Product Selection & Substitution Flashcards

In a proprietary specification, the specifier names a single manufacturer with no alternatives. What is the primary risk of this approach?

Answer: It may limit competition and require justification on publicly funded projects

Proprietary specifications can restrict competition and may require justification or owner approval, especially on public projects subject to competitive bidding laws.

Which specification type offers the most flexibility for contractor product selection while ensuring performance outcomes?

Answer: Performance specification

Performance specifications define required end results and measurable criteria, allowing contractors to select any product that achieves those outcomes.

During the submittal review process, the architect stamps a product data sheet 'Reviewed – Furnish as Corrected.' What action is required next?

Answer: The contractor must resubmit corrected submittal for final review before proceeding

'Furnish as Corrected' means the submittal is conditionally accepted only after the noted corrections are incorporated and resubmitted for confirmation.

Under CSI guidelines, what information must a contractor typically provide when submitting a substitution request?

Answer: Complete product data, comparison of differences from specified product, and reason for substitution

A complete substitution request must include detailed product data, a point-by-point comparison to the specified product, and the reason the substitution is being requested.

A manufacturer listed as a basis-of-design product discontinues the specified model after contract award. How should the project team respond?

Answer: The contractor submits a substitution request for an equivalent product for architect review

Discontinuation of a specified product creates a legitimate basis for a substitution request, which must still be reviewed and approved by the architect before the alternative is used.

What does a 'basis-of-design' product designation in a specification communicate to bidders?

Answer: The design is based on that product's characteristics, and substitutions must match those characteristics

Basis-of-design designates the product used to develop the design intent; it establishes the benchmark that any substitution must match in performance, size, and configuration.

Which CSI SectionFormat part contains the quality assurance requirements that a substituted product must satisfy?

Answer: Part 1 – General

Part 1 – General of SectionFormat contains quality assurance, references, and administrative requirements including the standards a substitution must meet.