INSTITUTE STANDARDS & PROGRAMS

CSI MasterFormat

A Little Background

• Commercial and institutional building design and construction is a $190 billion industry in the U.S. – (FMI Corporation, January 2004)
• Because so many participants interact on a building project its details must be carefully delineated and communicated. The process begins with the owner’s needs, which the architect gives shape. The architect in turn engages specifiers and other consultants to develop the project’s particulars.
• Specifications are the detailed written data about a structure’s materials, products and systems, ranging from the details of the HVAC system, to the kind of window glass, to the type of doorknobs. A building’s specifications are contained in its project manual, developed by architects, specifiers, and engineers. Contractors use the project manual to bid on the project, and the winning bidder uses the manual to construct the building.
• Before the 1960s, standard specifications formats didn’t exist. Each architectural, engineering, and contracting firm, as well as every government agency, had its own organizational system. That resulted in confusion and miscommunication among everyone involved in delivering construction projects, which led to costly delays, errors, and omissions.
• In 1962, CSI developed the concept of divisions, and sections within each division, to standardize information in construction project manuals. One year later the 16-division "CSI Format for Building Specifications" was announced. It eventually evolved to become MasterFormat™.
• MasterFormat™ functions as the "Dewey Decimal System" for organizing specifications and other data for the vast majority of commercial and institutional construction projects in the U.S. and Canada.

The 2004 Edition

• MasterFormat 2004 Edition is the most significant revision in the product’s 40-year history. As buildings become more complex, the new edition enables specifications writers to cover far more information about a construction project, in much more detail, and in a systematic way. Because the new MasterFormat enables more things to be addressed in a project’s specifications, there should be fewer delays and changes during construction, which take time and money to address.
• New divisions are added in the 2004 edition for addressing buildings' rapidly developing areas such as telecommunications networks, integrated automation systems, and electronic safety and security systems. New sections have been created to provide room for such things as more safety and security technology for buildings.
  

Download MasterFormat 04 Numbers & Titles -Click Here

OmniClass — (Overall Construction Classification System)

There is an unmet need for a classification system to organize the enormous amounts of data created during the life cycle of any structure. Having recognized this need, a group of volunteers from organizations and firms representing a broad cross section of the AEC industry has agreed to work together to develop the OmniClass™ Construction Classification System (OCCS).

OmniClass™ will eventually be used by all industries involved with creating and sustaining the built environment -- from conception though demolition -- and will be the basis for organizing, storing, and retrieving information, and deriving relational applications.

A common language:
The increasingly widespread use of computers only serves to highlight the fragmented way that building projects are commenced, designs created and realized, construction carried through to completion, and buildings maintained, renovated, and ultimately demolished.

All too often lost information and miscommunication complicate these operations. Activities like those carried out by the architecture, engineering and construction industry, where each project is performed independently by unique collections of individuals, need a common language, especially in the interconnected economy that all businesses operate in today, or disorder will prevail leading to inefficiency and increased costs.
OmniClass™ can help to provide a common language.

Organization for your data:
Digital design and web-based communication systems make some tasks easier, often give the outward appearance of order, and promise to keep everyone on a project informed about the status of every undertaking, but the underlying information still must be addressed, used, and communicated precisely by the people involved. The storage and effective use of this information throughout the structure's life cycle is extremely hampered, even in the most sophisticated networked project-focused communication environment, if it isn't arranged or accessed using a meaningful taxonomy within a classification system that is navigable by all involved.

The lack of a coherent organizational structure and vocabulary results in inevitable disconnects during all phases of the life cycle of a built environment, with varying levels of cost associated with each of these disconnects. A hierarchical classification system and an accompanying thesaurus or controlled vocabulary is the most efficient means by which the interests of information storage and delivery, and effective simultaneous communication amongst all the parties involved in any construction project can be ensured. OmniClass™ will provide this structure.

Click Below for More Information:
www.occsnet.org/

The Uniform Drawing System™

Alexandria, Va., (July 14, 2005) The American Institute of Architects (AIA), Construction Specifications Institute (CSI), and National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS), has jointly released a formal invitation to CAD and other software vendors to use the U.S. National CAD Standard Version 3.1 in software.

Among its many functions, the National CAD Standard (NCS) proscribes CAD layer names, drawing set organization, drafting conventions, and notations. It also contains an extensive symbols library and thousands of terms and abbreviations.

