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Submitted to CSI in 1999, Division 17 was a proposal to establish a formal position for telecommunications and technology infrastructures in the process of the design and construction of commercial buildings by adding a 17th Division for telecommunications to the MasterFormat, which had 16 Divisions.
In the past, telecommunications infrastructures were usually retrofitted during the construction phase or in some cases even after construction, frequently resulting in less efficient and more expensive systems.
With so many daily activities in a modern commercial building dependent on the telecommunications infrastructure, BICSI realized that in order to provide building owners and occupants the best and most economical service, the design of that infrastructure now required a dedicated set of drawings and specifications and a formal position in the design and construction process.
Telecommunications systems are included in MasterFormat 04, grouped in three new areas: Division 25-Integrated Automation, Division 27-Communications, and Division 28-Electronic Safety and Security.
The systems and infrastructure covered in these three divisions include communications cable plant, data systems (both wired and wireless), voice systems, communications services, integrated audio video systems, distributed communications systems, intercom systems, dictation equipment, paging systems, public address, other audio systems, sound masking, electronic/digital signage systems, tracking systems, video systems, MATV, CATV, CCTV, internal cellular, internal paging, healthcare systems, nurse call, hospitality and entertainment systems, clock systems, access control, electronic surveillance systems, intrusion detection systems detection and alarm, personal protection systems, integrated automation instrumentation and control.
The design and installation of CLA systems now have a formal place in the building process, reflected by Divisions 25, 27, and 28 of MasterFormat 04. This gives the CLA industry equal footing with the MEP systems in the ability to design, consult, and bid directly to architects, general contractors, and building owners. Typically, communications consultants and contractors are not familiar with standard construction contracts, coordinating with other trades, producing and reading construction drawings and specifications. Architects, owners, consultants, engineers, and contractors will have a learning process as well. There are more standards than codes in the CLA system, which makes the design process more subjective. Also, MEP systems are architecturally focused and can be reviewed by the owner, but CLA systems frequently need input from different tenants and their IT departments.
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