ASC Proceedings of the 41st Annual Conference University of Cincinnati - Cincinnati, Ohio April 6-9, 2005 MasterFormat 2004 Impact on Construction Organizations Kevin R. Miller Ph.D. and Jay S. Newitt Ph.D. Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah MasterFormat 2004 was adopted by the Construction Specification Institute (CSI) in June of 2004 (CSI website, 2004). The 2004 version of MasterFormat varies considerably from the 95 version of MasterFormat (16 CSI divisions). This paper addresses the following topical areas: reviews the history of MasterFormat, compares the 95 version to the 2004 version, surveys large architectural and construction firms in Utah, and offers suggestions to contractors on transitioning to the 2004 MasterFormat. Key Words: MasterFormat 2004, Estimating, Construction Specification Institute Introduction The Construction Specification Institute was asked by industry to examine the MasterFormat and determine if two areas of concern could be addressed. First, could MasterFormat be expanded to address the needs of the heavy civil and industrial market segments? Second, could MasterFormat be expanded to address the increasing complexity of the mechanical and electrical trades? In order to address these needs, the Construction Specification Institute made major revisions to the MasterFormat in the 2004 version. This paper provides a brief history and an overview of the changes that were made. History In 1961, a group of construction professionals came up with the idea of organizing construction information using a standard format. During 1961 a first draft was created. In 1962, a second draft was created that organized the information into 22 divisions. In 1963, this organization structure was called the Construction Specification Institute (CSI) Format for Building Specifications. During the 1964 meeting, the group adopted the name The CSI Format for Construction Specifications that included 16 divisions. Over approximately the next forty years, the organization of information was updated about every eight years. The updates made slight modifications as new products or processes were introduced into the construction industry. In 1978 the organization structure became known as the MasterFormat and was accepted by federal agencies. At this time it was also incorporated by Means and Sweets. To illustrate the changes in this structure the original copy that was accepted in 1964 contained 28 pages whereas the 1995 version contained 317 pages (CSI website1, 2004). Major changes were introduced in the 1995 version. Many changes in the structure occurred in divisions 1, 2, 4, 13, 15 and 16. Even with all the changes that were made to the information structure, many more construction products and processes didn t quite fit into the 1995 format. In the mechanical trades, controls and systems as well as process piping were becoming more complex. In the electrical areas, security and communications wiring was becoming more complicated and often involved skill sets that varied from the traditional electrician. This often lead to designers and contractors alike wanting a division 17 for the low voltage aspects of construction projects. CSI was also being asked to expand the MasterFormat structure from mainly building construction to civil and industrial types of construction. Facility managers also wanted to use this same structure to help analyze life-cycle issues of their facilities. Due to these concerns, the CSI organization formed a task force to address the issues the industry was requesting. In April of 2001 the task force started work on modifying the MasterFormat organization to meet these new needs. Members of the task force included people from many different organizations including AGC, AIA, ASCE, IFMA, ASPE, etc (CSI website1, 2004).