In an effort to make the NCS easier to use, AIA, CSI, and NIBS are offering software vendors the opportunity for a non-exclusive NCS license. The organizations believe that the National CAD Standard would be easier to use if folded into a CAD program through ‘spell-check’ functions, drawing templates, or symbols library, for example.

" Imagine how much more efficient your office would be if these functions were integrated into the software you already use," said CSI Executive Director Karl F. Borgstrom, Ph.D.

The invitation, along with detailed NCS information is available here.

The Project Resource Manual (PRM)

First, the PRM is the Construction Specifications Institute’s standard for specifications practice for the life cycle of a facility.

Second, the PRM complements The Uniform Drawing System™, a standard for architectural drawing preparation that has been incorporated into the U.S. National CAD Standard for Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (NCS). These two resources working together can fulfill the aspirations of the design and construction industries for more uniform written and graphic construction documents.

Third, the PRM is the primary basis for CSI’s continuing education and professional certification programs. It is equally useful as a self-study or group study aid in preparing candidates for the Construction Documents Technologist (CDT), Certified Construction Contract Administrator (CCCA), Certified Construction Specifier (CCS), and Certified Construction Product Representative (CCPR) certifications.

Fourth, the PRM is a useful resource for formal educators. It can be used successfully as a textbook for courses in construction document technology, specifications, and contract administration. In this regard, its influence is expected to grow in the coming decades.

Fifth, the PRM is designed to be an accessible resource for all project participants, including owners, architects, engineers, design-builders, contractors, construction managers, product representatives, financial institutions, attorneys, regulatory authorities, and facility managers. In this respect, it serves and reflects the need for mutually dependent processes of design, construction, and facility use.

Sixth, the PRM is a practical and effective team-building tool, promoting CSI’s mission to "advance the process of creating and sustaining the built environment for the benefit of the construction community by using the diversity of its members to exchange knowledge" and facilitating its Code of Ethics, the points of which include the following:

o Establish and maintain high standards of professional conduct.
o Freely interchange information and experience with members of the construction community.
o Maintain confidentiality of privileged information.
o Avoid conflict of interest.
o Avoid misrepresentation of products and services.
o Promote improvement of construction communication, techniques, and procedures.

About CSI Show

The Construction Specifications Institute returns to the Las Vegas Convention Center for the 50th Annual CSI Show & Convention on March 29 - 31, 2006! Co-located with MCAA's Masonry Showcase, the combined show of Construct America features over 6,000 specifiers, architects and mason contractors visiting 500 exhibitors! Education sessions that focus on industry topics such as: Business and Professional Development, Design & Pre-Construction Activities, Facility Management, Formats & Documents, Legal, PublicFacilities & Communities, Safety & Security, Specialty Construction, and Specifications. Get a year's worth of education credits at one Show!

About BuildCertified

BuildCertified.com is a searchable database, hosted by Tectonic and administered by CSI, providing a comprehensive listing of certified professionals within the built environment. Several industry associations and organizations have joined together to provide you with information you need to find a certified professional within the built environment.

Vision:
BuildCertified will become the leading resource for locating certified professionals within all life-cycle phases of the built environment and the sole source for education opportunities for the industry.

MissionStatement:
BuildCertified seeks to serve those within the built environment by providing an accessible, cost-free online resource for locating certified professionals within the United States. With a commitment to excellent service, BuildCertified also strives to provide pertinent education and industry information necessary to increase awareness of these certification programs and feature the benefits of becoming, contracting, or employing certified professionals.
www.buildcertified.com/

CSI University

CSI University - Your Source for Leadership Training and Professional Development Skills
Make plans now to attend the 4th CSI University which will co-locate with The 50th Annual CSI Show & Convention, March 2006 in Las Vegas!
This program is for those seeking the knowledge, growth, and networking to achieve leadership roles in their business and CSI on the chapter, region, and Institute levels.

CSI University is an ongoing continuing education leadership program designed to empower members to be leaders in CSI and in their professions. It is designed to help members gain an understanding of skills and techniques needed to lead.

CSI membership is not required, but always encouraged. The University is open to all-get your leadership skills now-before you take office. Or, for current leaders, bone up on your skills and network with fellow officers.

Interested in having a CSI University session at your Region Conference? Please contact CSI's Professional Development Team at 800-689-2900 for details.

return to top