wording where appropriate. The measurement and payment paragraphs in particular should be essentially the same as similar standard items. This is necessary since conflicts or vagueness in these paragraphs are often the basis for claims against the department.
During the preparation of both Special Provisions and Special Specifications, considerable thought should be given toward requirements and wording which will permit the use of the Special Provisions or Special Specifications on other projects having slightly different conditions. By relegating certain features such as density and gradation requirements to the plans and exercising foresight in preparing the measurement and payment paragraphs this end can be achieved. The repeated use of desirable Special Provisions and Special Specifications is most beneficial in that it results in progress in construction methods and materials, and uniform interpretation of specification requirements.
This section covers
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- Form 1814 and Accessing Specification Templates.
Form 1814 and Specification Templates
The next subsections discuss these Form 1814 and Specification topics:
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- When to Submit Completed Form Anchor: #BPEFIBSE
- How to Complete Form Anchor: #WOOQLDBN
- Accessing Specification Templates
When to Submit Completed Form
To submit a new Special Provision or Special Specification, the Form 1814 must be filled out completely by the district. The form may be downloaded from 1814.pdf. The District Engineer must submit the completed Form 1814 directly to the Roadway Specifications Section (CST_RDWY_SPECS) to receive a new Special Provision or Special Specification number.
For all projects, districtwide use status of a Special Provision or Special Specification is encouraged when the item has been used three (3) or more times. When the district determines they want a proposed Special Provision or Special Specification for districtwide use, the district must submit Form 1814. These districtwide use Special Provisions or Special Specifications are submitted to the Specifications Committee for review and approval in their monthly meeting. Statewide use status for an item is usually submitted by a division.
Anchor: #i1009058How to Complete Form
The Form 1814 Proposed Special Provision or Special Specification, Departmental Material Specification, or Bid Codes needs to be filled out completely (see Table 3-1, below). Use the latest version of Form 1814. The Form is located at eForms, and may be accessed via the following link: http://www.txdot.gov/txdoteforms/GetForm?formName=/1814.pdf&appID=/CST&status=/reportError.jsp&configFile=WFServletConfig.xml. This form must accompany the Proposed Special Provision or Special Specification.
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Step |
Action |
|---|---|
| 1 |
Indicate whether the submittal is for Statewide Use, Districtwide Use, One-Time Use, Bid Codes (only) or Departmental Material Specifications (DMS) by clicking the appropriate box at the top of the form. |
| 2 |
Select the Division, District, or Office from which the request is coming. |
| 3 |
Select the specification book year. |
| 4 |
For Statewide Use, Districtwide Use or DMS, indicate whether the submittal is for construction and/or maintenance use and if its use is to be required or optional. |
| 5 |
For One-Time Use and Bid Codes (only), list the letting month and year, project number, highway, CSJ and county. |
| 6 |
Indicate if the proposed specification or provision is for an addendum. If it is, provide the absolute deadline date. |
| 7 |
For One-Time Use, indicate whether this has been submitted previously and, if so, how many times. |
| 8 |
Provide the proposed item/DMS number, funding type, and the proposed SP/SS/DMS Title. For Bid Codes (only), proceed to Step 13. |
| 9 |
Indicate if the submittal is new, identical or similar to a previously approved specification or provision. If similar or identical, list the most recent specification or provision. |
| 10 |
Provide a clear and concise summary of the proposed change requested. For DMS, proceed to Step 13. |
| 11 |
Indicate whether the proposed SP/SS will require new bid codes. If yes, list them under Special Instructions for Review. |
| 12 |
List any reference items. |
| 13 |
Indicate who created the submittal, contact phone number and the date the submittal was created. List any special instructions for review. |
When received at the Roadway Specification Section (CST_RDWY_SPECS), the Form 1814 is logged in. Processing time varies depending on the content of the Special Provision or Special Specification and the information given on Form 1814. Preference is given to Special Provisions or Special Specifications that let first. Many one-time use proposed Special Provisions or Special Specifications are forwarded to other divisions for review and comments. Click here for an example of a completed Form 1814.
Anchor: #i1009075Accessing Specification Templates
In order to post Specifications and Provisions to the updated website, templates have been developed and must be used. The templates are found at the Specifications web page at http://www.txdot.gov/business/resources/txdot-specifications.html. The templates open with a .docx extension and must be saved with an .rtf extension prior to emailing the file to CST_RDWY_SPECS. Once the document is opened, the information has been typed in and it’s ready to be saved, click on File/Save As, then click on Save As Type, select Rich Text Format (*.rtf). No formatting is lost.
Special Specifications and Special Provisions cannot be accepted for submittal and review unless they are in the correct format.
Click here for an example of a Special Specification.
Anchor: #i1009100Centralized Libraries
The approved Special Provision or Special Specification is stored on the appropriate centralized library. The centralized libraries are used to build bid proposals. Contact the Roadway Specification Section (CST_RDWY_SPECS) for questions about these libraries.
(Refer to the Construction Division’s Internet site at http://www.txdot.gov/business/resources/txdot-specifications.html for the proper formatting of triple zero Special Provisions.)
Anchor: #i1009117Approval Procedure
Any Special Provision to Items 1 through 9 must receive approval from the Administration. All other proposed Special Provisions and Special Specifications (statewide and districtwide) must be submitted to the Specifications Committee composed of Division Heads from the Design Division, Bridge Division, Maintenance Division, Traffic Operations Division, and Construction Division; the section head of Materials and Pavements of the Construction Division; and three District Engineers. One-time-use Special Provisions or Special Specifications are approved through the Roadway Specifications Section (CST_RDWY_SPECS).
One purpose of the Specifications Committee is to carefully screen all Special Provisions and Special Specifications for conformance with departmental policies and construction practices and to approve only those deemed essential. The Specifications Committee also approves Special Provisions or Special Specifications affecting Departmental policy. The Committee also has liaison with legitimate highway industry associations and representatives for the purpose of discussing and/or clarifying specifications affecting those institutions.