This group submitted draft 1 for public comment in February of 2002. After reviewing public comment, draft 2 was submitted for public comment in October of 2002. Again public comment was sought and the public wanted to make the format even more inclusive. Responding to the public comments, draft 3 was submitted for public comment in February of 2003. This draft included 88 divisions. This was thought to be too radical of a change which resulted in draft 4, which was made available for public comment in May of 2003 with revisions to draft 4 made available in August of 2003. In April of 2004, draft 4 was accepted at the CSI convention and became known as MasterFormat 2004. Comparing MasterFormat 2004 to 1995 Version MasterFormat 2004 may be viewed as a complete overhaul of the 1995 version of the MasterFormat structure. The 1995 version contained 16 divisions; the 2004 version contains 50 divisions. The numbering format also went from a five digit number to a six digit number. Below is a table comparing the 1995 divisions to the 2004 divisions. Table 1 Comparison between MasterFormat versions MasterFormat 1995 1995 Equiv. MasterFormat 2004 1 Division 00 Procurement and Contracting Requirements Division 1 General Requirement 1 Division 01 General Requirements Division 2 Site Work 2 Division 02 Existing Conditions Division 3 Concrete 3 Division 03 Concrete Division 4 Masonry 4 Division 04 Masonry Division 5 Metals 5 Division 05 Metals Division 6 Carpentry 6 Division 06 Wood, Plastics, and Composites Division 7 Moisture Control 7 Division 07 Thermal and Moisture Protection Division 8 Doors, Windows 8 Division 08 Openings Division 9 Finishes 9 Division 09 Finishes Division 10 Specialties 10 Division 10 Specialties Division 11 Equipment 11 Division 11 Equipment Division 12 Furnishings 12 Division 12 Furnishings Division 13 Special Construction 13 Division 13 Special Construction Division 14 Conveying Systems 14 Division 14 Conveying Equipment Division 15 Mechanical 13 Division 21 Fire Suppression Division 16 Electrical 15 Division 22 Plumbing 15 Division 23 Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning New Division 25 Integrated Automation 16 Division 26 Electrical 16 Division 27 Communications 16 Division 28 Electronic Safety and Security 2 Division 31 Earthwork 2 Division 32 Exterior Improvements 2 Division 33 Utilities New Division 34 Transportation New Division 35 Waterway and Marine Construction New Division 40 Process Integration New Division 41 Material Processing and Handling Equipment New Division 42 Process Heating, Cooling, and Drying Equipment New Division 43 Process Gas & Liquid Handling, Purification, & Storage Equipment New Division 44 Pollution Control Equipment New Division 45 Industry-Specific Manufacturing Equipment New Division 48 Electrical Power Generation After reviewing the changes, it becomes apparent that the changes, while significant, are not as drastic as the initial impression may seem. Of the 50 division, many of the new divisions are reserved for future expansion while others have been added to meet the needs of heavy civil, and industrial projects. After closer examination, for the
traditional users of MasterFormat, the building construction contractors, the typical project will now include 23 divisions instead of 16 divisions. Changing from 5 digits to 6 digits may not be as drastic as initially thought because many of changes simply include a trailing 0 digit so Cast-in-Place Concrete changes from 03300 to 03 30 00. The numbering system for the divisions between 3 and 14 of the 95 MasterFormat largely remain the same. The table below provides some typical comparisons between similar numbers in both the 1995 and the 2004 versions of the MasterFormat. Table 2 Comparison between similar numbering 1995 MasterFormat 2004 MasterFormat 03300 Cast-in-Place Concrete 03 30 00 Cast-in-Place Concrete 07920 Joint Sealants 07 92 00 Joint Sealants 09910 Paints 09 91 00 Painting While there are many similarities, there are also significant changes. Most notably are the changes in divisions 2, 15, and 16 of the 1995 MasterFormat. A comparison of some of the significant changes are illustrated in the table below. Table 3 Comparison between dissimilar numbers 1995 MasterFormat 2004 MasterFormat 02890 - Traffic Signs and Signals 10 14 23.23 Post and Panel Signage 02310 - Grading 31 22 13 Rough Grading 02700 - Pavement Specialties 32 17 23 Pavement Markings 15140 Domestic Water Piping 22 11 16 Domestic Water Piping While the above changes are significant, they address the changes that were asked of CSI. The 2004 version of MasterFormat is more inclusive for heavy civil and industrial projects, as well as providing more room for fire suppression, plumbing, HVAC, electrical, communications, and electronic safety and security. Adopters of MasterFormat 2004 While individuals and organizations may have concerns with the 2004 MasterFormat, it appears that many designer firms, owners and construction publications are adopting the 2004 version. From a literature search performed, the following table shows the adoption time frames by the various organizations. Table 4 Adoption Timeframe for MasterFormat 2004 Publishers Government Agencies Sweets 2006 Edition Army Corps of Engineers Late 2005 Reeds Construction Data (Means) 2006 Ed U.S. Navy Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) (CSI website2, 2004) The authors went further to determine how the Utah design community is adopting the 2004 version of MasterFormat. The design firms contacted were recommended by employees of the 3 largest contractors in the state of Utah as ranked by ENR s Top 400 Contractors (ENR, 2004). The table below shows which design firms plan on adopting the 2004 MasterFormat in the state of Utah. The time frame for adopting the 2004 MasterFormat will be the second quarter of 2005.
