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Technical Support & Library
Technical Support
Design Assistance
Library
Order a Masonry Cost Guide
Materials & Suppliers
Supporting Members
Participating Associates
Case Studies
Education
Continuing Education
College Students
Seminars
Union Bricklayers
Novice Trainee
Apprenticeship
Improver
Union Mason Contractors
Contractor List
About
Mission
About Us
Excellence in Masonry
Order a Masonry Cost Guide
Masonry Construction
Brick Industry Association (BIA) Tech Notes
– The properties of fired clay brick and the clay brick masonry made from them were used to establish…
Cap Flashing for a Stone Veneer Wall
– The flashing details for flashing a stone veneer or stone faced masonry wall…
10 reasons why a concrete masonry building is your best investment!
– Masonry construction has been the material of choice extensively throughout…
Cleaning Brickwork
– Abstract: This Technical Note addresses cleaning of brickwork and brick pavements…
Cleaning
- Brick Masonry Techniques for Architects...
CMU Stairwell
– The answer is very simple; Concrete Masonry Unit Wall Systems will not burn…
Cold Weather Masonry
– In the masonry world this topic comes up seasonally…
Cold Hot Weather Construction
– This document was developed as a reference for the construction of masonry structures during…
Concrete Masonry Units
– Last week I attended the National Concrete Masonry Association (NCMA) convention…
Concrete Plank Roof Construction
– In today's building climate, 4-6 story multifamily and office structures are common to…
Connecting Brick to Backups
– To secure masonry veneer to a backup system or to connect two or more masonry…
Control Joint Locations
– When designing concrete masonry walls, one aspect that needs to be considered is the location…
Coordinating a High Lift Grouting Job
– Many factors influence the method a contractor chooses to place…
Crack Control in 4” Concrete Masonry Veneers
– The introduction of a Concrete Masonry banding in a clay brick veneer wall…
Debunked
– Any School Board, which allows a construction manager to sell them on the idea of a guaranteed…
Density of Concrete Masonry
– Concrete masonry is a versatile, durable material for the construction of building…
Detailing Brick Veneer to Siding Transitions
– After this question was recently asked of me, I realized that this topic is not so…
Early Strength of Masonry
- A great question that comes up relatively often for shoring, and wall bracing, and other masonry construction inquiries ...
Efflorescence
– Many buildings at some point in their history exhibit some form of efflorescence…
Equipment Speeds Up Pointing
– Getting mortar into a thin joint between already-placed units can be a difficult…
Flashing Stepped Foundations MAC
– It is not uncommon for a residential building to be constructed with a stepped concrete foundation…
Getting Grout into a Wall
– Getting grout into a wall often seems to be difficult for masons…
Great Lakes Cement Promotion Council
- Great Lakes Cement Promotion Council, Inc. (GLCPC) is a Michigan nonprofit corporation that promotes...
Grinders for Removing Mortar
– Commonly called “tuckpointers’ grinders,” small disc grinders are indispensable tools for repair…
Hot Weather Masonry
– While commuting home last week, I was passed by a pickup that advertised “Cement Contractor”…
Horizontal Reinforcement for Masonry Walls
-The masonry code, TMS 402 Building Code Requirements for Masonry Structures does not have a lot...
How to Specify Clay Structural Masonry in the Midwest
– When specifying the compressive strength for clay or concrete masonry…
How to Specify Concrete Masonry f ’m = 2500 psi in the State of Illinois
– According to the masonry code, TMS 602 Specification for Masonry Structures…
Job Site Mock ups for Bidders
– Masonry job site mock-up panels can range from a sample strap of brick to a fully designed…
Laps Lengths
– Lap splice lengths for reinforcement on masonry projects are an important specification…
Lintels for Masonry Walls
– Masonry lintel design is a critical part of an efficient structural masonry solution…
Low IRA Brick and Mortar
– Investigations into brick/mortar bond strength and water penetration have identified a number of…
Masonry Lintels
– Historically, different materials have been used to provide support for windows…
Masonry Construction and Wall Ties
– 1. Corrugated wall ties are only allowed, by code, to be used in veneer work on wooden studs…
Masonry Jamb
–What is a masonry jamb, and what needs to be considered for design?
