Continuing Education Opportunity for the Practical Structural Engineer:

3 Consecutive THURSDAYS:

SEPT 24: Wood-Frame Shear Wall and Diaphragm Design 

OCT 1: Top 10 Ways to Save Money on your Masonry Project

OCT 8: Good, Bad, Ugly of Drawing Detail

This webinar series is your opportunity to learn from three practicing experts who will share their firsthand experience and insights via comprehensive presentations.

Can't make the LIVE presentations? REGISTER to receive the webinar recordings.

Only live-presentation attendees receive PDH credits.

SEPTEMBER 24, 2026 | Noon - 1:00 P.M. ET:

Wood-Frame Shear Wall and Diaphragm Design

Presenter: Patrick Duffy, PE

New England Regional Director - Woodworks - Wood Products Council

PRESENTATION OVERVIEW:

This course is intended for structural engineers and building designers seeking an overview of design steps, considerations and detailing best practices related to the wind- and seismic-resistive design of wood-frame diaphragms.

It provides an overview of relevant International Building Code (IBC) provisions and American Wood Council (AWC)-referenced standards, a discussion of common design errors, and guidance related to load path continuity.

Discussion will cover diaphragm load paths, chords, collectors and openings. Design examples will be used to illustrate key principles and code provisions. 

Patrick will be offering Part 2 - Shear Walls via Zoom webinar at a later date and will add the invite to the chat during the presentation. Part 2 covers shear wall components, construction options, overturning restraint systems, and detailing considerations. 

OCTOBER 1, 2026 | Noon - 1:00 p.m. ET:

Top 10 Ways to Save Money on Your Masonry Project 
Presenter: Phil Ledent
Executive Director | Masonry Institute of Michigan 

PRESENTATION OVERVIEW:

Loadbearing masonry construction is an economical solution for projects and is used widely across the U.S. This presentation will discuss several common structural design details and assumptions that have a major impact on cost and schedule of projects, and in some cases will negatively affect sustainability goals. This presentation will include actual cost case studies and recommendations for alterative designs and details to help promote economical designs of masonry structures. TMS 402 code provisions will be reviewed and applied to actual projects and conditions to help further the understanding of masonry design.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

• Review and understand common typical/generic structural masonry details and how they affect cost and schedule.
• Understand minimum TMS 402 code requirements as they relate to the design of masonry walls.
• Understand how increasing grout and reinforcement spacing can help meet sustainability goals.
• Review and understand masonry general notes with an emphasis on common areas of conflict between drawings and specifications.

OCTOBER 8, 2026 | Noon - 1:00 p.m. ET:

Good, Bad, Ugly of Drawing Detail

Presenter: Matthew Kawczenski, PE, SE, F.SEI

Technical Sales Engineer, Northeast US | Lindapter International

Register for the full series OR individual events

Can't make the LIVE presentation? Register to receive the webinar recordings.

Only "live" attendees receive PDH credits.

Patrick Duffy, PE | New England Regional Director

Woodworks - Wood Products Council

Patrick is a licensed Professional Engineer in Maine. He began his engineering career working on the design of light-frame and panelized light-frame wood construction on residential, commercial, and memory care facilities in New England and throughout the southeast.

Most recently, he has gained architecture and engineering design experience on government contracts for facilities across the northeast, including projects in RI, PA, NH, and ME. Patrick aims to share his passion for wood design with project teams and owners, helping to bridge knowledge gaps and turn the desire to build with mass timber into a reality. He has a BS in Civil /Structural Engineering from Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston, MA, and served six years in the US Army Reserves.

Phil Ledent | Executive Director 
Masonry Institute of Michigan

Phil is the executive director of the Masonry Institute of Michigan where he provides technical support to the A/E/C community. Phil also started Ledent Design Solutions in 2025 where he provides delegated design and design assist services supporting masonry projects throughout the Midwest.

Phil has taught structural masonry design at several universities, and he serves on the board of directors for The Masonry Society and as the secretary for the TMS 402/602 code. Phil lives in Lansing, Michigan with his wife, Emily, and their two sons, Jaime and Julien.

Matthew Kawczenski, PE, SE, F.SEI
Technical Sales Engineer | Lindapter International 



Matt is Lindapter’s Technical Sales Engineer Northeast United States. He is a highly accomplished structural sales engineer with an impressive track record with 20 years of getting hands dirty in supervisory, project management, and technical design positions.

He has comprehensive knowledge of design standards and codes for out of the box solutions to steel connections, facade designs, and resolving a wide variety of contractor/erector/fabricator issues and questions. Matt used his experience to guide Lindapter specifiers in solving problems while getting them in the proper solution. Matt completed his Masters in Civil Engineering at Villanova University and his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering at Bucknell University.

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