Which document is essential for specifying design load-bearing values of soils in construction?

The specifications are critical documents in the construction process as they provide detailed information about the materials, workmanship, and standards required for a project. When it comes to specifying design load-bearing values of soils, the specifications outline the parameters that must be followed. This includes the necessary soil tests to determine load capacity, the criteria for selection of soil types, and recommendations for foundations based on those values.

While construction drawings visualize the project and load tables can be useful for referencing general load capacities, they do not provide the specific, site-related analyses needed for proper load-bearing specification. Hence, the specifications serve as the primary source for detailed information that guides the structural design concerning soil characteristics and load requirements.