[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 96 (Thursday, May 16, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24761-24763]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-12180]



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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Technology Administration
[Docket No. 960508127-6127-01]
RIN 0693-XX18


Federal Agency Guidance for the Acquisition of Modular Metric 
Construction Products

AGENCY: Technology Administration, Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Publication of Federal Agency Guidance.

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SUMMARY: These guidelines provide information and a policy statement 
for Federal agency implementation of metric-usage requirements in the 
acquisition of modular construction products. After a review process 
starting on April 12, 1996, the guidelines were approved by the 
Interagency Council on Metric Policy on May 3, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Mr. Ralph Richter, Metric Program, U.S. Department of Commerce, 
National Institute of Standards and Technology, Building 820, Room 306, 
Gaithersburg, MD 20899. Phone (301) 975-3690.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 (Public Law 100-
418, section 5164) amended the Metric Conversion Act of 1975 to, among 
other things, require that each Federal agency use metric measurements 
to the maximum extent feasible in its procurements and business-related 
activities. To fully implement this legislation within the Federal 
agencies, Executive Order 12770, ``Metric Usage in Federal Government 
Programs,'' was signed by President Bush in 1991. The Federal agencies 
are required to encourage and support an environment that facilitates 
the U.S. transition to the metric system of measurement.
    Using the Executive Order and the 1988 amendments as guidance, the 
agencies involved in the construction of federal buildings and 
facilities have made substantial progress in the adoption of metric 
measurements. During this metrication process, the Government's 
construction agencies have worked closely with the private sector to 
reach a consensus among all of the interested parties: building 
material manufacturers, trade associations, design firms, and 
construction contractors.
    Dimensions for the vast majority of construction products need only 
be ``soft-converted'' for use in metric construction projects. A soft 
metric conversion means that the physical dimensions of the product 
remain unchanged while the measurement units used to describe and 
specify the product are changed to metric units. To make metric 
construction succeed, however, a small percentage of products need 
their physical dimensions ``hard-converted'' to fit the product into 
the internationally recognized building module of 100 millimeters. 
These products are frequently referred to as modular products.
    Just as it is logical and cost effective for inch-pound 
construction projects to use modular products that fit into the 4-inch 
module, it is logical and cost effective for metric construction 
projects to employ modular products that fit into the 100 mm module.
    Modular construction products are brick, concrete block, suspended 
ceiling systems--including recessed lighting fixtures and air 
diffusers, raised access flooring, wallboard, plywood, particle board, 
and rigid insulation.
    Before a modular construction product in a hard metric size is 
specified in a federal construction project, the product's application 
must require it to fit together with other modular metric components, 
and the product must be found to be available at a reasonable cost.
    The statutory language in the 1988 legislation provides the 
necessary flexibility for appropriate implementation of this policy on 
modular construction products--the Federal agencies are required to 
forego metric conversion when it is impractical or is likely to cause 
significant inefficiencies or loss of markets to United States firms. 
The intent of the law is to pursue metrication for increased cost-
effectiveness and productivity in U.S. business and greater access to 
international markets while avoiding any undue burden on American 
firms.

General Policy

    (a) As construction metrication efforts continue, the Government's 
construction agencies shall continue to work closely with all 
interested private sector parties: building material manufacturers, 
trade association, design firms, and construction contractors. 
Consensus, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness shall be the goal.
    (b) The Federal agencies shall conduct market research to determine 
the availability of modular metric construction products before 
developing new procurement specifications. Procurement officials in 
each agency, to the maximum extent practicable, shall specify 
commercial items or nondevelopmental items other than

[[Page 24762]]

commercial items to meet the needs of the agency.
    (c) Throughout the acquisition process, the Federal agencies shall 
ensure that they give due consideration to the known effects of their 
actions on State and local governments and the private sector, paying 
particular attention to effects and possible cost burdens on small 
business.
    (d) Modular construction products in a hard metric size shall only 
be specified in a federal construction project for situations in which 
the following criteria are met: (1) the product's application requires 
it to coordinate dimensionally into the 100 millimeter building module, 
(2) market research demonstrates the product's availability, sufficient 
to ensure competitive process, and (3) the product's total installed 
cost is reasonable.

