Indirect  labor  includes  labor  required  to  support construction operations but does not. in itself. produce an end product. Manpower estimates consist of a listing of the number of direct labor man-days required to complete the  various  activities  of  a  specific  project.  These estimates  may  show  only  the  man-days  for  each activity or they may be in sufficient detail to list the number of man-days for each rating. Master activities consist of a breakdown of a complete  project  in  sufficient  detail  to  provide  a comprehensive  description  of  the  project. Material  estimates  consist  of  a  listing  and description of the various materials and the quantities required to construct a given project. Information for preparing  material  estimates  is  obtained  from  the activity  estimates.  drawings,  and  specifications. Planning  is  the  process  of  determining  require- ments and devising and developing methods and a scheme of action for construction of a project. Good construction planning is a combination of various elements:  the  activity,  material,  equipment,  and manpower  estimates:  project  layout;  project  location; material delivery and storage; work schedules; quality control;   special   tools   required;   environmental protection: safety; and progress control. All of these elements depend upon each other. They must be taken into account in any well-planned project. Preliminary estimates are made from limited information. such as the general description of projects or preliminary, plans and specifications having little or no  detail.  Preliminary  estimates  are  prepared  to establish costs for the budget and to program general manpower  requirements. Scheduling is the process of determining when an action must be taken and when materials, equipment, and manpower will be required. It shows the sequence, the time for starting, the time required for perfor- mance. and the time for completion. SPECIFICATIONS Specificationsare written information about how a building or project is to be built. They are prepared under the direction of the architect and engineer. The type  and  quality,  of  materials,  workmanship,  finish. and final appearance are spelled out. The written specifications, along with the drawings. should give all the  information  needed  to  complete  any  project. Specifications  control  the  actions  and  performance  of 2-2 all parties who are working on or supplying material to a  construction  project.  Specifications  may  be  only  a few pages long and give general instructions and specific information on materials. Short specifications are  common  in  small  construction  jobs.  In  heavy construction.  however.  specifications  may  run hundreds of pages. Unless you understand how the various parts of he specifications interrelate. the sheer mass  of  the  written  material  can  be  confusing. Specifications are composed of three major parts: Bid and contract forms General  conditions Technical   specifications As  an  electrician,  you  will  be  working  with specifications that deal with the technical areas related to your job. You will be responsible for the general and supplemental  specifications.  special  conditions.  and addenda  or  changes  to  conditions  that  may  affect  you. The technical specifications spell out exactly what material is to be used. what standards are to be met. and what work is to be done in all areas ofconstruction. The Construction   Specification   Institute   (CSI)   has developed a standard format that is widely followed to develop complete specifications. Bidding and contract requirements are covered in Division 0. Technical specifications are covered in Divisions 1 through 16. Division 17, expeditionary structures, was established specifically by, NAVFAC. As you can see from table 2-1, the specifications are arranged in the sequence in which the project will progress. starting with bidding and  contract  requirements. CONSTRUCTION  DRAWINGS The main basis for defining the required activities, measuring  the  quantities  of  material,  and  making accurate estimates is the information contained in con- struction drawings. You should read all notes and references carefully and examine all details and refer- ence drawings thoroughly. You should check the ori- entation  of  sectional  views  carefully.  Verify  the Revision section near the title block to check whether the indicated changes were in fact made in the drawing itself. When inconsistencies are found between draw- ings and specifications. the specifications should take precedence. Drawings are generally categorized according to their intended purposes:  preliminary drawings. pre- sentation  drawings.  working  drawings.  and  shop drawings.