Civil Engineering Association

Specifying concrete for performance

Performance specifications can provide clarity on the outcome expected. In response to these and other views, a focus group / working party was established to develop guidelines for the use of performance-based specifications for concrete. The group intended to produce model specifications and guidelines for the use of performance-based specifications for marine concrete and for concrete floors, but the technology involved is complex and still evolving, and consequently such documents could be both unwieldy and quickly outdated. Instead, this document has been prepared to describe the present capabilities and limitations of performance-based specification, and to provide relevant references for readers who may wish to adopt a performance-based approach to specification.