MasterFormat has no section titled for dumpster or trash enclosures. For an engineered steel slat enclosure with gates, Section 32 31 19 Decorative Metal Fences and Gates is the closest fit, and equipment screen walls can go under 32 35 00 Screening Devices. CMU enclosures belong in 04 22 00 Concrete Unit Masonry and one-off steelwork in 05 50 00 Metal Fabrications.
Is there a CSI MasterFormat section for dumpster enclosures?
No. MasterFormat, the numbering system published by CSI and CSC, has no section titled for dumpster, trash or refuse enclosures. You file the enclosure by what it is built from: a steel fence-and-gate system, a screening device, masonry, or custom metal fabrication.
Several titles sound right but cover the wrong thing. In the MasterFormat numbers and titles, 32 33 23 Site Trash and Litter Receptacles and 12 93 23 Trash and Litter Receptacles are for receptacles. 11 82 00 Facility Solid Waste Handling Equipment covers bins, compactors and balers. None of them covers the walls and gates around a container.
Which MasterFormat sections are the candidates?
Most offices choose from six sections, and the right one depends on the enclosure's construction and how the project manual is organized. The numbers and titles below were checked against CSI's published MasterFormat list and the Division 32 listing on ARCAT.
| Section | Title | Typical use for enclosures and screens |
|---|---|---|
| 32 31 19 | Decorative Metal Fences and Gates | Engineered steel slat enclosures and slat fencing with integral swing gates |
| 32 35 00 / 32 35 13 | Screening Devices / Screens and Louvers | Equipment screen walls: mechanical, generator, transformer, utility |
| 32 31 13 | Chain Link Fences and Gates | Chain link enclosures, including chain link with privacy slats |
| 10 82 13 | Exterior Grilles and Screens | Architectural screens tied to the building, often rooftop |
| 05 50 00 | Metal Fabrications | One-off steelwork designed on the structural drawings; miscellaneous steel items |
| 04 22 00 | Concrete Unit Masonry | CMU block-wall enclosures; the gates are specified separately |
The slab is never in these sections. It belongs in 03 30 00 Cast-in-Place Concrete, and the enclosure section cross-references it.
Why does a steel slat enclosure fit Section 32 31 19?
Section 32 31 19 Decorative Metal Fences and Gates is the closest MasterFormat title for a manufactured steel slat enclosure with integral gates. The enclosure is a fence-and-gate system at grade, so it sits with site work in Division 32. That is also where bid packages usually send it, to the site or fence contractor.
Three things point to 32 31 19 rather than its neighbors:
- Gates are part of the system. The posts, hinges, latch and cane bolts are designed together, and 32 31 19 covers fences and gates in one section.
- It is not chain link. 32 31 13 assumes chain link fabric, posts and rails. An opaque steel slat wall on structural posts is a different product.
- It is a manufactured system. A basis-of-design product with delegated structural design fits a product section better than a general fabrication section.
When is 32 35 00 Screening Devices the better home?
Use 32 35 00 when the screen hides equipment rather than enclosing a service area, and the project manual already groups screening there. Mechanical, generator, transformer, data center and battery storage screen walls are typical examples. The content of the section does not change; only the number and title do.
Do not file a slatted steel screen under 32 35 16 Sound Barriers or 32 35 23 Fire Barriers. A slatted screen is neither a noise barrier nor a fire barrier, and fire clearances for battery storage still apply on their own terms.
When does 05 50 00 Metal Fabrications make sense?
Use 05 50 00 when the enclosure is a one-off steel design detailed on the project's structural drawings, with no manufacturer basis of design. In that case the project's structural engineer carries the design. The section describes fabrication and erection rather than a product with delegated engineering. Some offices also keep bollards and small steel items here. Others use 32 39 13 Manufactured Metal Bollards.
Where do CMU enclosures go?
Masonry walls go in 04 22 00 Concrete Unit Masonry, with reinforcing and grout to their own sections. The steel gates on a CMU enclosure still need a home, usually 32 31 19 or 05 50 00, and the gate posts or embeds need coordinating with the masonry. If the local code names masonry and the design team wants steel, that becomes an alternate-materials discussion with the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ). Our guide to dumpster enclosure requirements covers what local codes typically ask for.
How do you avoid conflicts between sections?
Specify each screen or enclosure in one section only, and point to it from the others. Duplicate text in two sections leads to bid gaps, double pricing and conflicting submittals.
- List the slab (03 30 00), earthwork (31 20 00) and any bollards under Related Requirements, not in the enclosure section.
- If enclosures and equipment screens share one product, use one section and schedule both. Or split them by number and state which screens belong to which.