Table 5 Designers in the State of Utah Firms Adopting MasterFormat 2004 Firms Not Adopting MasterFormat 2004 MHTN FFKR GSBS Architectural Nexus VCBO Naylor Wentworth Below is a list (CSI website2, 2004) of when the specification software companies are incorporating MasterFormat 2004. Those not adopting the 2004 MasterFormat stated they would wait and see if the industry adopts the format before they converted their specifications. ARCOM - May 2005 (ARCOM website, 2004) BSD SpecLink - Currently available A Transition Plan All areas of a construction contracting firm are going to be affected by the change in MasterFormat. One of the authors made a presentation to the Utah state AGC chapter on November 11, 2004 with the topic being MasterFormat 2004". Prior to the presentation, comments from people in attendance were mainly negative concerning the change. They also knew very few details concerning MasterFormat 2004. Of the people who had heard about the change, most only knew that there were 50 new divisions. This seemed overwhelming and confusing to them. After the presentation, most, while not overjoyed about the change, seemed to think that it would not be as bad as they had initially thought. The common areas of concern included estimating, project management and accounting. Estimating Estimating will be the first area of an organization to be exposed to MasterFormat 2004. The estimating databases used by construction organizations will need to be modified to align with the changes contained in MasterFormat 2004. Software programs such as Timberline will allow for the database to be sorted by either format which is good news. However, it will require some time for a person to add the additional Work Breakdown Structure codes to the database. Other software vendors may also include tools with their software to allow for this dual sorting of the estimating databases. If a construction organization uses spreadsheet templates, the templates will also need to be adjusted to accommodate the 2004 MasterFormat. For a period of time, contractors may be using both formats. As a general rule, contractors should not start a project using the 1995 version and switch to the 2004 version mid-project. This would most likely create confusion on the project and be an inhibitor to cost control and cost variance analysis. It would be better to start new projects with the 2004 format and finish current projects using the 1995 version. Additional time should be taken by the estimator when setting up an estimate to become familiar with the 2004 layout of the spreadsheet so that during the heat of the bid, costs are not overlooked or left out of the estimate. Project Management Project management teams will need to be provided with the updated codes so that costs may be reported and coded correctly. The project management teams will need to provide training to their superintendents and foremen to ensure that the work is coded to the correct accounting codes. Accounting Accounting should also follow the same plan as estimating by not changing to the 2004 MasterFormat midway through a project. At some point, cost histories will need to be converted to the 2004 format. With the changes from the 95 to the 2004 format being a 1 to 1 conversion, cost histories should be able to be converted to the new format. For organizations where cost histories have not been well done, the transition between formats may offer an opportunity to quit putting off cleaning up the organization s cost histories and finally do it.
Conclusion The changes to MasterFormat 2004 are what the construction industry asked CSI for. While all the changes may not be agreeable to each individual, they are a step in the right direction. If people have strong feelings concerning the changes, they should become more involved in organizations such as CSI to have their voice heard. Remember that CSI went through a 3 year period seeking public comment. The changes made will provide for future expansion which is something the original format did not include. If you don t like the current changes, you can look forward to when there will be another update to the MasterFormat in a few more years. Reference ARCOM website (2004) http://www.arcomnet.com/visitor/whats-hot/whats-hot.html#masterformat0404 CSI website (2004) http://www.csinet.org/s_csi/docs/9400/9361.pdf CSI website1 (2004) http://www.csinet.org/s_csi/view.asp?trackid=&cid=385&did=9145 CSI website 2 (2004) http://www.csinet.org/s_csi/sec.asp?trackid=&cid=852&did=9860 ENR, (2004) The Top 400 Contractors, Engineering News Record, 10-24.