When designing concrete masonry walls, one aspect that needs to be considered is the location of control joints. Control joints are continuous vertical mortar joints where a bond breaker... read more →
After decades of studying its architecture, Peter Eisenman finally builds in Italy. The serpentine structure employs traditional construction-reinforced-concrete columns and structural slabs with bearing walls at the six cores... read more →
In todays’ buildings there are many items that are highly combustible, so having a little or a lot of masonry creates safety within a structure especially in a stairwell, elevator,... read more →
When designing concrete masonry walls, one aspect that needs to be considered is the location of control joints. Control joints are continuous vertical mortar joints where a bond breaker is... read more →
An immense collision of sandy-hued concrete disks, the building is planned as a loop that winds for almost a mile and makes you feel as if you’ve landed on planet... read more →
Bond beams are a very common method to achieve continuity to allow all masonry wall segments to work together as a single unit. This insight will discuss the use... read more →
A masonry wall constructed with stack bond can have structural capacity similar to running bond, provided reinforcing requirements are met. The technical definition of stack bond is any wall where... read more →
Masonry shear walls must resist lateral loads due to wind or seismic events based on geographic building location per the applicable building code. Depending on the magnitude of the load,... read more →
While commuting home last week, I was passed by a pickup that advertised “Cement Contractor” on the side of the truck. What is a cement contractor? I think it was... read more →
“That whole area of the city is built with brick walls,” he explains, “but in an extremely standardized way, because everything needs to be cheap.” Michan upends expectations by carefully... read more →
Masonry walls are quite versatile in building applications and are common industry wide. What happens, though, when a building retrofit or expansion requires an existing masonry wall to now... read more →
The reason for re-pointing is that mortar lasts roughly between 25-50 years while brick lasts approximately 100+ years. Over a buildings life, foundations settle, caulking becomes dry and brittle,... read more →
Most building elements designed by a structural engineer are actually structural—they resist gravity or lateral loads (or both). One item, however, that is not structural is a masonry partition... read more →
When we build with brick, concrete block, stone and the many other materials that we use in masonry, we need movement joints. Materials built with cement in their composition,... read more →
I like to watch DIY home shows like This Old House and Holmes on Homes. I like Mike Holmes motto: “If you're going to do... read more →