Proprietary Specification in PPD practice exam.

I am confused about a question and answer in the practice exam. Hoping someone can help clarify. The question is given:

An architect is designing a new one-story office building that will be constructed using a fast-track project delivery method. The client asks the architect to provide a fully proprietary set of drawings and specifications, even though the client has not yet decided on the materials for the building envelope.

The architect is now drawing the details for the building and the roof plan.

How should the architect keynote the roofing system?

A. Fully Adhered Single-Ply Roof Membrane

B. EPDM Roof Membrane

C. Roof Membrane.

The correct answer is given as C.

Explantation:

This note includes enough information to name the system and allows for the specification to detail the method of attachment, membrane thickness, membrane material, and installation method. Since final envelope materials have not been selected and potential last-minute changes may occur, generic keynoting will allow for membrane materials to change in the specifications without modifications to the drawing.

To me, answer C does not provide 'enough information to name the system and allows for the specification to detail the method of attachment, membrane thickness, membrane material, and installation method.'

I would have thought that there are a lot of membrane systems and thicknesses with different attachments etc that this was vague. As well, the client requests a proprietary spec. Is this considered proprietary?

Valerie D-S October 18, 2022 23:54 (Edited October 18, 2022 23:57)

You are correct that "Roof Membrane" is not a proprietary spec. This is why this question is tricky (I also got it incorrect the first time I came across it on the practice exam). I understand the key here is that "...the client has not yet decided on the materials for the building envelope." In order to avoid revisions in the future, it is better to keep the spec generic. This will allow the contractor to provide an allowance for this item. This way, the contractor knows that there will be some sort of roof membrane on the project and will provide some loose estimate accordingly. When the client decides what they want to do, the allowance can be tightened up to reflect the actual specified material. This could happen before contract award via bid RFI or after contract award by RFI/ASI and a subsequent change order to update the contract cost.

David Bowen October 20, 2022 23:47

Ah, I see. Yes, I would assume as much as well, but I feel paranoid about the test and what they are asking.

I think the 'even though the client has not yet decided' part made me think it still needs to be proprietary as a placeholder, which is commonly done in practice.

Thanks for the response.

Proprietary Specification in PPD practice exam.

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