scope:

PREFACE

This is the tenth edition of the AASHTO Guide Specifications for Highway Construction. These specifications have been developed by the AASHTO Committee on Construction and are intended to complement the specifications for major structures and bridges, which are covered by the AASHTO LRFD Bridge Construction Specifications.

The tenth edition of the AASHTO Guide Specifications provides guidance for developing transportation contract specifications. This edition has a number of updates including a focus on electronic submittals, updated environmental requirements, and revised materials specifications. The AASHTO, ASTM, and additional documentation references have also been updated to reflect the most current versions.

The many differences in climate, geology, geography, customs, statutes, and regulations make a national construction specification practically impossible. However, to provide for easier cross-referencing from state to state or with other agencies, this guide provides uniformity of nomenclature, format, methods of measurement, basis of payment, and method of tests. The guide specifications provide the specification writer with information and topics to be covered and expounded on in a detailed project construction specification.

The guide specifications divisions are subdivided into Description, Materials, Construction Requirements, Method of Measurement, and Basis of Payment. Items shown in brackets, such as [50], throughout the guide specifications are suggested values and should be changed, when necessary, to meet the requirements of the various agencies or project conditions.

Some sections of the guide specifications may be written in a manner to appear as absolute and definite. This is not intended to be the only approach to the content of the section, but to provide a detailed example of the topic.

AASHTO guide specifications are updated and republished periodically. The updated versions provide the user with products, systems, and specification topics that have been used since the last edition.