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Ron Beard CCS
Senior Member
Username: rm_beard_ccs

Post Number: 95
Registered: 10-2002
Posted on Thursday, January 12, 2006 - 03:17 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post

CSI has advised me that they no longer develop or promote SpecData Sheets. I have always found them to be very useful and informative especially where they list the uses-limitations of their specific products, technical data, and detailed installation procedures.

Since CSI has abandoned SpecData Sheets, is the architectural, engineering, manufacturing communities following their lead?

Ron
Ralph Liebing, RA, CSI
Senior Member
Username: rliebing

Post Number: 295
Registered: 02-2003
Posted on Thursday, January 12, 2006 - 03:34 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post

We still find some of these in manufacturer's binders-- usually out of date.

It is too bad, as this was a good program. There is such a massive amount of information on the typical web site, it would be both helpful and refreshing to have a quick and incisive summary or synopsis, like Spec Data [just as it is always helpful if the manufacturer has a CSI formtted spec on their web site, for quick referece and/or use]

Might be good directions for new or renewed CSI effort, eh, what? How about a student activity?
Ron Beard CCS
Senior Member
Username: rm_beard_ccs

Post Number: 96
Registered: 10-2002
Posted on Thursday, January 12, 2006 - 03:40 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post

Maybe something for the Technical Committees to do?

Ron
Helaine K. (Holly) Robinson CSI CCS CCCA
Senior Member
Username: hollyrob

Post Number: 202
Registered: 07-2003
Posted on Thursday, January 12, 2006 - 03:42 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post

The last I knew, <i>Architects' First Source</i>A (now Reed) had taken them over. Go here:

http://www.firstsourceonl.com/members/result.asp?key=Spec-Data&submit.x=49&submit.y=7
Helaine K. (Holly) Robinson CSI CCS CCCA
Senior Member
Username: hollyrob

Post Number: 203
Registered: 07-2003
Posted on Thursday, January 12, 2006 - 03:44 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post

http://www.firstsourceonl.com/members/dochelp.asp?doc=sd

SPEC-DATA® 10-part technical data sheet

SPEC-DATA® contains in-depth technical product information formatted for easy reference for product evaluations and comparisons. SPEC-DATA® is available exclusively on the Internet.

Features of SPEC-DATA® include:

* Technical information on commercial building products
* Written by experienced specification professionals
* Organized according to CSI's 50-division MasterFormat™ numbering system
* Formatted according to CSI's 10-part format

SPEC-DATA® is linked to manufacturers' preliminary product information as found in the First Source™ publication and website. SPEC-DATA® icons are located at the bottom of First Source™ product entries and also appear through the searches on this site. Users can search by:

* Product
* CSI Code
* Manufacturer Name
* General Word Search

SPEC-DATA® files on this site are stored in Adobe Acrobat format (PDF), a software package that allows companies to create and share business documents with their original appearance intact. For more information and a free copy, see Adobe Acrobat.

* SPEC-DATA® and MANU-SPEC® are registered to Reed Elsevier Inc.
Colin Gilboy
Senior Member
Username: colin

Post Number: 23
Registered: 09-2005
Posted on Thursday, January 12, 2006 - 03:45 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post

The major problem from the manufacturer's side of the SpecData sheet was the cost - $5,000 per year per product. That alone says why the program was not successful.

That said, I also understand that the 10 part format was copyrighted and there were some not-so-mild letters of copyright enforcement sent to the manufacturers who did their own data sheets copying the format.

I think the concept was a great one. I used the SpecData sheets and binders as a starting spot for WebFormat, which is trademarked and published by CSRF. This is a standardized layout for product information that can be used by the web designer, rather than doing a wholy-creative design that does not provide the information you need.
http://www.4specs.com/webformat/

While I understand CSI Institute struggle for income, I think they need to endorse some standards for publishing design information.

Rather than have an expensive review and publication process, CSI would be better to have 75% of the manufacturers publish their own product data sheets and to encourage them to keep them up to date, even if there is no peer review.

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