Requirements outlined in the NIH Design Policy and Guidelines and any project-specific variances to the Guidelines that have been granted MUST be adhered to in the development of contract specifications and incorporated into the development of the contract documents. Technical requirements shall be fully defined and coordinated throughout the specifications.

R.1 Specification Sections

NIH Specifications Sections have been based on the latest edition of MASTERSPEC^® and, where available, the 1999 edition of the General Services Administration (GSA) specification. The sections have been modified for use in the NIH building construction program. Where an NIH section exists, comparable MASTERSPEC^® or GSA sections shall not be used. See MASTERSPEC^® “Table of Contents and Instructions for Use” for additional information on preparation of NIH construction specifications.

R.1.1 Quality Control Versus Quality Assurance: Quality Control is the responsibility of the construction contractor. Quality Assurance is the responsibility of the NIH.

R.1.1.1 Terminology: The A/E must change the terminology used throughout Divisions 2 through 16 of the MASTERSPEC^® documents. Most technical sections in MASTERSPEC^® Divisions 2 through 16 include a paragraph titled “Quality Assurance". “Quality Assurance” is also used in verbiage throughout these technical sections.

For all NIH projects, all references to “Quality Assurance” must be changed to “Quality Control” to assign responsibility to the construction contractor. Further clarification of project-specific exceptions to this general policy may occur and will be defined, when applicable, by the NIH Project Officer.

R.1.2 Available Division 1 General Requirements Sections: The NIH Division 1 Sections have been developed to reflect the requirements outlined in the “NIH Conditions of the Construction Contract” and NIH-specific requirements. The designer must coordinate with the Project Officer and the NIH Contracting Officer during development of the specifications to ensure coordination with the project solicitation.

These sections are guides only and must be edited by the designer to be project specific. Many of the NIH unique requirements have been incorporated into these sections.

Note 1: Both Division 1 “Section 01400 - Quality Requirements” and Division 1 “Section 01450 - Construction Quality Control” are required to be prepared and included in each construction project. Section 01400 is integral to the general technical requirements specified in the MASTERSPEC^® Divisions 2 through 16. Section 01450 specifies the unique requirements of the NIH Construction Quality Control Program.

Note 2: Specification Section 01548, “Use, Handling, Storage, Transporting, Accumulation and Disposal of NIH Controlled Materials,” must be included in every construction contract. Failure to include this section in all projects increases the potential for environmental pollution and liability.

Note 3: Specification Section 01595 “Safety and Health” must be included in every construction contract. This section provides general safety and health requirements during construction.

R.1.3 Available Divisions 2 Through 16 Technical Sections: All technical sections shall be developed from MASTERSPEC^® sections and modified to reflect the requirements of the NIH. Where an NIH section exists, it shall be used in lieu of a comparable MASTERSPEC^® section. As additional sections are developed by the NIH to reflect specific requirements of the NIH construction program, they will be incorporated in subsequent MASTERSPEC^® releases.

These sections are guides only and must be edited by the designer to be project specific. These sections incorporate specific technical requirements that are necessary for projects at the NIH that require the use of these technical sections. Any clarification on the use of specific sections shall be referred to the Project Officer.