(pronounced like the initials: see-ess-EYE)

Anyone with a television is going to see this and think of morgues and microscopes, but this has nothing to do with DNA and solving murders. This CSI is the Construction Specifications Institute, a national association made up of specifiers, architects, building materials suppliers, contractors, engineers who are dedicated to creating standards and formats to improve construction documents and project delivery. Yes, you can become a member and attend local meetings at one of their 145+ chapters, so why include them in the glossary? Because many people in the industry refer to CSI manuals and standards for presenting information on construction projects. Best known is its master list of divisions with section numbers and titles within each division.

For example: Division 3, Concrete – 03600 Grouts; Division 9, Finishes – 09710 Acoustical Wall Finishes. We just don’t want you to look like an idiot when someone asks you if you’ve seen a CSI manual lying around the office, and you start looking for a book with Marg Helgenberger’s face on it. Direct them to www.csinet.org instead.