This section contains supplementary reference material for other parts of this document.
According to Wikipedia, MasterFormat is:
“…a standard for organizing specifications and other written information for commercial and institutional building projects in the U.S. and Canada.
Sometimes referred to as the “Dewey Decimal System” of building construction, MasterFormat is a product of the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) and Construction 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’s construction requirements and associated activities.”
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 within 50 Divisions (16 Divisions pre-2004). Each Division is subdivided into a number of Sections.
FIVE supports MasterFormat 2018 (Post-2004), MasterFormat 1995 (Pre-2004), and custom numbering systems.
MasterFormat 2018 is the recommended work division numbering system for new projects.
MasterFormat 2018 uses a 6-digit numbering system with a period separating every two digits, for example: 01.23.45.
The first two digits identify the general work division (shown in the table below), while the next four digits identify a specific work item within the division.
The MasterFormat 2018 divisions included with FIVE are:
| Number | Title | Abbreviation |
|---|---|---|
| 00 | Procurement and Contracting Requirements | P/CR |
| 01 | General Requirements | GENERAL |
| 02 | Existing Conditions | EXIST |
| 03 | Concrete | CONC |
| 04 | Masonry | MASON |
| 05 | Metals | METAL |
| 06 | Wood, Plastics and Composities | WPC |
| 07 | Thermal and Moisture Protection | THERM |
| 08 | Openings | OPEN |
| 09 | Finishes | FINISH |
| 10 | Specialties | SPECIAL |
| 11 | Equipment | EQUIP |
| 12 | Furnishings | FURNISH |
| 13 | Special Construction | SPCON |
| 14 | Conveying Equipment | CONVEY |
| 15 | For Future Expansion | |
| 16 | For Future Expansion | |
| 17 | For Future Expansion | |
| 18 | For Future Expansion | |
| 19 | For Future Expansion | |
| 20 | Mechanical Support | MECHSUP |
| 21 | Fire Suppression | FIRE |
| 22 | Plumbing | PLUMB |
| 23 | Heating, Ventillation and Air Conditioning | HVAC |
| 24 | For Future Expansion | |
| 25 | Integrated Automation | INTAUTO |
| 26 | Electrical | ELECT |
| 27 | Communications | COMM |
| 28 | Electronic Safety and Security | ESS |
| 29 | For Future Expansion | |
| 30 | For Future Expansion | |
| 31 | Earthwork | EARTH |
| 32 | Exterior Improvements | EXTERIOR |
| 33 | Utilities | UTILS |
| 34 | Transportation | TRANSPORT |
| 35 | Waterway and Marine | MARINE |
| 36 | For Future Expansion | |
| 37 | For Future Expansion | |
| 38 | For Future Expansion | |
| 39 | For Future Expansion | |
| 40 | Process Interconnections | PROCINT |
| 41 | Material Processing and Handling Equipment | MPH EQUIP |
| 42 | Process Heating, Cooling and Drying Equipment | PHCD EQUIP |
| 43 | Process Gas and Liquid Handling, Purification and Storage Equipment | PGLHPS EQUIP |
| 44 | Pollution Control Equipment | PC EQUIP |
| 45 | Industry-Specific Manufacturing Equipment | ISM EQUIP |
| 46 | Water and Wastewater Equipment | WATER |
| 47 | For Future Expansion | |
| 48 | Electrical Power Generation | POWER |
| 49 | For Future Expansion |
MasterFormat 1995 is a legacy work division numbering system. It is still occassionaly used for new projects, although it is increasingly being replaced by MasterFormat 2018.
MasterFormat 1995 uses a 5-digit numbering system, for example: 01234.
The first two digits identify the general work division (shown in the table below), while the next three digits identify a specific work item within the division.
The MasterFormat 1995 divisions included with FIVE are:
| Number | Title | Abbreviation |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | Indirect Costs | INDRCT |
| 02 | Site Work | SITE |
| 03 | Concrete | CONC |
| 04 | Masonry | MASON |
| 05 | Metals | METAL |
| 06 | Wood and Plastics | WOOD |
| 07 | Thermal/Moisture Protection | ROOF |
| 08 | Doors and Windows | DOORS |
| 09 | Finishes | FINISH |
| 10 | Specialties | SPECIAL |
| 11 | Equipment | EQUIP |
| 12 | Furnishings | FURNISH |
| 13 | Special Construction | SPCON |
| 14 | Conveying Systems | ELEV |
| 15 | Mechanical | MECH |
| 16 | Electrical | ELECT |