Exploring the utility of the new Division 33

by Erik Missio | March 28, 2016 11:21 am

[1]SPECIFICATIONS
Mark Kalin, FAIA, FCSI, and Kevin O’Beirne, PE, CSI, CCS, CCCA
In the new issue of The Construction Specifier, these two authors examine some of the many changes that can be found in the new, improved 2016 MasterFormat[2]—the organizational resource co-published by CSI[3] and Construction Specifications Canada (CSC)[4]. However, one area in particular bears special mention—Division 33—and this supplementary article takes a brief look at one of its changes. (Another in-depth article, examining changes to Division 28−Electronic Safety and Security, is scheduled to appear in the May issue.)

Division 33−Utilities addresses all types of ‘outside-the-fence’ utilities, including water, wastewater, stormwater, hydrocarbons (including petroleum and natural gas), hydronic and steam energy, high- and extra-high voltage electrical, and communications. These utilities may be buried or exposed.

The updates
The following paragraphs offer an overview of some of the bigger changes.

33 01 00−Operation and Maintenance of Utilities
Extensive additions and revisions for water, trenchless rehabilitation of sewers, and other maintenance-type work such as cleaning, disinfecting, and rehabilitating utilities were expanded and new listings were added.

33 05 00−Common Work Results for Utilities
This area saw extensive expansion of its work results, including a comprehensive listing of all types of utility pipe and utility structures (e.g. manholes, chambers, and frames and covers) and appurtenances.

33 09 00−Instrumentation and Control of Utilities
Listings added to this section included all types of utility meter registers and meter-reading equipment.

33 10 00−Water
New’ Level 2s,’ each with various Work Results, were added for groundwater sources (expanding on and replacing the former 33 20 00−­Wells) and surface water sources (including intake structures and reservoir covers). Listings for piping, equipment, and storage tanks were updated and expanded, together with overhauling the listings for water metering equipment.

33 30 00−Wastewater
Virtually all this area’s numbers and titles in MasterFormat’s 2014 edition were extensively updated and revised. A new Level 2 with various work results was added for wastewater storage tanks used for equalizing sanitary and combined sewer flows. The former Level 2 allocated solely for septic tanks was replaced with a new Level 2 area covering all types of onsite wastewater disposal systems, including various types of septic tanks and appurtenances, drainage fields, and onsite wastewater filtration systems. The existing Level 2 for overflow controls was the only wastewater area in Division 33 that did not see significantly changes.

33 40 00−Stormwater
Virtually all numbers and titles for stormwater utilities (except subdrainage) were revised. The new listings include:

• subdrainage (with relatively minor changes from MasterFormat’s 2014 edition);
• stormwater conveyance (i.e. piping, culverts, drains/inlets, and gratings);
• stormwater equipment (i.e. pumping stations, stormwater filters, and separators); and
• stormwater management (i.e. ponds and outlet structures, along with ‘green’ infrastructure such as rain barrels and leaching pits).

33 50 00−Hydrocarbons Utilities
Formerly titled “Fuel Distribution Utilities,” this area has been extensively updated in cooperation with representatives of the oil and gas industry. Among the changes is a new “Level 2” area for:

• hydrocarbons sources (i.e. wells and associated work results);
• transmission and distribution;
• pressure regulation;
• safety equipment;
• storage (i.e. tanks and caverns); and
• receiving/dispensing and metering equipment unique to hydrocarbons.

33 60 00−Hydronic and Steam Energy
Relatively minor revisions were made to this area.

33 70 00−Electrical
This area covers various work results related to high- and extra-high-voltage electrical utilities, including transmission and substations. Moderate revisions were made to the numbers and titles in this area.

33 80 00−Communications
This area includes various forms of communication utilities, and featured minor to moderate revisions in this edition of MasterFormat.

The Environmental Engineers Coalition
The 2016 MasterFormat revisions to Divisions 33 (as well as those made to Division 35−Waterway and Marine Construction and Division 41−Material Processing and Handling Equipment) are the culmination of a nine-year process undertaken by an ad-hoc working group dubbed the Environmental Engineers Coalition. Formed in fall 2006, it includes representatives—primarily the managers of standard specifications—of approximately 10 large engineering firms with extensive practice in the fields of environmental, water/wastewater, energy, and utilities, among many other disciplines.

The coalition has previously undertaken and completed extensive updates to MasterFormat’s Divisions 40−Process Interconnections, 43−Process Gas and Liquid Handling, Purification, and Storage Equipment, and 44−Pollution and Waste Control Equipment, as well as authoring the only new division added since 2004—Division 46−Water and Wastewater Equipment.

The 2016 MasterFormat
MasterFormat is the industry’s leading resource for organizing project manuals and specifications, construction project filing systems, construction product information (e.g. manufacturers’ catalogs), and construction cost estimates. Once it is released later this spring, the new 2016 edition can be obtained via CSI’s online bookstore at www.csinet.org[5]. (Prices are $119 for members and $169 for non-members.) Purchasers receive the physical book, a downloadable PDF that also includes the MasterFormat Numbers and Titles edition, and a transition matrix in Microsoft Excel format. In digital form, CSI’s standards and formats are licensed for access by up to three users. (MasterFormat does not include pre-written specifications.)

Mark Kalin, FAIA, FCSI, is president of specifications writing and consulting firm Kalin Associates in Newton, Massachusetts, and the chair of CSI’s MasterFormat Maintenance Task Team. A past-chair of CSI’s Technical Committee and American Institute of Architects’ (AIA’s) MasterSpec Review Committee, he has previously served as president of both CSI’s Boston Chapter, and the Specifications Consultants in Independent Practice (SCIP). Kalin can be reached at mkalin@kalinassociates.com[6].

Kevin O’Beirne, PE, CSI, CCS, CCCA, is a manager of standard construction documents in the Buffalo, New York, office of Arcadis—a global engineering firm. A professional engineer licensed in New York and Pennsylvania, he is an active member and past-chair of the Engineers Joint Contract Documents Committee, and a member of CSI’s MasterFormat Maintenance Task Team. He can be reached at kevin.obeirne@arcadis.com[7].

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