System for organizing construction project manuals
MasterFormat is a standard for organizingspecifications and other written information for commercial and institutionalbuilding projects in the U.S. and Canada.[1] Sometimes referred to as the "Dewey Decimal System" of building construction, MasterFormat is a product of theConstruction Specifications Institute (CSI) andConstruction Specifications Canada (CSC). It provides a master list of Divisions, and Section numbers with associated titles within each Division, to organize information about a facility’sconstruction requirements and associated activities.[2]
MasterFormat is used throughout the construction industry to format specifications for construction contract documents. The purpose of this format is to assist the user in organizing information into distinct groups when creating contract documents, and to assist the user searching for specific information in consistent locations. The information contained in MasterFormat is organized in a standardized outline format within50 Divisions (16 Divisions pre-2004). Each Division is subdivided into a number of Sections.[3]
After World War II, building construction specifications began to expand, as more advanced materials and choices were made available.[4] TheConstruction Specifications Institute (CSI) was founded in 1948 and began to address the organization of specifications into a numbering system. In 1963, they published a format for construction specifications, with 16 major divisions of work. A 1975 CSI publication used the term MasterFormat. The last CSI MasterFormat publication to use the 16 divisions was in 1995, and this is no longer supported by CSI. In November 2004, MasterFormat expanded from16 Divisions to50 Divisions, reflecting innovations in the construction industry and expanding the coverage to a larger part of the construction industry.[5] Revised editions were published in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2020.[5]
Standardizing the presentation of such information improves communication among all parties involved in construction projects, which helps the project team deliver structures to owners according to their requirements, timelines, and budgets. TheASTM standard for sustainability assessment of building products relies on MasterFormat to organize the data.[6] MasterFormat is an organizational component ofBuilding Systems Design - SpecLink,MasterSpec, SpecText, National Master Specification (NMS), and SpecsIntact systems. Manufacturers will often publish specifications for their products based on MasterFormat. Design teams may maintain office master section based on MasterFormat and pull specifications from multiple sources. MasterFormat provides the overall organizational structure that makes pulling sections from different sources possible.
MasterSpec and SpecText are specifications targeted to construction projects in theUnited States. NMS is targeted to construction projects inCanada. SpecsIntact is a specification processing system for preparing Unified Facilities Guide Specifications (UFGS).[7] UFGS is required for design teams to use onUnited States Department of Defense andNASA construction projects. Using MasterFormat provides the design and construction teams a familiar organizational structure.
SectionFormat[10] is a standard for organizing information within each Section. Like MasterFormat, SectionFormat is a joint publication of theConstruction Specifications Institute (CSI) andConstruction Specifications Canada (CSC). It is used byMasterSpec, SpecText, NMS, and SpecsIntact systems. It is also common among manufacture specifications and design firm office masters. A Section is divided into three Parts; "Part 1 - General," "Part 2 - Products," and "Part 3 - Execution." Each Part is further organized into a system of Articles and Paragraphs. MasterFormat's Division 01 is extensively coordinated with SectionFormat's Part 1 to reduce duplication of requirements common to multiple sections.
PageFormat[11] is a standard for formatting text within a section. Like MasterFormat, PageFormat is a joint publication of theConstruction Specifications Institute (CSI) andConstruction Specifications Canada (CSC). It is used byMasterSpec, SpecText, and NMS. Design firms often use a modified version of PageFormat. SpecsIntact does not use PageFormat.
A relatively new strategy to classify the built environment, named OmniClass,[12] incorporates the work results classification in its Table 22 Work Results.
