Effect of Performance-Related Specifications on Highway Construction

Abstract

This paper presents a study of the perceived effect the use of performance-related specifications will have on highway construction. It attempts to answer such questions as what performance-related specifications are and how they differ from traditional specifications. There is a discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of using performance-related specifications and why the use of PRS would be advantageous for certain applications but not others. Through telephone interviews with a selected number of individuals directly involved in the development and implementation of performance-related specifications, the study tried to assess the impact of performance-related specifications on various aspects of highway construction, including construction durations, costs, claims, change orders, quality, safety, staffing needs, and the attitudes of personnel involved in the construction activities. The results of this survey indicate that performance-related specifications should result in meaningful, defensible, and cost-effective specifications. This should have the effect of improving the quality of highway construction.