standards from British ones.

A 276-page binder has replaced the 18-year-old specifications that contractors had used for Government jobs.

Works Minister the Hon. Leonard Gibbons said he expected the new specs would "make life a lot simpler for everybody''.

The old "green specs,'' named for the colour of paper on which they were typed, were out of date, said Mr. John Cooper, a chartered quantity surveyor in the ministry's architectural design and construction division.

While blueprints showed what work was to be done, specifications "really tell you what's required with regard to workmanship and materials,'' Mr. Cooper said.

"The specs have to be changed to reflect changes in the industry. Methods change, and so do the materials.'' Drawings and specs were used together when contractors bid on jobs, he said.

To help recover some of the $13,000 printing cost for 130 copies of the specs, Government wants contractors to purchase their copies for $100 each.

Specs were not to be confused with a building code. The Planning Department requires conformity with the international BOCA (Buildings Officials and Code Administrators) building code.

Generally, American standards were more appropriate to Bermuda, since most materials and methods were imported from the United States, he said.

The new Ministry of Works and Engineering Standard Specification is modelled on the American Construction Specifications Institute's format.

Because the new document is loose-leaf, new specs can be added and old ones taken away.

Mr. Larry Davis, vice-president of the Bermuda Construction Association, said the industry backed the change -- but not the $100 price tag.