• (847) 297-6704
  • Sign up for our newsletter
  • ASK AN EXPERT
  • Contact Us
MAC MAC MAC MAC
  • Home
  • About MAC
  • Benefits
  • Library
    • Masonry Materials
      • Brick Masonry Veneer
      • Brick
      • Cast Stone
      • Concrete Masonry
      • Masonry Flashing
      • Masonry Grout
      • Masonry Mortar
      • Natural Stone
      • Wall Ties & Anchors
    • Masonry Design
    • Masonry Construction
    • Fire Safety with Masonry
    • Residential Masonry Cost Guide
    • Masonry Costs & Estimating
    • R Values / Energy Concerns
    • Masonry Codes & Ordinances
    • Masonry Case Studies
  • News
  • Excellence in Masonry
  • Masonry Cost Guide
  • Members
  • Continuing Education
MAC MAC
  • Home
  • About MAC
  • Benefits
  • Library
    • Masonry Materials
      • Brick Masonry Veneer
      • Brick
      • Cast Stone
      • Concrete Masonry
      • Masonry Flashing
      • Masonry Grout
      • Masonry Mortar
      • Natural Stone
      • Wall Ties & Anchors
    • Masonry Design
    • Masonry Construction
    • Fire Safety with Masonry
    • Residential Masonry Cost Guide
    • Masonry Costs & Estimating
    • R Values / Energy Concerns
    • Masonry Codes & Ordinances
    • Masonry Case Studies
  • News
  • Excellence in Masonry
  • Masonry Cost Guide
  • Members
  • Continuing Education
specify concrete masonry

How to Specify Concrete Masonry f ’m = 2500 psi in the State of Illinois

Specify Concrete Masonry Units The key component for the strength of masonry walls is the blocks, commonly referred to as concrete masonry unit (CMU). CMU can be specified... read more →
  • January 6, 2020
  • Cathleen Jacinto - Masonry Insights
2001 schools of the 21st century The Heights Building Arlington Virginia BIG with Leo A Daly 01

The Heights Building by BIG

Brick—featured in the old school building that was on the site, as well as in much of Arlington’s historic architecture—is the prominent material here, albeit in white, not red.... read more →
  • January 6, 2020
  • Masonry on the Web
drawing masonry control joints MAC

Why Are Masonry Control Joint Locations Significant?

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 →
  • December 11, 2019
  • Cathleen Jacinto - Masonry Insights
november masonry on the web

Residenze Carlo Erba, Milan Eisenman Architects and Degli Esposti Architetti

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 →
  • November 4, 2019
  • Masonry on the Web
burnt masonry

Fire Resistance of Masonry Units

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 →
  • October 2, 2019
  • Gary Porter - What’s Happening in Masonry
Masonry Insights Control Joints in Struc Walls

Why Are Masonry Control Joint Locations Significant?

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 →
  • October 2, 2019
  • Cathleen Jacinto - Masonry Insights
1905 National Museum of Qatar Doha Ateliers Jean Nouvel 01

National Museum of Qatar by Ateliers Jean Nouvel

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 →
  • October 2, 2019
  • Masonry on the Web
bond beam detail Feb 2019

What is a Bond Beam?

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 →
  • September 11, 2019
  • Cathleen Jacinto - Masonry Insights
stack bond chart

Stack Bond from a Structural Engineer’s Perspective

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 →
  • September 11, 2019
  • Cathleen Jacinto - Masonry Insights
lateral load image august newsletter

Reinforcing Existing Masonry for New Lateral Loads Part 2

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 →
  • August 6, 2019
  • Cathleen Jacinto - Masonry Insights
hot cold chart

Hot Weather Masonry

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 →
  • July 8, 2019
  • Gary Porter - What’s Happening in Masonry
Design Vanguard Michan Architecture

Design Vanguard 2019: Michan Architecture

“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 →
  • July 8, 2019
  • Masonry on the Web
masonry block

Reinforcing Existing Masonry For New Lateral Loads – Part 1

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 →
  • June 4, 2019
  • Cathleen Jacinto - Masonry Insights
before and after repointing

Re-Pointing Masonry

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 →
  • May 30, 2019
  • Gary Porter - What’s Happening in Masonry
MASONRY Insights Partition Walls drawing

Masonry Partition Wall

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 →
  • April 1, 2019
  • Cathleen Jacinto - Masonry Insights
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • ...
  • 8

« Previous Page — Next Page »

Recent Posts

  • Will Quam – Brick of Chicago
  • WBF Construction: Contractor Spotlight
  • Cold Weather Masonry
  • Software Review for Structural Masonry Design of Masonry
  • Single Wythe 8 inch Concrete Masonry Walls

Serviceable Locations

Northern and Central Illinois or Northwest Indiana as designated by the following counties: Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Kankakee, Kane, Kendall, Lake, LaSalle, McHenry, Will and Winnebago in Illinois and Lake, Jasper, Newton LaPorte, Porter, and Starke in Indiana.
Mission Statement

“The Masonry Advisory Council is committed to serve it’s members through Promotion, Marketing, Education, Information and Support programs related to masonry materials and construction."
Sign Up For Our Newsletter!

SIGN UP
Can't find something or have a question? Send us an email.

CONTACT US
Copyright © 2022 | The Masonry Advisory Council. All Rights Reserved. See our Privacy Policy.