> The question I've not seen answered, what is the overall objective of  trying  to harmonize estimates of hive capacity?

The beauty of the Langstroth hive is that it can be expanded or contracted in accordance with each colony's requirements. No two colonies are exactly the same nor do they respond in the same way to prevailing conditions. 

Commercial beekeepers often wish they were all the same, and hence tend to treat them all the same. They want the same frame count going into almonds, they want them at the same strength for the honey flow, they want to put the same number of supers on each.

Sideliners can pay far more attention to the individuality of a colony, expand and contract the size of the hive as indicated by the actual needs of the individual colony. Some will build up faster, some will store more honey, etc. 

I prefer two deeps for the brood nest and the rest mediums, but many have successfully switched to all mediums. This gives the opportunity to expand or contract in smaller increments than, say, all deeps. 

It is wise to guard against the tendency to impose standards on a living thing like a honey bee colony.

PLB

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