It was developed through an industry and government consensus and has been widely accepted as an ASTM standard.
[1] Hanscomb Associates, a cost consultant, developed a system called MASTERCOST in 1973 for the American Institute of Architects (AIA).
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), which is responsible for government buildings, was also developing a system.
In 1989, ASTM International began developing a standard for classifying building elements, based on UNIFORMAT.
An example of how the numbering system expands to provide additional detail below level 1 is shown for