the newsletter of tbd consultants - 2nd qtr 2011

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In this Edition

CAL goes Green
Inflation & Bid Prices
UniFormat 2010

Construction Management Specialists

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CAL goes Green

Building 'green' has become accepted by most as being the right thing to do, and now it is becoming the legally required thing to do. In this article we take a quick look at the first state-wide mandatory green-building code.

     
 

Inflation & Bid Prices
Geoff Canham, Editor

The recovery continues at its snail pace, continuing to trend upwards despite fairly regular hiccups from home, and more frequently from abroad. Certainly our hearts go out to the Japanese. But in this article we look at another issue looming ahead of us that is likely to keep the recovery slowed down - inflation.

    
 

UniFormat 2010

CSI, together with CSC (Construction Specifications Canada) have now released the next version of UniFormat, known as UniFormat 2010.

CSI has two formats that it recommends. The first is MasterFormat 2004, which is organized by trades and is recommended for contract specifications and estimates that are prepared later in design and which are likely to be compared with contractors’ bids.

UniFormat 2010 is the other CSI format, and it is arranged in building elements. So, for example, all the costs for exterior walls fall in the same element, whether the construction is plaster, wood, metal, concrete, or anything else. This makes it ideal for comparing design options, and is why this is the format that CSI recommends for estimates during the early design phases, when value engineering is likely to take place, and for early project documentation and preliminary specifications.

The first version of UniFormat was developed by the GSA and the AIA and was launched in 1972. On its twenty-first birthday, in 1993, it became UniFormat II, an enhanced version that was developed by a team that included CSI, GSA, and the AACE, among others. UniFormat II became the main elemental system for building construction.

UniFormat 2010 builds on its predecessors, and is designed to better tie in with the MasterFormat 2004 divisions, and aims to be even more applicable for use with BIM.

There have been new divisions added in to the UniFormat 2010 hierarchy to reflect changes in technology, or at least changes in emphasis. The only real significant shift of work within the format structure is the moving of Stairs from Interior Construction to Superstructure.

If you purchase the UniFormat 2010 documentation from CSI you will get a 204 page searchable PDF that goes through the history of the format, its uses, and details its structure. There is also a spreadsheet that maps the new format to previous versions, and to MasterFormat 2004 where applicable.

With UniFormat being organized by building elements, and MasterFormat being organized by trades, a combination of the two can provide a fine-grained work breakdown structure (WBS).

The Level 1 & 2 UniFormat headings are as follows:

 INTRODUCTION
10  Project Description
20  Owner Development
30  Procurement Requirements
40  Contracting Requirements
A  SUBSTRUCTURE
A10  Foundations
A20  Subgrade Enclosures
A40  Slab-on-Grade
A60  Water and Gas Mitigation
A90  Substructure Related Activities
B  SHELL
B10  Superstructure
B20  Exterior Vertical Enclosures
B30  Exterior Horizontal Enclosures
C  INTERIORS
C10  Interior Construction
C20  Interior Finishes
D  SERVICES
D10  Conveying
D20  Plumbing
D30  Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning
D40  Fire Protection
D50  Electrical
D60  Communications
D70  Electronic Safety and Security
E  EQUIPMENT & FURNISHINGS
E10  Equipment
E20  Furnishings
F  SPECIAL CONSTRUCTION & DEMOLITION
F10  Special Construction
F20  Facility Remediation
F30  Demolition
G  SITEWORK
G10  Site Preparation
G20  Site Improvements
G30  Liquid and Gas Site Utilities
G40  Electrical Site Improvements
G50  Site Communications
G90  Miscellaneous Site Construction
Z  GENERAL
Z10  General Requirements
Z70  Taxes, Permits, Insurance and Bonds
Z90  Fees and Contingencies

    

 

Design consultant: Katie Levine of Vallance, Inc.