It is hard to believe that we are approaching the last quarter of 2021 - time really does fly when you're having fun!
Though this past year has been a bit of a roller coaster, UMI has been hard at work establishing relationships across the state to better promote masonry in both design and career.
Our mission to serve the A/E/C Community as a resource to building better buildings will officially hit five years in October and we couldn't be more excited! If you have any questions regarding design or career, please don't hesitate to reach out.
Onward and Upward,
Amanda
UPCOMING WEBINARS
10/12/2021:
Prefabricating Hollow Concrete Masonry Lintels & Walls - A New Means and Method to Masonry Construction
October to December | TMS Night School Webinar Series | 7 Sessions
Existing Masonry Series –
Assessment, Maintenance, and Repair of Transitional Masonry Structures: 1880 to 1945
During these Night School sessions, instructors will discuss the most common issues in assessing, maintaining, and where needed, repairing masonry cladding systems constructed in North America between the 1880 and 1945. Specific sessions will address:
Session 1 | October 27 | 7pm:
Review of Common Masonry Materials
Session 2 | November 3 | 7pm
Masonry Systems
Session 3 | November 10 | 7pm
Planning & Conducting a Transitional Masonry Building Investigation
Session 4 | November 17 | 7pm
Testing & Analysis
Session 5 | December 2 | 7pm
Rehabilitation Options for Transitional Masonry
Session 6 | December 8 | 7pm
Implementation of Rehabilitation Project for Transitional Masonry
Session 7 - December 15 | 7pm
Developing a Maintenance Plan for Existing Masonry
Contact UMI to learn more about being sponsored to attend these classes!
The Masonry Education Hub provides training sessions on a variety of masonry topics including masonry basics, inspection, testing, codes and standards, and strength design of masonry.
Users can earn and track educational hours (AIA LUs, CEUs, and PDHs) for the 40+ available on-demand courses. Many are free to TMS Members.
Article highlights potential changes in new masonry code
STRUCTURE MAGAZINE
The next edition of the Masonry Society’s TMS 402/602, Building Code Requirements and Specifications for Masonry Structures, is due to be published in 2022. Some of the anticipated changes are reviewed in this article, including some things that designers can use now.
NYC considers performance-based energy code
URBAN GREEN COUNCIL
The NYC Department of Buildings is piloting a 100 percent performance-based version of the NYC Energy Conservation Code through a pilot study conducted in partnership with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. New buildings with one or more of the following occupancy types are eligible to participate: office, retail, multifamily and schools. To learn more, check out the program description and FAQs.
SUSTAINABILITY NEWS
Burning communities call for building changes
CONSTRUCT CONNECT (Canada)
The products are out there to make buildings more fire resilient, say product manufacturers, but it means moving away from low-ball building solutions and making code changes. Canada’s insurance sector is pushing for change as it shoulders burgeoning claim costs such as the $3.7 billion in the Fort McMurray wildfire. Andrea McChesney, executive director of the Canadian Concrete Masonry Producers Association (CCMPA) said her organization continues to lobby for building code changes that use concrete masonry products over wood to make buildings more fire-resistant. The CCMPA has advocated what it calls balanced design, a four-legged chair that promotes education on fire prevention and safety, detection, suppression (i.e., sprinklers) and containment through fire resistant, non-combustible masonry walls. Read more.
Net-zero buildings: Where do we stand?
WBCSD
The building industry is responsible for 38% of all energy-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. To reach net-zero, we need to understand the full carbon footprint of buildings. World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) has published a report with whole life carbon assessment of six building projects to evaluate where we stand in relation to global climate targets. The report points way we can cut our emissions from global construction in half by 2030 - with measurement and clear targets. Learn more here.
Recycled glass made into aggregate for concrete block
CONCRETE PRODUCTS
AeroAggregates, a producer of low-density, foamed glass aggregates, has begun building a facility in Dunnellon, Florida, that will transform post-consumer recycled glass into a graded material for concrete block mixes. Read more here.
Concrete construction "offsets around one half" of carbonate emissions from cement industr says IPCC
Dezeen
Around half of the carbonate emissions from cement production are reabsorbed by the material when used in buildings and infrastructure, according to the latest IPCC climate report.
The "cement carbonation sink" absorbs an estimated 200 million tonnes of carbon every year, according to an overlooked section of the report published earlier this month ahead of the Cop26 climate conference. Read article here
