50 Divisions refers to the 50 divisions of construction information, as defined by the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI)'s MasterFormat beginning in 2004. Before 2004, MasterFormat consisted of 16 Divisions. MasterFormat has continued to be updated and revised since 2004, with new numbers, titles, and a new division added in 2010 and additional updates completed in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2018.
"50 Divisions" is the most widely used standard for organizing specifications and other written information for commercial and institutional building projects in the United States and Canada. Standardizing the presentation of such information improves communication among all parties.
Divisions
The latest officially released version of MasterFormat is the 2018 Edition, which uses the following Divisions:
PROCUREMENT AND CONTRACTING REQUIREMENTS GROUP:
Division 00 — Procurement and Contracting Requirements
Johnson, Robert W. (2004). Masterformat 2004 Edition: Master List of Numbers and Titles for the Construction Industry. Alexandria, Va.: The Construction Specifications Institute. ISBN0-9762399-0-6.