July 9, 2009
MasterFormat™ Task Team members share insights
At the recent Construction Specifications Canada conference in London, Ont., Keith Robinson and Gary Beimers spoke with Reed Construction Data about their roles as members of the MasterFormat Maintenance Task Team.
MasterFormat is like a Dewey Decimal System for project information. It provides a master list of titles and numbers for organizing data about construction requirements, products and activities used for more than 70 per cent of the commercial and institutional building projects in Canada and the U.S.
The resource aids project delivery by facilitating communication among architects, specifiers, contractors and suppliers, helping them to meet building owners’ requirements, timelines and budgets.
In 2006, MasterFormat was taken online, enabling the resource to be updated in real time and, as such, offer complete and current information as well as a searchable database that can serve as a valuable reference tool.
The MasterFormat Maintenance Task Team is the review body for proposed changes to MasterFormat. In addition to its members, the team includes industry experts who can lend advice on critical subjects, such as which MasterFormat numbers and titles are best assigned to a given product.
In their interview with RCD, Beimers and Robinson discuss the ins and outs of the Task Team’s review process, make recommendations for those suggesting revisions, and offer their thoughts on the future direction of MasterFormat.
Commemorative quilt gets permanent home
A quilt commemorating the Hogg’s Hollow tragedy was unveiled in its new permanent home at York Mills subway station in Toronto Wednesday, a moving tribute to the five men who lost their lives in a watermain tunnel 50 years ago.
Pursuit of LEED could result in professional negligence, insurance executive warns
By adhering to a “recipe” or “formula” in order to earn points toward LEED certification, design professionals might be at risk of neglecting their responsibility to clients, says an insurance company executive.
The head of the Ontario General Contractors Association is praising a report from Workers Safety & Insurance Board chair Steven Mahoney that looks at ways to reform the WSIB
‘You don’t create job opportunities by cutting off business:’ Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters CEO
The new Buy America agreement between Canada and the U.S. doesn’t offer Canadian firms access to stimulus contracts that have already “gone out the door,” says the head of the Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters.
WSIB shouldn't rush rate hikes to cover unfunded liability: COCA president
In its effort to eliminate the unfunded liability, the Workers Safety & Insurance Board should not hike premiums too quickly or it could make Ontario an unattractive place to do business, says the president of the Council of Ontario Construction Associations.
Canadian Construction Association strengthening research and innovation efforts
The Canadian Constrruction Association has made progress in the past year in its efforts to nurture connections with educational and research institutions across the country, reports CCA chair Brad Greene.
Construction worker’s fatal fall didn't involve swing stage
A construction worker is dead after falling as much as six storeys from a building in east Toronto Thursday. Police say a piece of metal may have fallen and hit the worker, knocking him off the building.
Is the U.S. recovery sustainable?
The U.S. might be starting to mend its economy, but there are still a number of uncertainties about whether a recovery will be sustainable, says CanaData chief economist Alex Carrick.
Ontario Road Builders’ Association launches green award
The Ontario Road Builders’ Association has announced a new green award to recognize efforts made by the industry to protect the environment.
