It is hard to believe February is already here. Upstate Masonry Institute has hit the ground running with new initiatives, education and promotion of masonry.
We are building our network and continue to expand our reach. Whether you are designing new construction, have a question on existing structures or just want to get involved – we are your leading resource.
Onward and upward,
Amanda Bedian
Director
EDUCATION OPTIONS
A variety of continuing education to build better buildings using Masonry.
Upstate Masonry Institute has teamed up with Masonry Institute of Michigan to offer valuable education to help assist in the design of building better buildings.
While these webinars are open to anyone interested in learning about these specific topics, UMI has the means and methods to deliver courses customized to your needs.
Please reach out with any topics you our your firm would be interested in learning about.
This Energy presentation will demonstrate how all single wythe CMU masonry walls can meet the current energy code with either prescriptive or trade-off options. A “new” Guide for Single Wythe CMU Walls Meeting the Energy Code will be introduced and presented.
Finalizing other webinars for March and April - Stay Tuned!
TMS NIGHT SCHOOL
John Hochwalt and Richard Bennett, Members of the TMS 402/602 Committee and authors of Strength Design of Masonry, will present TMS's Strength Design of Masonry Night School started February 3rd, and continuing each Wednesday at 7 pm ET until the final session on March 10th. This is an excellent opportunity to lean from the experts and to ask questions on masonry design and detailing. Attendees can earn 1 AIA LU/1 PDH/0.10 CEU for each session (you can attend 1 session, several or all). Click here for additional information or to register.
PRE-RECORDED
CONTINUING ED.
For Designers:
International Masonry Institute pre recorded and current webinar schedule can be found HERE.
The National Concrete Masonry Association (NCMA) offers webinars - HERE.
For BAC Contractors:
International Masonry Institute pre recorded and current webinar schedule can be found HERE.
Mason Contractors Association of America(MCAA) offers on-demand education HERE
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The Masonry Society (TMS) has begun development of a Masonry Education Hub & Learning Management System to allow designers, professors, students and other users to obtain on-demand masonry education.
Your hosts Phil Ledent, Executive Director of Masonry Institute of Michigan and Amanda Bedian, Director of Upstate Masonry Institute (New York) talk with industry experts and get candid about the sometimes frustrating, always educational and certainly challenging aspects of building better buildings using masonry.
THREE episodes published!
Meet your hosts
Resiliency with Jason Thompson
Sustainability with Christine Subasic
LISTEN ON:
Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Spotify & masonryprinciples.com
National Concrete Masonry Association created their own podcast!
Tune in to hear from industry leaders, technical experts, and the next generation in their Young Professionals Group. Join NCMA for Just* Mason Around.
Updates to storm shelter and high-wind residential design standards published
NCMA
New versions of both ICC 500, Standard for the Design and Construction of Storm Shelters, and ICC 600, Standard for Residential Construction in High-Wind Regions, were recently published by the International Code Council. Both standards are referenced in the I-codes (including the International Building Code). The updated ICC 600 includes a completely updated chapter on masonry design that accounts for changes that are reflected in recent building codes. NCMA staff were active in efforts to update these documents.
EuLA Science-Industry Roundtable on mortar
EULA
European Lime industry Association (EuLA) Science-Industry Roundtable on New Eurocode 6 is hosting a series of online conferences. A recording of their second in the series, and the first ‘special session’, on Mortar – Masonry Bond can be accessed here.
What we can learn from the IECC 2021 Energy Code
BUILDING ENCLOSURE ONLINE
(tiered subscription)
Here’s what we can learn from the IECC 2021 energy code, which includes the proposals for the code and setbacks.
Call for ideas on resilience programs
USGBC
Share your insights and proposals for USGBC and GBCI resilience programs. This call for ideas provides a platform for stakeholders to share their thoughts and insights about how programs offered by USGBC and GBCI can achieve the goals of resilient buildings, cities and communities.
SUSTAINABILITY NEWS
2021 Product Development and Creative Concepts Forum submissions now open
NCMA.ORG
NCMA’s Product Development and Creative Concepts (PDCC) Forum is now accepting submissions. The PDCC recognizes and advances the development of new and innovative concrete masonry products, methods of production, and block, SRW, and manufactured stone designs and systems integration within the concrete masonry and concrete hardscape industries.
Locking carbon dioxide into concrete is a cool idea
BLOOMBERG.COM
The cement industry is responsible for about 8% of annual emissions of carbon dioxide. That provides an opportunity because it means cement is a big, fat target for technological progress. Global Cement Magazine has been highlighting new technologies for reducing the amount of carbon dioxide in cement and concrete. Many of these were featured in their April issue, and more are discussed in the recently released December issue. Read more.
Firm designs dorm with hollow concrete block
DEZEEN
Zero Energy Design Lab has designed a girls' dormitory with hollow concrete block for the St. Andrews Institute of Technology and Management in Gurugram, India. "The building unfolds as a series of multidimensional spaces, arranged in a hierarchical order through the method of adaptive layering," said Sachin Rastogi, founder of the Zero Energy Design Lab in this article.
Progress made on carbon-capture project in Canada
DAILY COMMERCIAL NEWS (Ontario)
A Lafarge Canada cement facility in Richmond, British Columbia, now has the ability to capture and filter carbon dioxide from flue gas. The company, along with Svante and Total, have completed the second phase of a project to develop the world's first full-cycle solution to capture and reuse C02 from a cement plant. Read more here.
PCA to establish carbon neutrality roadmap
CONCRETE PRODUCTS
The Portland Cement Association is facilitating the development of a carbon neutrality road map to help producers achieve carbon neutrality across the concrete value chain in the next 30 years. The goal is to produce the document by the end of next year.
