Q1 2021 Specification Solutions Customer Town Hall

Hey Deltek Specification Solutions customers! We love sharing what we are up to on the specifications front at the quarterly Customer Town Hall meetings. We just wrapped up our Q1 2021 Town Hall and if you were not able to attend, no worries – you can read the recap below or watch the meeting on-demand at your convenience.

Be sure to mark your calendar for the next Town Hall to be held on June 24 at 2:00 PM (EST).  Email invitations will be sent in advance of each quarterly town hall event or you can Register to attend the 2021 Town Hall series and be guaranteed a seat at the meeting.

MasterSpec Update

Along with Section-specific sustainability language updated for all LEED v4.1 BD+C and ID+C rating systems across Divisions 03 and 04, this first release of the year contains 65 Sections, including full technical updates and selective revisions to technical topics across the MasterSpec library.

Noteworthy in this release is the technical revision of Section 119814 Detention Door Hardware to include added product types for full mortise hinges, institutional mortise locksets, and institutional electromechanical mortise locksets. This Section specifies hardware items essential to the operation and control of hollow-metal, bar-grille, and steel-plate-type swinging and sliding detention doors.

In Mechanical Engineering the following were rewritten.

• 221316 Sanitary Waste and Vent Piping
• 230523.11 Globe Valves for HVAC Piping
• 230923 Direct Digital Control (DDC) System for HVAC
• 232116 Hydronic Piping Specialties

A new section in Civil engineering has also been added.

• 331415 Site Water Distribution Piping

The following Sections have been withdrawn from the MasterSpec library as of the first quarter update: 211100, 211116, 221113 (content moved to new Section 331415 Site Water Distribution Piping), and 275123.31 (content moved to Section 281523 Intercom Entry Systems).

New to the MasterSpec library as of Q1 are the following Sections in Division 28. 

• 281500  Integrated Access Control Hardware Devices rewritten to prepare for
• 280010 Supplemental Requirements for Electronic Safety and Security
• 281511 Integrated Credential Readers and Entry Management
• 281513 Access Control Credentials
• 281515 Electrified Locking Devices and Accessories
• 281517 Egress Management Devices
• 281519 Access Control Remote Devices
• 281521 Telephone Entry Systems
• 281523 Intercom Entry Systems
• 281525 Electronic Key Management Systems
• 281527 Access Control Electronic Turnstiles and Mobility Systems

2021 MasterSpec Planned Updates

With the first quarter of 2021 completed, the MasterSpec team still has a number of planned updates to deliver in 2021.

• Architectural updates to sections for toilet compartments, metal wall panels and roofing tiling
• Sustainability updates include LEED v4.1 and other topics inserted in Full Length, Short Form, and Evaluations throughout the library and expect updates to divisions 5 and 6 in the second quarter
• Mechanical engineering updates include the Controls Sections and Piping Section along with initiating broad scope/narrow scope restructure of selected Divisions 21, 22 and 23 Sections
• Electrical Engineering updates will occur to better coordinate Division 26 and 27 conductors and cabling sections

SpecText Update

SpecText concentrates on civil and process engineering specifications and we’ve completed a lot of coordination, cross coordination and overall tiding-up in SpecText Division 33, 40, 41 and 43 Section updates. In addition, 51 Sections have undergone specification coordination for compliance with MasterFormat® numbering and titling guidance. Section 235100 Breechings, Chimneys, and Stacks was updated in the following areas: related sections, submittal language, and manufacturers for the six products specified.

Coming in the second quarter SpecText update include:

• Division 33 Utilities – 330533.16 HDPE Drainage Piping: HDPE corrugated plastic pipe, with single wall and double wall configurations, for surface and subsurface storm drainage applications, storm sewers, culverts, storm water storage, water quality management, bell-and-spigot joint systems, fittings and couplings, bedding, and cover materials.

• Division 33 Utilities – 400531.13 HDPE Drainage Piping: HDPE piping used for distributing and transmitting potable and non-potable water, gray water, reclaimed water, wastewater force main and gravity municipal and domestic sewage, industrial process liquids, effluents, and slurries in both pressure and nonpressure systems.

SpecText Changes: Manufacturer Links/List and Tips Box and Content Request

With the quarter 2 update release, we will be making some changes to the SpecText Word documents. Note, this does not affect SpecBuilder Cloud or e-SPECS, only Word documents.

We will replace the manufacturer links with manufacturer lists. In the current documents, the link opens the mini-browser, but you could not insert the manufacturers into the document. Now, the manufacturers will already be in the document, ready for editing. Be sure to apply the quarter 2 release because the hyperlinks in old versions will stop working later this summer.

In response to your requests, we will also remove the Tips and Content Request Boxes. Other minor changes to expect in the quarter 2 release include:

• Justification of ********OR******* will change from centered to left justified
• Changes to the footer language

As always, to submit a suggestion for a Content request, contact the Deltek Customer Success Team at 800-424-5080 or email SpecSolutionsRenewal@deltek.com. 

e-SPECS Update

If you prepare specifications for Military, Government, or other Federal projects, here is a review of how Deltek’s e-SPECS, as a specifications tool, can support your initiatives.

Specifications are critical to all projects, but the bar seems to be even higher when developing performance, reference based specifications for Military and Government projects. Deltek saw a need where the industry lacked a solution that could:

• Automate the editing process to be more efficient, less error prone
• Generate and manage keynotes more efficiently
• Integrate with BIM tools
• Update UFGS content efficiently within a single platform

Deltek addressed this industry need with the Unified Facilities Guide Specifications (UFGS) master guide.  UFGS supports all federal construction projects including Army Corps of Engineers, Navy, Air Force and NASA.

So how does e-SPECS handle the UFGS master guide? It begins with integrating to SpecsIntact, which is an automated system for preparing standardized facility construction specifications managed at the Kennedy Space Center. With the e-SPECS UFGS integration you can leverage automation to:

• Sync Deltek’s UFGS updates with SpecsIntact
• Generate a checklist, manipulate it, and create dependencies and defaults, to automate your projects using our e-SPECS Designer product
• Access keynotes and updated checklist with each UFGS content update
• Generate reports such as bracket reports, submittal, QA, or executive summaries
• Integrate with Revit models, which is an emerging requirement for UFGS projects

On the integration front, we interface with SpecsIntact by supporting:

• Import.sec file types to edit within e-SPECs
• Bring in tracked changes deletions
• Automatically accepts tracked changes – additions through the import

Our integration capabilities are front and center, especially with Revit integration where we:

• Exchange information within the Revit model using Bindings and Keynotes
• Bring the advantages of e-SPECS directly into Revit including review/markups and validation reports
• Empower authors in e-SPECS to view Revit model information

What cannot be overlooked is the primary need to coordinate graphic with non-graphic information. With e-SPECS for Revit, we empower you to leverage integration to make project information transparent to both the BIM team and Specifications group.

Now that you’ve imported content and integrated to your Revit model all this great information, how do you get it out of e-SPECS? We provide you with versatile export options.

• Use the Submission Manager to create customized deliverables with Custom Covers, Table of Contents (TOCs), and Volumes
• Create single file or multi file project manuals
• Export SEC file types or send to SpecsIntact job of your choice
• Export with Tracked Changes formatting to match SpecsIntact

With so many new and helpful updates being introduced by the Specification Solutions development team – you cannot afford to miss out on upcoming Specification Solutions Customer Town Hall meetings! Mark your calendar and plan to attend the Q2 Town Hall scheduled for Thursday, June 24 at 2:00 PM (EST).