Construction Industry Trends
June 2005
MasterFormat Gets an Extreme Makeover
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For more than 40 years, architects, engineers, contractors, and other members of the construction industry have been relying on a standard created by the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) and Construction Specifications Canada (CSC) to organize construction project information and specifications. Known as MasterFormat, the standard has undergone a number of revisions over the years as technology and construction practices have changed. However, the latest version, MasterFormat 2004 Edition, released last November, represents one of the largest revisions made to the document since it was first released.
Described by CSI as doing for construction what the Dewey Decimal System does for libraries, MasterFormat is a flexible tool that helps construction professionals organize information associated with specifications and requirements, products, and activities for construction projects. By following the MasterFormat numbering system, all members of a project have a standard way of communicating, which helps them ensure that requirements are being met. According to CSI, MasterFormat has a widespread reach, and is used for more than 70 percent of commercial and institutional building projects throughout the United States and Canada.
MasterFormat organizes information categories into divisions. Each division covers a different aspect of a construction project, such as concrete, masonry, or finishes. Users can then drill down into each division for the individual topic for which they need to create a specification. If a specifier is writing about concrete, for example, he or she can easily find where to place information related to the maintenance of concrete reinforcing. By putting the specification in a predictable location, all parties to the project will know where to find it.
Prior to the 2004 edition, MasterFormat consisted of 16 divisions; however, as technology, products, and construction processes changed over time, many industry professionals found that 16 divisions were no longer meeting their needs. They instead began creating what became known as “Division 17 specifications,” and put this unaddressed information into new sections not covered by older versions of MasterFormat.
Recognizing this growing disparity between the content offered by the 1995 edition of MasterFormat and the new realities of the construction industry, CSI and CSC organized a task team to revise the standard. The result of the team’s work was MasterFormat 2004 Edition, which represents a major change in how construction project information is organized.
As part of the MasterFormat revision, the task team expanded the previous version’s 16 divisions into 34 active divisions, with an additional 16 reserved for future expansion. The increase in the number of divisions allowed the task team to create room for new developments in building construction, such as life safety, communications, and building automation. They also added content for much-needed information associated with engineering-related construction, which was not covered in depth in previous editions. The team also reorganized several of the divisions, and created new groups and subgroups under which the divisions were classified. For example, a new Site and Infrastructure subgroup was created to cover transportation, utility, and marine construction, while the new Process Equipment subgroup was designed to address industrial and process engineering projects.
To help users transition to the new standard, the 2004 edition includes a transition matrix that compares the old divisions and sections with those in MasterFormat 2004 Edition. In addition, CSI has begun offering training, including an accredited instructor program that is designed to help prepare people from various segments of the construction industry to teach their colleagues about the new system. To learn more about MasterFormat classes, visit the MasterFormat Education Programs page on CSI’s website.
Now available in hardcopy format, MasterFormat can also be ordered as part of IHS' online codes and standards subscription services. For more information on ordering the specification or the subscription product to MasterFormat, visit http://aec.ihs.com.