Movement Joints in Masonry
– There once were three little pigs. The first pig built his house out of straw…
Masonry Repairs Solutions
– One item in the masonry tool bag that seems to be getting more popular as our buildings age…
NCMA-TEK-03-15
– Diaphragm walls are composed of two wythes of masonry with a large cavity or void…
New Openings in Existing Masonry Walls
During building renovations, changes in floor plans often require windows or doors be installed at new...
OSHA Fall Protection MAC
– This informational booklet is intended to provide an overview of frequently cited OSHA standards…
Outdoor Stairs Brick Walls
– To a certain degree, architects and designers need to predict the future on a daily basis…
Partition Walls
– Most building elements designed by a structural engineer are actually structural…
Proper Drainage for Weep Holes
– For a cavity wall to function properly, water that collects on flashing must be able to drain…
Reanchoring Brick
– Adhesive or double expansion anchors can resecure brick facades…
Reinforcing Existing Masonry For New Lateral Loads - Part 1
– Masonry walls are quite versatile in building applications and are common industry…
Reinforcing Existing Masonry For New Lateral Loads - Part 2
– This Masonry Insights series explores reinforcing existing masonry shear walls…
Restoring Mortar Joints in Historic Buildings
– In a properly designed and constructed masonry wall, mortar joints can last 50 years…
Retrofitting of masonry walls
– This paper presents research on a conventional but practical retrofitting method for masonry…
Rules for New Construction Clean Down
– When I started in the masonry industry, 90% of the work…
Selecting Mortar for Historic Preservation Projects
– Follow these guidelines to determine the composition of a structure’s existing mortar, and consider…
Spacing Control Joints in Concrete Masonry
– The maximum horizontal spacing between vertical control joints in concrete masonry walls is determined by…
Spray Cork Anyone?
– A few weeks ago, I was watching my favorite DIY show, Holmes & Homes with Mike Holmes…
Spring Moisture Control
– Moisture entering buildings has the potential to cause problems for the health…
Stack Bond from a Structural Engineer’s Perspective
– When a structural engineer designs a masonry wall, it is typically designed…
Steps to Efficient Masonry Lintels
– When a structural engineer designs a masonry wall, it is typically designed…
Storm Shelters
– Tornadoes and hurricanes produce extreme meteorological conditions and forces on…
Surface Grouting to Repair Mortar Joints
– Case #1: Your turn-of-the-century brick building has developed leaks…
The Acceptability of Masonry
– The Masonry Advisory Council gets several calls each year regarding the acceptability…
The Mule
– The Masonry Advisory Council is known for promoting the use of masonry…
Tolerances Limestone Caps Vapor Barrier Condensation Analysis
- Because of mold growth and thermal shorting, the shortcomings of using batt insulation in steel stud...
Understanding Mortar Masonry Materials
– Before specifying mortar for a project or using it in the field, it is important to…
Use of Masonry and Hollow Core Concrete
– Over the last several years, fatalities, injuries and property loss in structural fires have fluctuated…
Using Air Barriers in Masonry Walls
– Water in masonry walls creates numerous prolems: freeze/thaw fractures, cracks form…
Utility Brick Bonding
– The utility size brick is becoming more and more popular. Many new schools are being built…
Utilize Masonry Walls to their Full Potential
- This article will step through a review of a multi-story steel and masonry project structural review...
Wall Drainage
– In masonry buildings using clay or concrete brick as the primary wall element…
Weeps: Getting the Water Out
- In the masonry industry, there are some things that are done that don't have a lot of technical...
Weeps - How the water gets out.
– The masonry code describes water issues as “Water will penetrate the…
What is a Bond Beam?
– Masonry wall construction consists of an assembly of several parts - concrete…
Why Are Masonry Control Joint Locations Significant?
– When designing concrete masonry walls, one aspect that needs…
