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 →
The form of the museum is inspired by the cliffs on Scotland’s north-eastern coastline, with the cladding – dramatic lines of pre-cast concrete that run horizontally around the curving... read more →
In October of 2018, the United States Senate passed the Concrete Masonry Products Research, Education and Promotion Act, providing Congressional authorization for the concrete masonry products industry to develop... read more →
The white brick-clad structure has rounded corners, not only to allow light to travel continuously around the facade without creating hard shadows. It's a great example of how... read more →
The existing double story Victorian terrace's zigzag (almost scalloping) brown and gold brick façade was translated and embellished to form the scalloped extension to the rear, whimsically drawing a... read more →
In the masonry world this topic comes up seasonally. There are necessary procedures needed to follow for successful installation of masonry in the cold weather. This information is helpful... read more →
Using blue brick, the tower’s egg-shaped floors, rising around an almost circular core, evolve towards a more circular form as the building rises. This design would look awesome in... read more →
The details for flashing a stone veneer or stone-faced masonry wall, with a face varying from the wall plane plus or minus 2” or more is not a well-documented subject.... read more →