Review the GSP that governs.

How a GSP layers on the Standard Specifications.

The Standard Specifications are the base. The special provisions in the contract modify them, and they outrank the book.

Division 1 of the Standard Specifications defines special provisions as supplemental specifications and modifications to the Standard Specifications that apply to an individual project. A GSP is one of those special provisions when the contract includes it. The statewide library is not, by itself, a contract part.

The amendments are written as directives against a section. In the master compilation, one option says Section 1-02.1, including its title, is deleted and replaced, and the April 2, 2018 option replaces that section with "Vacant." Another says Section 5-04.2(2), under Hot Mix Asphalt, is supplemented, and the added sentence leaves the project value as a fill-in. Delete-and-replace removes the book language. Supplement leaves the book language and adds to it. Which one governs depends on the directive in the contract, not on a guess from the section title.

Section 1-04.2 of the Standard Specifications says the parts of the contract complement each other, and that a requirement in one part binds as if stated in all of them. When the parts are inconsistent, the order of precedence, highest first, is addenda, the Proposal Form, special provisions, contract plans, the Standard Specifications, and Standard Plans. Figured dimensions govern over scaled dimensions on the contract plans, working drawings, and Standard Plans.

That order stops where work is required by one part and omitted from another. Section 1-04.2 says the work required in one part must be furnished even if the other parts do not mention it. A referenced code, rule, specification, or standard means the version in effect on the bid advertisement date, unless the contract states otherwise or law requires a different reading. Ambiguities and disputes over interpreting the contract go to the Engineer, as provided in Section 1-05.1. That section lists interpretation of the plans and specifications among the Engineer's decisions, and it sends a timely written protest to Section 1-04.5.

How Specset reviews GSPs against plans and submittals.

The merge uses the provisions in the contract, including the fill-ins. Plans and submittals are checked against that text.

Specset takes the set as issued: the Standard Specifications edition the contract names, the special provisions that were inserted, addenda, plans, and submittals. General, region, and project specific provisions are all special provisions. A fill-in is part of the provision, not a blank to ignore. Conforming applies those amendments into one governing text per section, with the file each paragraph came from still attached. Conforming happens before design review or submittal review starts. That is the conformed DOT book described on UFGS and DOT specs, and the same merge spec intelligence runs when the amendment says to delete, replace, or supplement a section. Addenda outrank the special provisions, so an addendum that was issued has to be in the set that gets conformed.

Design quality review compares that conformed text with the sheets. Conflicts, missing information, and constructability risks come back cited to the paragraph or the sheet. The reviewer confirms, downgrades, or dismisses each finding. Section 1-04.2 still ranks contract plans below the special provisions, so a sheet that repeats the unamended book is the conflict, not the governing text.

Submittal review checks the package against the conformed sections and the current drawings. Checks run spec-first, drawing-first, and submittal-first. The package comes back annotated. Specset does not replace the Engineer. Section 1-05.1 gives the Engineer the decision on interpretation of the plans and specifications, and a written protest is handled under Section 1-04.5. Specset also does not replace the reviewer who owns the stamp. The Proposal Form also outranks the special provisions. Specset's review cites the conformed specification and the drawings. A higher-ranking Proposal Form entry is still a contract part the reviewer applies.