8. SPECIFICATION CONCEPTS AND EXAMPLES –
COMMERCIAL INSULATION

OVERVIEW: SPECIFICATIONS

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This section reviews the standards related to specifications, and provides examples of how to use this TIAC Mechanical insulation best practices guide in specifications.

MasterFormat 2004

Mechanical insulation specifications are organized according to the MasterFormat numbering standard (master list of section titles and numbers), jointly published by Construction Specifications Canada (CSC – in Canada) and Construction Specifications Institute (CSI – in the USA).

MasterFormat 2004 is the newest edition, and was radically changed to accommodate a variety of needs. Six-digit numbers are introduced (from the former 5-digit standard), and many new Divisions were added. Mechanical sections were expanded from the old Division 15 – Mechanical into new Divisions 21 – Fire Suppression, 22 – Plumbing, and 23 – Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning. Within these Divisions, insulation was given a major heading, and types of insulation given sub-headings.

MasterFormat 2004 Insulation Classes:

21 07 00 – Fire Suppression Insulation

21 07 16 – Fire Suppression Equipment Insulation

21 07 19 – Fire Suppression Piping Insulation

22 07 00 – Plumbing Insulation

21 07 16 – Plumbing Equipment Insulation

21 07 19 – Plumbing Piping Insulation

23 07 00 – HVAC Insulation

21 07 13 – Duct Insulation

21 07 16 – HVAC Equipment Insulation

21 07 19 – HVAC Piping Insulation

When writing a specification for insulation, specifiers have three alternatives:

– Write detailed insulation sections in each Division, one for each type in each application (the 13, 16, and 19 level).

– Write a single specification section at the "00" level, which contains text that applies to all applications within that Division.

– Write a single insulation section for all types and all applications. If this method is chosen, the specifier must choose a number from Division 21, 22, or 23. This section may then be referenced from other Divisions.

In all cases, it is the specifier's responsibility to ensure that appropriate references to the insulation section(s) are contained in other sections.

OmniClass

OmniClass is a classification system for all kinds and varieties of design and construction information. MasterFormat can be used within OmniClass, as Table 22 – Work Results. Where MasterFormat is used to classify “work result” specification sections, OmniClass is used to classify information for all other uses, such as the management of product libraries, cost estimating, human resources, scheduling, project management, etc.

A summary of OmniClass tables is provided, along with a short description of its application to the insulation industry. Complete descriptions of the contents of these tables can be found in the OmniClass 2004 standard.

• Table 11 – Construction Entities by Function

• Table 12 – Construction Entities by Form

• Table 13 – Spaces by Function

• Table 14 – Spaces by Form

• Table 21 – Elements (Including Designed Elements): Insulation is represented here in a generic context as a medium for containing heat transfer.

• Table 22 – Work Results: Insulation is represented here in “work result” specification sections, organized to MasterFormat 2004 numbering.

• Table 23 – Products: Insulation is represented here as single manufactured products, some of which may have multiple uses.

• Table 31 – Phases

• Table 32 – Services: This table provides a place for the services (labour) required to install insulation for mechanical ducts and piping.

• Table 33 – Disciplines: Mechanical contractors will have a place in this table, or more specifically, insulation contractors as a sub-type of mechanical.

• Table 34 – Organizational Roles

• Table 35 – Process Aids

• Table 41 – Information

• Table 42 – Materials: This table includes generic material types, which may be referenced by other tables. For the insulation industry, "mineral fibre " is an example of an "insulating" material. Materials are normally used in the construction of items found in the "Products" table (such as insulation).

• Table 49 – Properties: Properties are ways to quantify items in any of the other tables. For example, "thermal resistivity" and "thickness" are both properties of insulation.