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The Department adopted electronic Standard Specifications and Standard Sheets as the official documents, effective with projects submitted for Lettings after September 1, 2015, per Engineering Instruction 15-001 “Adoption of Electronic Standard Specifications and Standard Sheets”. Printed versions of the Standard Specifications and Standard Sheets are no longer available.

The following list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) has been prepared to assist users during the implementation of the electronic Standard Specifications and Standard Sheets.

Question 1: Why has the Department adopted electronic Standard Specifications as the official documents?

Answer 1: It simplifies the document by moving the Standard Specification revisions from the contract proposal to the routinely updated electronic version of the standard specifications.

Question 2: How does adoption of the electronic Standard Specifications affect Design Bid Build (D-B-B) contracts?

Answer 2: Adoption of the electronic Standard Specifications:

• Streamlines and simplifies the assembly and production of the bid documents by moving the Standard Specification revisions from the contract proposal to the routinely updated electronic version of the standard specifications.

• Significantly reduces the size of contract proposals and thereby significantly reduces hardcopy printing and associated costs. “Revisions to the Standard Specifications” previously accounted for up to 70% of the contract proposals.

• Consolidates all changes to the Standard Specifications into a single, easily accessible document/location.

Question 3: How does adoption of the electronic Standard Specifications affect Design Build (D-B) contracts?

Answer 3: Adoption of electronic Standard Specifications will not have a major impact on Design Build contracts. The applicable version of the Standard Specifications that apply to any given D-B contracts will be referenced within the D-B contract documents (RFP) and will be the version in effect as of the Proposal due date.

Question 4: How can I tell the applicable version of the Standard Specifications for a given project?

Answer 4: The date of the Standard Specifications that apply to a contract is included on the Proposal cover.

Question 5: Are both US Customary and Metric versions of the electronic Standard Specifications and Standard Sheets available?

Answer 5: Yes, both US Customary and Metric versions are available.

The US Customary documents are available at:



The Metric documents are available at:



Question 6: Will changes be delineated in the Standard Specifications?

Answer 6: Unofficial versions of the Standard Specifications illustrating the changes from one version to the next are published as “Updated Standard Specifications”

The US Customary “Updated Standard Specifications” are available at:



The Metric “Updated Standard Specifications” are available at:



Question 7: Will the Standard Specifications continuously change now?

Answer 7: No, the adoption of electronic Standard Specifications hasn’t changed the frequency with which the books are updated (3 times a year); only the mechanism by which they are published (from proposal book inserts to an updated electronic spec book).

Question 8: How will intermediate changes to the Standard Specifications get handled in between the official versions?

Answer 8: In the event that a spec change must be immediately implemented, all changes to the Standard Specifications in between official versions will be addressed and defined in the implementation language of the Engineering Issuance announcing the change.

Question 9: Why post older versions of the Standard Specifications on the website?

Answer 9: Every contract is tied to an official version of the Standard Specifications. The official versions of the Standard Specifications are static documents and must be accessible for the life of the contract.

Question 10: How are previously awarded contracts affected by the adoption of subsequent editions of the Standard Specifications?

Answer 10: The version of the Standard Specifications applicable to the contract is included on the proposal cover and will not change for the life of the contract.

Question 11: How does the adoption of electronic Standard Specifications affect Special Specification and Special Notes?

Answer 11: The adoption of the electronic Standard Specifications has not changed the development, review and approval process and inclusion of Special Specifications and Special Notes in the PS&Es and bid documents.

Question 12: How do I reference the Standard Specifications in my PS&E package (Special Notes, Notes, Special Specifications, etc.)?

Answer 12: Reference as the “Standard Specifications” in all PS&E materials. There is no need to reference the specific version or the date of Standard Specifications; the applicable version will be included on the contract proposal cover. All other references should simply be to the “Standard Specifications” with no date.

Question 13: Will the entire Standard Sheets book or only the applicable individual Standard Sheets be referenced in the contract documents?

Answer 13: The current practice of referencing the individual, applicable Standard Sheets on the Index and Abbreviations Sheet will continue to be followed.

Question 14: Will hardcopy versions of the Standard Specifications and Standard Sheets be available upon request?

Answer 14: No, hardcopies will not be available from the Department. However, the electronic Standard Specifications and Standard Sheets have been provided in a format that allows you to print all or part of the documents.

Question 15: For records retention, how long will official versions of the Standard Specifications be available?

Answer 15: The official documents will be retained on the Department’s website for a minimum of seven years, beginning with the documents dated September 1, 2015. Beyond that they will be retained on Department servers indefinitely.

Question 16: Who do I contact if I believe I have found an error in the electronic Standard Specifications or Standard Sheets?

Answer 16: Comments, questions or issues pertaining to the electronic Standard Specifications and Standard Sheets may be directed to:

Pratip Lahiri, P.E., Pratip.Lahiri@dot.

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