Guidelines for Specific Modular Construction Products

    A large portion of the language in this section is credited to the 
Guide for Specifying Metric Modular Products, a recently-developed 
draft document available from the Construction Metrication Council of 
the National Institute of Building Sciences. The Institute is a 
private, nonprofit organization created by Congress to serve as an 
authoritative source on issues of building science and technology.
    Both the public and private sectors are working together to resolve 
building product metrication issues through the Construction 
Metrication Council. With broad support and participation of the 
private sector, the Council develops guidelines and recommends 
procedures to adopt the metric system of measurement as a means of 
increasing the international competitiveness, productivity, and quality 
of the U.S. construction industry. The Council works closely with the 
Interagency Council on Metric Policy to disseminate this information to 
the Federal agencies.

Steel Reinforcing Bar

    Steel reinforcing bar is not considered to be a modular 
construction product because it is buried in concrete and is not 
required to coordinate dimensionally into the 100 mm building module.
    Specifications for steel reinforcing bar are issued by the American 
Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), a private sector standards-
making organization. In 1979, ASTM first issued its Inter p p its 
International System of Units (SI) ``hard metric'' specification for 
steel reinforcing bar, ASTM A 615M. After receiving assurances from the 
steel industry that reinforcing bar conforming to ASTM A 615M would be 
supplied when it was specified and ordered, Federal agencies adopted 
this standard for their metric construction projects.
    Starting in May 1995, the Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute 
(CRSI) and the Steel Manufacturers Association (SMA) mounted a campaign 
to endorse, instead of ASTM A 615M, a soft metric conversion of the 
current inch-pound specification, ASTM A 615. Most steel companies 
support the position that a soft metric conversion of ASTM A 615 should 
be adopted as the steel reinforcing bar standard for metric 
construction projects. Since the summer of 1995, it has been 
recommended that the Federal agencies specify bar conforming to a soft 
metric conversion of ASTM A 615 for projects still in design and that 
they allow soft-converted substitutions for work ready to bid.
    The American Society for Testing and Materials is in the process of 
revising its standard for steel reinforcing bar to reflect the steel 
industry's support for a soft metric conversion of this product. The 
industry has pledged to provide complete metric design information, 
data, and specifications to both public and commercial users of steel 
reinforcing bar that conforms to a soft metric conversion of ASTM A 
615.

Brick

    The American Society for Testing and Materials' Standard Guide for 
Modular Coordination of Clay and Concrete Masonry Units, ASTM E 835/E 
835M, sets forth metric dimensions for brick based on a module of 100 
mm. Many common brick sizes are within a millimeter or two of metric 
modular sizes and nearly all can fit within the 100 mm module 
vertically be slightly varying mortar joint widths. The Brick Institute 
of America supports metrication.
    A table that can be used to specify common brick sizes in metric 
units is available from the Construction Metrication Council of the 
National Institute of Building Sciences.

Concrete Block

    Concrete block is usually considered a modular product. The 
Government's construction agencies, however, are aware of the 
costliness to the concrete masonry industry of buying the molds needed 
to produce concrete block in hard metric sizes and are attempting to 
minimize this expense. Inch-pound (soft-converted) block substitutions 
are recommended in all cases in which concrete block is used as a 
backup or infill material and in which architectural considerations 
otherwise permit.
    Concrete block in a hard metric size will only be specified in a 
federal construction project in cases in which the block will be 
located in an architecturally exposed area or will be required to fit 
together with other modular metric components. The concrete block must 
also be found to be available at a reasonable cost. The Corps of 
Engineers has stated that approximately 60 percent of the cost of a 
concrete block wall is labor, 25 percent is the concrete block, and 15 
percent is for other materials such as mortar and reinforcement. In 
projects for which concrete block in a hard metric size is needed, 
allowing inch-pound (soft-converted) block may save on the cost of the 
block, but would substantially increase the amount of cutting and 
trimming and would unreasonably increase labor costs. Therefore, in 
certain circumstances, it is logical and cost effective for the 
Government to specify concrete block in a hard metric size.
    Total installed cost should be the determining factor in the 
selection of concrete block. Most often, concrete block is used as a 
back-up or infill material; when this is the case, inch-pound block 
substitutions are recommended. Where concrete block in a hard metric 
size is considered for use as an architectural material or as a primary 
structural system, cost and availability should be determined in 
advance to judge the appropriateness of such use.

