It’s hard to believe that 2021 is coming to an end. As we close out this year, I can't help but wonder what 2022 has in store for us. Although this past year has had its ups and downs, we can hope for growth, both personally and professionally. While COVID has affected us all in ways I don't think we knew were possible, the silver lining has been that from neighbor to neighbor, person to person, we have formed a mutual understanding that we are all in this together; and that is what can keep us moving onward and upward.
As we tie up loose ends for 2021 and head into 2022 Upstate Masonry Institute will continue our mission to advocate, educate and promote masonry in the A/E/C community. As a resource, we look forward to the opportunities ahead.
Here is to a bright New Year and a farewell to the last; here is to things that are yet to come and to the memories that we hold. I hope to see more of you in 2022!
Happy Holidays,
Amanda Bedian
Director, Upstate Masonry Institute
EDUCATION CENTER
The Masonry Society Presents:
Allowable Stress Design
Night School Webinar Series
This 6-session webinar series will introduce Allowable Stress Design (ASD) of Masonry, review code requirements, and examine designs of common masonry elements including, beams, walls, columns, and pilasters. Presenters will discuss design methodology as well as design for flexure, axial loads, and in-plane loads. The series will conclude with a review of requirements for reinforcement and connectors and detailing masonry effectively.
Allowable Stress Design of Masonry Night School is an excellent way to learn allowable stress design procedures.
***Attendees should have a basic familiarity with masonry***
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.
IMI provides free continuing education for architects, engineers, and interior designers to help you deliver high-performing projects and to inspire you to design with masonry.
IMI is a registered AIA Continuing Education Provider. We offer a number of training opportunities to help you maintain your professional licensure and stay up-to-date on the latest in the industry.
Modern building enclosures require sophisticated skill sets that are taught through IMTEF and IMI training programs. Hundreds of architectural and engineering firms require these programs in the project specifications to ensure the highest possible quality construction.
EleMasonry is an innovative software package for designing of a variety of masonry building elements. The software can be used to develop code-compliant designs for walls, columns, beams, and pilasters. This seminar will review the features of this software, with focus on how the software can aid designers in completing design work quickly, efficiently, and in accordance with current building codes. Engineers, designers, code officials, and more will want to engage in this informational seminar.
Our latest episode is out! We interview Amy Baker of Amy Baker Architect out of Michigan. She shares with us, tips and trick to designing with masonry, one of her favorite projects to work on and how she became a fan of masonry.
Don't miss this episode! Listen wherever you play podcasts Google | Apple | Spotify | masonryprinciples.com
Major companies, cities make low-carbon materials pledge
CANARY MEDIA
A globe-spanning coalition of major companies including Airbus, Amazon, Boeing and Cemex joined a partnership of West Coast municipalities in the US and Canada pledging to pursue the use of more low- and zero-carbon building materials and industrial products. The two initiatives announced at the COP26 climate conference aim "to pull emerging technologies into the marketplace," such as those producing less-carbon-intensive steel, concrete and fuels. Read more.
New LEED Addenda published
USGBC
The October 2021 quarterly LEED rating system and reference guide addenda is now available. Of note is a new Pilot Credit on carbon sequestration through planting trees and shrubs on the project site. A number of changes were also made to specific requirements in the LEED for Homes rating system.
Updated ASCE 7 standard published
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CIVIL ENGINEERS
The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) has updated its ASCE 7 Standard, Minimum Design Loads and Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures, to include criteria for tornado-resistant design, new models to obtain accurate snow loads, and a multipoint seismic spectrum for certain soft-soil sites. Read more here.
SUSTAINABILITY NEWS
The case for never demolishing another building
THE GUARDIAN
The construction industry can be wasteful and creates huge CO2 emissions. But what if new buildings had to be adapted and reused or built only with materials already available? What if we stopped knocking things down? What if every existing building had to be preserved, adapted, and reused, and new buildings could only use materials that were already available? Could we continue to make and remake our cities out of what is already there? Read more here.
How green is your grid?
BUILDING ENCLOSURE ONLINE
As the building design and construction industry continues to advance low-carbon solutions that tackle both operational and embodied carbon, a looming challenge remains: our national electrical grid still emits a lot carbon into the atmosphere. Read more.
Structural engineers and the climate crisis – Reducing embodied carbon through the SE2050 Commitment
STRUCTURE MAGAZINE
In response to the scientific consensus that man-made emissions are driving warming global temperatures and other climate changes already causing havoc worldwide, the structural engineering community has created a voluntary program called the SE 2050 Commitment. The SE 2050 Commitment is designed to reduce the emissions associated with building structures. This article shares details about the program, what’s driving it, its overall goals, and how structural engineers can participate.
WHY MASONRY
Phil Ledent, Executive Director of Masonry Institute of Michigan is doing a phenomenal job assisting firms by value engineering projects in Michigan. He brings a vast knowledge of masonry and a background in engineering to the planning table which enables a seamless transition from another material to the superior, resilient, cost effective material, MASONRY!
Read his latest blog articles with examples of how and why masonry is a more superior material to build with.
Link to additional resources to assist in your masonry design - CLICK HERE
MASONRY EXPOSURE INITIATIVE
We are breaking down barriers and continuing to open students eyes to the opportunities available in construction, specifically, masonry.
Our latest training was at the WSWHE BOCES - Saratoga Springs Location where we spent one week with the students introducing them to the world of masonry. They learned the fundamentals of brick and block work each day and we ended the week with a fastest trowel competition.
It takes a village to orchestrate this type of off premise training, and wouldn't have been possible without the help our masonry community partners.
