CSI Issues MasterFormat™ Revision - FenceWeek

CSI Issues MasterFormat™ Revision Joseph San George Allied Tube & Conduit Technical Services & Marketing

The Construction Specification Institute, more commonly known as CSI, has released a major revision to its MasterFormat standard for organizing specifications and other written materials for projects within the United States and Canada. MasterFormat is the most widely used standard for organizing specifications and other written information for commercial and institutional building projects in the US and Canada. It provides a master list of divisions, sections numbers, and titles within each division that govern a project’s construction and related activities. Standardization of the information provides clarity and eases communication among involved parties. CSI is a technical organization begun almost sixty years ago, arising from the need for organization and standards in the construction industry. Its stated mission is to improve the process of creating and sustaining the built environment by facilitating communication by all involved in the process. The over 16,000 members represent every aspect of the construction industry including architects, engineers, owners, and manufacturers. CSI, and its sister organization in Canada, Construction Specification Canada, are responsible for the content of MasterFormat, a comprehensive method of standardizing the requirements and activities involved with creating and sustaining the built environment.

MasterFormat first appeared in 1963 and by the next year had adopted its current sixteen-division structure. Usually revised every five to seven years, MasterFormat has now undergone its most far reaching change in the forty years and CSI is gearing up for the transition. Dennis Hall, FAIA, FCSI, of Hall Architects based in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Chairperson of the MasterFormat Expansion Task Team, responds to questions about the old and new of MasterFormat, including information relating to chain link fencing. J. San George - Why was it revised? D. Hall - MasterFormat is revised at regular five to seven year intervals. The fact that it was last revised in 1995, plus the significant advances in construction practices and computer technology since that time, resulted in the first major change in forty years. JSG - What preparations are needed for a revision of this scope? DH - In 2001, a joint CSI/CSC Task Force was created. Our guiding principles were to identify problems with the previous format, address them, and to look at all construction activities to include the entire life cycle of a facility including operation and maintenance. Over 800 professional and industry groups were contacted. We completed four drafts, held three national symposiums, published articles in over 100 publications, and solicited opinions on four websites. The message was, “times are changing, we invite your input”. JSG - And what is the result of your efforts? DH - MasterFormat 2004 addresses topics more fully, adds new topics, and allows room for future expansion. There are two Groups: Procurement & Contracting Requirements and Specifications. The Specifications Group is broken

down into five Subgroups, General Requirements, Facility Construction, Facility Services, Site & Infrastructure, and Process Equipment. Divisions 03 through 14 are essentially the same. One quite noticeable change will be the use of three pairs of two numbers each (a total of six digits instead of five) to denote division and section titles. Each set of numbers represents a different classification level. By using pairs of numbers, there is room for one hundred times as many subjects. For example, contractors looking for Chain Link Fencing specifications in Division 2800 will now turn to Site Improvements (32 30 00) with Fence and Gates designated 32 31 00. The first two digits signify the MasterFormat division number (32 Exterior Improvements). The second pair of numbers in the six-digit format, 31, represent Fences and Gates, and the third pair, 13 as shown below, Chain Link Fences and Gates. Division Titles and Numbers of interest to the fence industry are as follows: 32 31 13 Chain Link Fences and Gates 32 31 13.23 Recreational Court Fences and Gates 32 31 13.26 Tennis Court Fences and Gates 32 31 13.29 Tennis Court Wind Breaker 32 31 13.33 Chain Link Backstops 32 31 13.53 High Security Chain Link Fences & Gates 32 31 16 Welded Wire Fences and Gates 32 31 19 Decorative Metal Fences and Gates 32 31 23 Plastic Fences and Gates 32 31 26 Wire Fences and Gates 32 31 29 Wood Fences and Gates

Also, related areas as follows: 01 02 10 11 13

56 58 22 68 19

26 13 13 00 13

Temporary Fencing Snow Fencing Wire Mesh Partitions Playfield equipment and structures Kennel enclosures and gates.

At first glance, it appears overwhelming. What has been the response of the construction industry to date? Most large specifying agencies have already committed to the new format. The Department of Defense, the Army, Navy, NASA, and the General Services Agency are among the government agencies onboard. The AIA, Dodge Report, General Motors, BART (San Francisco), the State of Ohio, and Public Works in Canada are a few others. We anticipate that with the use of our extensive training programs designed to support this transition (www.csinet.org/masterformateducation ), plus the inherent value of the new format, there will be a steady conversion. JSG - Is MasterFormat 04 accessible on the web? DH - New MasterFormat numbers and titles can be downloaded without charge at www.csinet.org/masterformat. The complete version is available in hard copy or CD and can be purchased online at the CSI website bookstore. JSG - What’s next for CSI? DH - Our next project will involve SectionFormat™, the industry standard for organizing a document or section in a project manual that is commonly referred to as the “three part format”. The current edition was published in 1997 and now needs to be updated to reflect changes to MasterFormat.