home pageThe Big Picture, part 6by Sheldon Wolfe, RA, CSI, CCS, CCCA |
OCCS and MasterFormat |
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In the previous "Big Picture" article we looked at a MasterFormat proposal that would accommodate construction that is either ignored or inadequately addressed by the current edition. Let's revisit that proposal and see if it might be improved. But first, let us remember that the results have to be acceptable to many people. The first group we are concerned with is the typical "architectural" specifier, who specifies products in Divisions 3 through 14. Most of the products in these Divisions are well-known to all who use them, so any changes in these areas should be kept to a minimum. Then we have to look at those groups that are either ignored by the current edition of MasterFormat, or who believe that their interests are not adequately addressed. The major groups are the civil engineers, who have been working with their own MasterFormat expansion using Divisions 20 through 23; a couple of groups that have claimed Division 17; and process engineers. Finally, we have to consider the mechanical and electrical engineers. Can you look at MasterFormat and really believe that their interests were given the attention they deserved? It certainly looks like a bunch of architects got together, worked out a pretty good system for the products they use, and then threw a couple of bones to the engineers in the corner. Architectural specifiers have many Divisions at their disposal, allowing them to easily differentiate between similar products. For example, they have the entire 0821x series of numbers for wood doors. The only significant difference between a flush wood door with a wood veneer and one with a plastic veneer is the veneer itself, yet each can have its own unique section. At the same time, a series of only ten numbers is used for many products in Division 11, and only one hundred numbers are available for many types of equipment in Division 15. The fact that mechanical work often accounts for a third to half of the construction budget suggests that it might "deserve" more than one sixteenth of the available section numbers. If we can get beyond the "sixteen Divisions are enough" mindset, we can look at a other useful changes. For example, moving mechanical and electrical work to a new series of Divisions - perhaps 20 through 29 - and moving all site work to another new series - perhaps Divisions 30 through 39 - would keep related work together and provide room for further development. It would have little effect on architectural specifiers, and it could take advantage of work already done by civil engineers and the telecommunications industry. The real advantage to incorporating more types of work into MasterFormat is this: Some of the other groups will not use MasterFormat as it is today. If we ignore them, they will go on their own way, and their pseudo-MasterFormat systems will become de facto standards. But if we work with them, it is likely that they will use MasterFormat, resulting in a single standard for all construction specifications. Visit the CSI website at www.CSINet.org/ for the latest information on MasterFormat, and www.OCCSNet.org/ for the latest on OCCS. © 2001 Sheldon Wolfe, RA, CSI,
CCS, CCCA, swolfe@bwbr.com |
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