I have not seen this question about base/subbase addressed here yet.
I have read the comment fill materials are part of 31 2000 Div. and not counted as materials but what about base courses, subbase for asphalt and concrete paving? CSI MasterFormat puts Bases within section 32 1000 Paving, which is an included section for materials. Can we assume soil preparations like aggregate, stone, subbases or bases for asphalt and concrete should be considered Earth Moving classification "excavation and fill" instead of the included "Base" classification? What about for 32 9000-is topsoil for seeding considered "fill/earthmoving" or is it considered a "base, subbase"? And if it's considered "fill/earthmoving" what does the classification mean when it says Bases for Div. 32 1000?
Is this example correct?
For example, a project with asphalt paving and turf grass installation should include the material costs of the asphalt, asphalt paint, grass seed, straw-mulch or netting but should not include all the special base aggregate that goes beneath asphalts and the topsoils that are for the turfgrass because those aggregate mat's are considered "earth moving" or "fill" Is this correct thinking?
Thank you, -Matt
Jon Clifford
LEED-AP BD+CGREENSQUARE
LEEDuser Expert
327 thumbs up
August 7, 2016 - 3:34 pm
Matthew—No. The LEED Reference Guide requires MR credit tallies to include all materials specified in Divisions 03-10 and in Sections 31.60.00, 32.10.00, 32.30.00, 32.90.00 of CSI MasterFormat. If fill materials have been specified in these locations, include them in the MR Credit Tallies.
CSI MasterFormat is a system for organizing Construction Specification, a standard “table of contents” for the “Project Manual” that becomes part of the contract documents for most architectural projects in the US and Canada. This system is flexible and includes several overlapping designations for seemingly similar materials. Ultimately, the specification writers on an individual design team choose which locations are the most appropriate to specify the particular materials used on their project.
For example, many specifiers put general soil and fill materials under 31.23.00 Excavation and Fill—using 32.10.00 Bases Ballasts, and Paving only for the base courses that are installed as part of paving systems and using 32.91.00 Planting Preparation only to specify soils for planting beds. I have also seen fills used as part of drainage systems specified under 33.00.00 Utilities and those used in foundation systems specified under 31.60.00 Special Foundations and Load-Bearing Elements.
Typically, the materials used in these various applications require very different characteristics, they are often specified by different designers, and they are often installed by different contractors during different phases of construction. I usually follow the specifiers’ lead and tally my MR credits based on how the Spec writers organized their Specifications.
Outside of North America, design teams may not use CSI MasterFormat. In such cases, I would work with the design team and with the project’s LEED coordinator to determine which materials are relevant to the MR Credits
Matthew Martin
Assistant Site SuperintendentQBS, Inc.
3 thumbs up
August 8, 2016 - 11:48 am
Thank you, I understand. Follow the specifier (the one organizing the specifications) as to which spec. division they place the materials-the specs. take precedence. In this case, the specs. refer to the subbase, and base for asphalt/concrete paving and topsoil for turfgrass as "earth moving".
Cheers