Guidelines for Drafting Liability Neutral Transportation Engineering Documents and Communication Strategies (2020)

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26 NCHRP LRD 83 APPENDIX B—IOWA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION FIVE C’S The Five C’s of Construction Specification Writing, Iowa Department of Transportation The Five C’s. For specifications to be effective, they must be concise, clear, complete, correct, and consistent. These are referred to as “the Five C’s”. • Concise. Use simple words and try to keep sentences to 25 words or less. Try to limit paragraphs to five sentences or less. Limit each sentence to one thought and each paragraph to one topic. • Clear. Avoid words or sentences that can be interpreted in more than one way. For example, words like “accurate,” “clean,” “reasonable,” and “sufficient” can mean different things to different people. Avoid using “and/or.” Instead of “A and/or B,” use “either A or B, or both.” Avoid repeating requirements or providing reasons to back up a requirement. Do not restate information found in the plans. • Complete. Use the five-part format: o DESCRIPTION. A short and concise statement of the work required. o MATERIALS. A list of the materials required to complete the work. o CONSTRUCTION. A description of the requirements for completion and acceptance of the work. o METHOD OF MEASUREMENT. A description of the procedures used to measure the pay items. Include units of mea- surement, how items will be measured (plan quantity, placed, etc.), and measurement factors such as temperature, waste, spillage, etc. o BASIS OF PAYMENT. A definition of pay items needed to complete the work. Include incidental items. • Correct. Thoroughly research information to be sure that it is correct. Make sure references are correct and up to date. Make sure spelling, grammar, and punctuation are correct. • Consistent. Be consistent with punctuation, grammar, word usage, format, referencing, and the use of abbreviations and numbers.