Suspended Ceiling Systems

    Components for suspended ceiling systems are T-bars, hangers, 
ceiling tile, recessed lighting fixtures, and recessed air diffusers. 
All components are available in modular metric sizes from a variety of 
manufacturers. With the exception of recessed lighting fixtures, all 
components are priced competitively with their inch-pound counterparts. 
A few large lighting manufacturers with highly automated production 
processes oppose metrication, and the product may carry a slight cost 
premium. Even so, quality modular metric lighting fixtures continue to 
be procured without difficulty when specified in federal projects.
    Cost and availability shall be determined when components for 
suspended ceiling systems are specified in modular metric sizes.

Raised Access Flooring

    Raised access flooring is a specialty item used primarily in 
computer rooms

[[Page 24763]]

and other areas where provision for under floor cabling is desirable. A 
number of manufacturers make raised access flooring to fit the 100 mm 
module, but there may be a cost premium for small orders and longer 
delivery times for all orders. The Federal agencies shall specify 
metric raised access flooring if costs are generally comparable to 
inch-pound access flooring and procurement lead times are acceptable.

Wallboard

    Wallboard is formed in continuous sheets of variable widths and cut 
to specified lengths. A variety of manufacturers make wallboard to fit 
the 100 mm module (1200 mm wide and 2400 and 3000 mm long), but there 
may be a cost premium for small orders and longer delivery times for 
all orders since metric wallboard is not yet a stock product. While the 
use of metric wallboard is desirable in metric construction projects, 
its use is not mandatory on small projects if project length or cost 
will increase.
    Where framing spacing is specified to fit modular metric 
construction, the Federal agencies shall specify wallboard sheet type 
and thickness without specifying length and width. The construction 
contractor shall make the decision whether metric wallboard sheets or 
trimmed inch-pound sheets offer the most efficient and cost-effective 
solution in each situation.

Plywood and Particleboard

    Like wallboard, wood-based sheet products such as plywood, 
particleboard, and oriented-strand-board (OSB) can be produced in a 
1200 mm width and 2400 and 3000 mm lengths. There may be a premium for 
small orders and longer delivery times for all orders since metric 
plywood, particleboard, and oriented-strand-board are not yet stock 
products. With the exception of military family housing, however, wood 
products are rarely used in Government facilities.
    Where framing spacing is specified to fit modular metric 
construction, the Federal agencies shall specify sheet type and 
thickness without specifying length and width. The construction 
contractor shall make the decision whether metric sheets or trimmed 
inch-pound sheets offer the most efficient and cost-effective solution 
in each situation.

Rigid Insulation

    Rigid insulation is used on exterior walls and as a roof 
underlayment. Currently this metrical is available only in inch-pound 
sizes and must be cut to fit 400 or 600 mm framing spacing. On roofs, 
the product is usually laid over a rigid substrate that allows any 
sheet size to be used. The Federal agencies shall specify sheet type 
and thickness without specifying length and width. Where the sheets are 
applied directly to 400 or 600 mm framing spacing, the width must be 
trimmed by the contractor.

Further Guidance

    Further guidance on the federal acquisition of modular metric 
construction products is available from the Construction Metrication 
Council of the National Institute of Building Sciences. Guidance is 
also available from the General Services Administration and its Metric 
Design Guide.

    Dated: May 9, 1996.
Mary L. Good,
Under Secretary for Technology.
[FR Doc. 96-12180 Filed 5-15-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-BP-M