Typical Example of Specifications

"Surveys—The Contractor must employ at his expense a City Surveyor to prepare the vault certificate, and to give, at the site, necessary lines, levels, and other data and such informa tion as the Architect may require.

"The Contractor must furnish to the Archi tect, before the final acceptance of the work in cluded in this specification, a City Surveyor's certificate, showing the location of the building in reference to the street lines and lot lines, both near the sidewalk and at the top, showing irregularities, if any, in all walls as to whether they are plumb or otherwise, and such other information as the Architect may desire.

"Handling of Material.

All materials are to be handled at the site and at the building so as not to obstruct or interfere with the work of other contractors.

"The Contractor will have charge of the sidewalk and roadway in front of the building; and it shall be his duty to keep the same free and unobstructed at all times, in compliance with the law, and to remove all rubbish, snow, and accumulations of all kinds.

"Mortar and concrete are not to be depos ited, mixed, or tempered on any of the floors of the building. Specially constructed waterproof boxes are to be provided for this purpose. Water barrels in any part of the building must be placed in waterproof boxes. This applies also to the basement. Leaky hose or pipes for conveying water will not be permitted. All damage to the building or any part thereof on account of soakage by water, will be made good at the Contractor's expense." This is in keeping with the general pro tection which the contractor must give to the building, and works no hardship upon him.

Contractor is to provide and keep a watchman on the premises at all times of the day and night, until the building is completed and until the Owner takes charge of the same.

"It shall be the duty of the watchman to guard the building and premises at all times, and to protect the work of all contractors.

"The watchman is to perform no work or labor at the building, except what is necessary for the performance of his duties.

"In

case, at any time, it is found that there is no watchman at the building, the Owner, through the Architect, may provide a watch man, without notice to the Contractor, and may deduct the expense incurred from the amount of the contract.

"Excavations—The Contractor is to do all necessary excavations (including all rock-blast ing) for the basement, the vaults under the side walks; for elevator pits, machine pits, and boiler pit; for walls, piers, footings, and other parts, to such depths as shown on the drawings; also all excavations for cisterns, cesspools, underground pipes, ducts, etc. (in the building and vaults), as may be directed; also all excavations for shoring, sheath-piling, and underpinning.

"The rock excavations for the floor of the sub-basement and basement must be carried 12 inches below the finish floor lines to allow for asphalting, concreting, etc.

"Sinks, cesspools, wells, and cisterns, or por tions of 'made ground,' soft ground, or bog, that may be on the premises, are to be cleaned out to the bottom, and filled in solid with concrete, made as hereinafter specified for the footing courses. This is in addition to the footing courses shown on the drawings." The architect should know the condition existing at the bottom of the property, and should be able so to state it in his specifica tion or in the bidding sheet that the con tractor will not be bidding blindly and trust ing to luck that he will not run into adverse conditions upon excavating. This paragraph might readily cause trouble if certain con ditions were encountered, where the contrac tor might make a claim for extra work, which in many cases would be justified. If, on the other hand, the exact conditions were stated, and the contractor knew more exactly just what to expect, he could so arrange his bid as to cover the conditions, and the specifica tion would so read as to preclude the pos sibility of any extra claim on his part.

"The trenches for foundations and footings are to be excavated down to solid rock; the top of the rock is to be trimmed off to present an even, level, and uniform surface for the founda tions and footings.