Another Draft of MasterFormat Released

ALEXANDRIA, VA — An outline has been published of Draft 4 of the expanded MasterFormat which, reflecting the industry’s input, will have fewer divisions than the draft which preceded it but still have plenty of room for growth, the Construction Specifications Institute announced. The draft is posted for review and comment at www.csinet.org/technic/mfrevision.htm.

CSI also released the tentative list of divisions for the new version. Mechanical work would be in Division 21, fire protection in Division 22 and electrical in Division 25.

Draft 4 includes nearly all the current MasterFormat’s familiar divisional framework. There also are new divisions for such subjects as communications and integrated building systems, heavy civil construction, and process engineering. Some new division numbers are reserved for future growth.

“The industry gave us its feedback on Draft 3 and, as always, we listened,” said Dennis Hall, AIA, chairman of the Construction Specifications Institute/Construction Specifications Canada MasterFormat Expansion Task Team. “Draft 4 reflects the prevailing sentiment that Draft 3 was outside most people’s comfort zones as to the number of divisions.”

Draft 3 proposed 86 division numbers within nine “Groupings.” Draft 4 has 49 division numbers within three Groupings.

“We now have in Draft 4 what we believe is a good compromise,” Hall said. “It will look familiar to current MasterFormat users as far as the traditional building disciplines are concerned but will still be able to adapt to new subjects, methods and materials for many years to come.”

Key to Draft 4’s expandability is that it retains from Draft 3 a new six-digit numbering system for the sections within divisions. A six-digit system makes possible up to 10,000 sections per division, a hundredfold increase over the current MasterFormat’s five-digit system.

Draft 4 is the final version to be submitted for the industry’s input. It will be posted for feedback throughout the fall. The new MasterFormat is scheduled to be published during the summer of 2004.

CSI is doing the most comprehensive rewrite of MasterFormat in the product’s history to address existing topics more fully, add new topics, and expand coverage to heavy civil engineering projects (roads, bridges, etc.) and industrial construction.

Draft 4 is planned to include the following content (division names and locations are subject to change):

Division 0 - Procurement and Contracting Requirements

Division 1 - General and Performance Requirements

Division 2 - Site Construction

Division 3 - Concrete

Division 4 - Masonry

Division 5 - Metals

Division 6 - Wood, Plastics, and Composites

Division 7 - Thermal and Moisture Protection

Division 8 - Openings

Division 9 - Finishes

Division 10 - Specialties

Division 11 - Equipment

Division 12 - Furnishing

Division 13 - Special Construction

Division 14 - Conveying Equipment

Division 15-19 - Reserved

Facility Services Grouping

Division 20 - Reserved

Division 21 - Mechanical

Division 22 - Fire Suppression

Division 23-24 - Reserved

Division 25 - Electrical

Division 26 - Communications

Division 27 - Electronic Safety and Security

Division 28 - Integrated Automation

Division 29 - Reserved

Infrastructure Grouping

Division 30 - Infrastructure Common Materials and Methods

Division 31 - Utilities

Division 32 - Transportation

Division 33 - Waterway and Marine Construction

Division 34-39 - Reserved

Process Construction Grouping

Division 40 - Common Process Materials and Methods

Division 41 - Material Processing and Handling Equipment

Division 42 - Heating, Cooling, and Drying Equipment

Division 43 - Gas and Liquid Handling / Purification and Storage Equipment

Division 44 - Pollution Control Equipment

Division 45 - Industry-Specific Manufacturing Equipment

Division 46 - Electrical Power Generation

Division 47-49 - Reserved

Draft 4’s numbering system is consistent with the computerized OmniClass Construction Classification System. Now under development, OmniClass will be a standard for construction information management for all data about a built project over its entire life cycle. It will give users the means to store and extract data across platforms and projects.

As with previous versions, the development of Draft 4 has relied on input from industry stakeholders and CSI specifications practitioners. To date, the task team has sought input from more than 500 A/E/C industry organizations during the revision process.