ASHRAE Journal - August 2014 - 54
Technical FeaTure
Specifying... Or Equal
By Kenneth M. elovitz, P.e., esq., MeMBer AshrAe
When designing an HVAC system, one key element of an engineer's responsibility is
to prepare plans and specifications that provide the level of information reasonably
required to construct the project in conformance with applicable codes and sound
design practice. That responsibility usually means showing one way to make the
system work. The plans and specifications also must be sufficiently free of ambiguity
that the contractors and their suppliers can discern the design intent. Engineers typically meet that requirement by identifying the major equipment that makes up the
basis of design for the job by make and often model.
In an effort to promote competition, specifications
often let the contractor use products that are "equal"
to the products that are the basis of design. Sometimes
the specification identifies a product and says "or
equal." Sometimes the specification identifies more
than one manufacturer whose products are acceptable.
Even when manufacturers are listed as acceptable, it is
important to say, "or equal by ...." There can easily be
cases where an acceptable manufacturer's product does
not provide performance equal to the specified product.
The contractor's motivation to propose an "equal" is
not necessarily a desire to "cheapen" the job. There are
legitimate business reasons a contractor might want
to use a brand of equipment different from the brand
the engineer used as the basis of design. Those reasons
include:
* Familiarity with the product, which potentially
translates into fewer labor hours and lower cost.
* A history of better service from the supplier or representative, including schedule and delivery considerations.
* Better pricing, which translates to a lower bid and
ultimately a lower project cost for the owner.
Equal does not mean identical. Part of a manufacturer's job is to differentiate its products from its competitors' products. That differentiation might come in the
form of subtle differences in design or materials of construction. Engineers evaluating proposed equals often
have to rule on whether those differences are functional
differences (making the products not equal) or mere
product differentiation (making the products functionally equivalent or "equal").
Many construction contracts incorporate AIA
A201-2007, General Conditions of the Contract for
Kenneth M. Elovitz, P.E., Esq., is a professional engineer at Energy Economics, Inc., in Foxboro, Mass.
54
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ASHRAE Journal - August 2014
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ASHRAE Journal - August 2014
Contents
ASHRAE Journal - August 2014 - Intro
ASHRAE Journal - August 2014 - BB1
ASHRAE Journal - August 2014 - BB2
ASHRAE Journal - August 2014 - Cover1
ASHRAE Journal - August 2014 - Cover2
ASHRAE Journal - August 2014 - 1
ASHRAE Journal - August 2014 - 2
ASHRAE Journal - August 2014 - Contents
ASHRAE Journal - August 2014 - 4
ASHRAE Journal - August 2014 - 5
ASHRAE Journal - August 2014 - 6
ASHRAE Journal - August 2014 - 7
ASHRAE Journal - August 2014 - 8
ASHRAE Journal - August 2014 - 9
ASHRAE Journal - August 2014 - 10
ASHRAE Journal - August 2014 - 11
ASHRAE Journal - August 2014 - 12
ASHRAE Journal - August 2014 - 13
ASHRAE Journal - August 2014 - 14
ASHRAE Journal - August 2014 - 15
ASHRAE Journal - August 2014 - 16
ASHRAE Journal - August 2014 - 17
ASHRAE Journal - August 2014 - 18
ASHRAE Journal - August 2014 - 19
ASHRAE Journal - August 2014 - 20
ASHRAE Journal - August 2014 - 21
ASHRAE Journal - August 2014 - 22
ASHRAE Journal - August 2014 - 23
ASHRAE Journal - August 2014 - 24
ASHRAE Journal - August 2014 - 25
ASHRAE Journal - August 2014 - 26
ASHRAE Journal - August 2014 - 27
ASHRAE Journal - August 2014 - 28
ASHRAE Journal - August 2014 - 29
ASHRAE Journal - August 2014 - 30
ASHRAE Journal - August 2014 - 31
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ASHRAE Journal - August 2014 - 33
ASHRAE Journal - August 2014 - 34
ASHRAE Journal - August 2014 - 35
ASHRAE Journal - August 2014 - 36
ASHRAE Journal - August 2014 - 37
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ASHRAE Journal - August 2014 - 53
ASHRAE Journal - August 2014 - 54
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ASHRAE Journal - August 2014 - 58
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ASHRAE Journal - August 2014 - Cover3
ASHRAE Journal - August 2014 - Cover4
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