- Show the gate clear openings, swing and hold-open positions on the drawings, so the section and the plan agree.
What should a dumpster enclosure specification include?
A complete dumpster enclosure specification follows CSI's three-part format: General (scope, submittals, quality), Products (performance, materials, gates, finish) and Execution (examination, installation, field quality control). These are the provisions that matter most for a structural steel enclosure.
Submittals, including sealed calculations
- Shop drawings: a layout dimensioned to the drawings, a bay schedule, elevations, post and base-plate details, anchor pattern and embedment, and gate details including slab-sleeve locations.
- Delegated-design submittal: structural calculations signed and sealed by a professional engineer licensed in the project's state. They should state the code edition, wind speed, exposure category, risk category, height and infill type. Many jurisdictions process these as deferred submittals under IBC Section 107.3.4.1. In that case the design professional in responsible charge reviews them before they go to the building official.
- Reactions at each post type, so the project engineer can design the slab.
- Product data for the anchors, including the current code evaluation report, and finish samples in the selected color.
Design criteria per ASCE 7-22, per site
Require structural design to ASCE/SEI 7-22 for the project site, not a generic rating. Schedule the site's basic wind speed (from the ASCE Hazard Tool), exposure category and risk category on the drawings. Leave the topographic factor to the delegated engineer. Solid slat screens are designed as freestanding walls under ASCE 7 Chapter 29. Gate leaves, hinges and gate posts should be designed for wind with the leaves closed and with them held open. Steel design follows AISC 360, and anchorage follows ACI 318 Chapter 17.
Materials and finish
- ASTM A36 or equivalent structural steel, with a manufacturer's certificate of compliance.
- Galvanized steel throughout: hot-dip galvanized base plates, sleeves and round gate posts, with full hot-dip galvanized posts as an option based on site location and exposure.
- Powder coat applied over the galvanizing to Qualicoat standards, using a superdurable polyester with UV protection, with the color by RAL number or matched to the building.
- Do not cite AAMA 2603, 2604 or 2605. They are aluminum coating standards and do not apply to steel.
Gates, specified by clear opening
Specify gates by clear opening, not outside-to-outside width. Haulers typically want 12 ft clear per container, so confirm the net clear opening after hardware with the hauler. Require a lockable latch, cane bolts with slab sleeves at the closed and hold-open positions, and a factory function test of every gate.
Anchors
Let the delegated design select the anchor type, either an adhesive anchor or a code-listed mechanical anchor. Require a current code evaluation report for the concrete condition assumed. Embedment, edge distance and installation torque should follow the delegated design and the anchor manufacturer's instructions.
Execution and quality assurance
- Before installation, check the slab against the shop drawings, including the thickened areas at posts, the gate-post pads and concrete strength.
- Require shop welding to AWS D1.1, with no field welding or field modification without the manufacturer's written approval.
- Require special inspection of post-installed anchors where the AHJ requires it.
- Field-verify plumb, slat engagement, gate swing, latching and cane-bolt engagement before turnover.
What are the most common specification mistakes?
Most problems come from text copied out of another project or another product type.
- A single wind speed carried over from a different site, instead of site data scheduled on the drawings.
- Gate widths given outside-to-outside, which leaves a net opening the hauler cannot use.
- Spaced slats or perforated panels selected where the local ordinance requires opaque screening.
- Aluminum coating standards cited for a steel product.
- The slab specified inside the fence section, so nobody prices or designs it properly.
- Screens described as sound walls or fire barriers.
Is there a guide specification for steel slat enclosures?
Yes. Alpine's guide specification (Section 32 31 19) is a three-part CSI section for structural steel slat enclosures, screen walls and gates. It is cross-referenced to 32 35 00 for equipment screening and includes specifier notes on the choices in this article. Download it from our resources page, where you can also request the editable Word version for your project manual. The basis-of-design product is Alpine Citadel, engineered to ASCE 7-22 for each site, with sealed calculations available in all 50 states. Our engineering page explains the site engineering package and the inputs it needs.
If you are writing a section for a specific project, send us the site plan and enclosure layout through our quote request form. We will confirm the section placement, the gate clear openings and the design inputs the sealed calculations will need, so the specification and the submittal match.
Sources
- Construction Specifications Institute (CSI), MasterFormat, 2026 (accessed).
- CSI and Construction Specifications Canada, MasterFormat Numbers and Titles, April 2016.
- ARCAT, Exterior Improvements: CSI MasterFormat Division 32, 2026 (accessed).
- American Society of Civil Engineers, ASCE/SEI 7-22, Minimum Design Loads and Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures, 2022.
- International Code Council, 2021 International Building Code, Section 107.3.4.1 Deferred Submittals, 2021.