The Masonry Society wishes you a happy Holiday Season! As we move towards the holidays, please be reminded that the office will be closed on November 28, November 29, December 25, and January 1. 

Enjoy the holidays, and thanks for your patience.

The Masonry Society held its 2019 Annual Meeting from November 6-9 in beautiful Scottsdale, Arizona. Over 100 individuals attended the meetings, and a great deal of business was conducted. Between the business meetings, excellent technical presentations were given, and a number of enjoyable, and memorable activities were held. 

During the Society's Awards Luncheon on November 7, leaders of the Board of Directors, Committee Chairs, and members of the Administrative Committee Team and the Technical Activities Committee were recognized and thanked for their service. In addition, the following special awards were presented:

• 2019 Master's Student Thesis Awards: 
• Sarah Elizabeth Jemison, Missouri University of Science and Technology
• Amir Rezaeivahdati, University of Saskatchewan 
   
• 2019 Ph.D Dissertation Awards:
  • Shady Hesham Abdel-Mohaimen Bakr Salem, McMaster University
  • Daniele Malomo, University of Pavia 
     
• John B. Scalzi Research Award: Michael Griffith, Ph.D. of University of Adelaide 
   
• Paul Haller Structural Design Award: Thomas A. Gangel, of Wallace Engineering - Structural Consultants, Inc. 
   
• Service Award: Kurt Siggard, Concrete Masonry Association of California and Nevada 

  	Fernando Fonseca (Left) receives the 2019 President's Award from Darrell, McMillan



• President's Award: Fernano Fonseca, Brigham Young University  
   
• Fellow Award:  Scott W. Walkowicz, Walkowicz Consulting Engineers

 

The Masonry Society is now accepting 2020 Dues Renewals through our E-Store. A letter regarding dues and some new Member benefits is posted here. As in the past, discounted subscriptions to several magazines are also being offered to renewing Members. Click here to renew your dues now (make sure to be logged into the site when doing so). If you need a paper copy of your dues notice, they will be sent out in early December to 2019 Members that have not renewed (it does, however, save us money and time if you can renew online before then).

Thanks for your support in 2019 and we are hopeful of accomplishing more great things with your help in 2020!

At the request of the industry, The Masonry Society's (TMS) Technical Activities Committee (TAC) and Board of Directors approved the creation of a new Segmental Retaining Wall (SRW) Committee, that is tasked with developing and maintaining consensus standard(s) addressing the design, construction, and quality assurance of these systems. Accordingly, the Society is seeking potential members for the new Committee. If you have interest in serving on this Committee click here. The  Mission, Goals, and activities of the Committee are shown here .

Recordings are now available for the The Masonry Society (TMS) 9-webinar series on Special Inspection of Structural Masonry.  Topics include:

• Introduction to Special Inspection, the 2018 IBC, and TMS 402/602, Phillip Samblanet
• Introduction to Masonry Units, John Chrysler
• Reinforcement and Connectors, Phillip Samblanet
• Mortar and Mortar Mixing, Jamie Farny
• Grout, Jamie Farny
• Basic Masonry Construction, John Chrysler
• Reinforcing and Grouting, Phillip Samblanet
• Hot and Cold Weather Construction, Jamie Farny
• Testing, John Chrysler 

Click here for additional information and to purchase the recordings.

Registration is now open for the  2020 Structures Congress that will be held in St. Louis. Missouri from April 5-8. The Masonry Society is again serving as a Cooperating organization for the Structures Congress, and will present the following session on Monday, April 6, 2020 from 1:30 until 3 pm.

Existing Masonry: Assessment and Repair

The Structures Congress is typically attended by more than 1200 engineers, exhibitors, and sponsors and includes dozens of sessions. We hope to see you there and we hope you will attend the TMS session!

Dr. Ahmad Hamid has released a Solution Manual for faculty teaching masonry using the new Masonry Structures: Behavior & Design. Solutions of selected problems from the 8 main design chapters are presented. This manual is for instructors who teach masonry courses at the undergraduate or graduate level. Design problems are solved using TMS 402-16 code provisions. Problems are selected to reflect understanding of major concepts of design of unreinforced and reinforced concrete and clay masonry walls.

This Solution Manual is provided as a complimentary pdf to educators using the book for their class when a letter is provided by the professor on University letterhead requesting it, and noting that it will not be distributed.

Click here to read more about Masonry Structures: Behavior & Design.

Click here to obtain information or to submit an application for the Executive Director position with the Northwest Concrete Masonry Association.

Paul Hoggatt has retired after serving  3 7 years as President of Hoggatt, Inc. and later Hoggatt LP. He was actively involved in many associations and within TMS he  served on the Board for and Chaired the Construction Practices Committee (2002-2009). In 2008 he received the TMS Service Award for his exceptional service to TMS in time of need. Andrew Hoggatt will take over as President of Haoggatt, LP and TMS Member, Mel Oller will continue as Vice President and Partner.

Vilas Mujumdar, FTMS, receive the Medal of Excellence in Engineering from the World Federation of Engineering Organizations (WFEO). This medal is the highest honor given to an individual by WFEO. Within TMS, Mujumdar served on the Board of Directors, TMS 402/602 Building Code Requirements and Specification for Masonry Structures Committee, the Technical Activities Committee, and the Research committee.

Trey Hamilton has joined the American Concrete Institute (ACI) as a Senior Engineer where he will provide technical and administrative support to ACI's technical committees and assist with the development of technical resources, educational programs, and the adoption of ACI's consensus-based standards. Hamilton has been a Member of TMS since 1996.


MO-based masonry contractor Grant Contracting recently was awarded The American Institute of Architects (AIA) St. Louis 2019 Design Award in the craftsmanship category for their work on the Stephen and Peter Sachs Museum at the Missouri Botanical Garden. The award is given to local firms for superior craftsmanship in the construction industry in a specific trade profession. The winning projects represent great skill, patience, and attention to detail of the craftsmen, who beautifully carry out the design intent of some of St. Louis's most expressive and complex building projects.

Member

Karin Deas, Contra Costa County

Ildesonso Gonzalez, DOTec Corporation

Darron Hayden., Hayden Consulting Engineers

Joshua Henry, TM Rippey Consulting Engineers

Jodi Henry, Jodi Collins, PE

Christine Jansen, Interwest Consulting Group

Kerwin Julien, Julien Engineering & Consulting, Inc.

Arthur Leon, Kiwi ii Construction

Dusit Roongsang

Peter von Buelow, University of Michigan

Nicholas Wentink, JQ Engineering, LLP

Steven Wilson, PACE Engineering

 

Student

Cidne Bernhardt, University of Wyoming

Abigayle Bush, University of Wyoming

Hayden Green, University of Wyoming

Caleb Pachel, University of Wyoming

Indira Pokhrel, Southern Illinois University

Alex Spieler, RPI

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