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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
VCBO
FFKR
Naylor Wentworth
GSBS
 
Architectural Nexus
 
 
 
 
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.