Preparations for the 14th North American Masonry Conference (14NAMC), which will be held June 11-14, 2023, in Omaha, Nebraska continues at a rapid pace, and as reviewers complete their work, a first round of Student Competition winners have been announced. Additional student competitions are forthcoming. Registration for the conference will open later this month, and in the coming days, authors will receive reviews back on their proposed papers for consideration and revision. Over 100 papers have been received for the Conference and they will serve as a strong technical core for the conference along with keynote presentations, innovative learning sessions, and student competitions.

As the technical program and content is being considered, a number of enjoyable social events are also being prepared for the 200 plus expected attendees. Information on the conference is posted at masonrysociety.org/14namc/ and registration and event information will be posted in January.

Sponsorship for the conference is offered and includes limited opportunities to sponsor events, items, and to offer innovative learning sessions. Note that many sponsorship opportunities are available on a first come, first served basis. If you plan to financially support the conference, do so soon to select those items or events that connect with your support.

Prior to the NAMC, TMS will be meeting in Omaha on June 9-11, hosting it's business meetings including the meetings of most of its Committees. A preliminary schedule is posted here. Watch the website for schedule updates and for registration information in the coming days.

We hope to see you there!

The American Concrete Institute (ACI) and The Masonry Society (TMS) are opening public comment periods for two new proposed standards developed by their Energy Efficiency of Concrete and Masonry Systems Joint Committee, ACI/TMS Committee 122:

In accordance with the rules of ACI and TMS, proposed standards are open for public comment for a period of not less than 45 days. As such, the comment period is scheduled from February 4, 2023 through March 21, 2023. To review the draft standards, and to submit comments, see

https://www.concrete.org/publications/standards/upcomingstandards.aspx

Comments from the public that are received will be consider by the Committee at their April 3rd meeting (see ACI's Meeting Schedule for details).

The draft standards are posted here on the ACI website with instructions on how to submit comments to discussion@concrete.org.

Dr. Richard Bennett, University of Tennessee, with assistance of TMS Executive Director, Phillip Samblanet, will present an overview of the 2022 TMS 402/602 Building Code Requirements and Specification for Masonry Structures at the upcoming Structures Congress in New Orleans, Louisiana, on May 5. Major changes in these standards, including the complete rewriting of the veneer provisions, the introduction of compression-controlled sections in strength design, anchor bolt recalibration to be based on the ultimate strength of steel, and the addition of an appendix on masonry reinforced with GFRP (Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer) bars, will be discussed. As time permits, the speakers will also note changes to the masonry design provisions in the 2024 International Building Code.

If you would like a presentation considered for any or all of these opportunities, please complete the Presentation Submission Form, noting your preferred venue in the description, and your preferred length (if different than above). For Structures Congress presentation proposals, you can omit

For these presentation opportunities, the presentations must technical, rather than promotional (see options for promotional webinars here), and should be of interest to those wishing to learn more about the design, construction, evaluation, or repair of masonry. A selection committee will consider proposals and will notify accepted presenters this spring or summer.

Started more than a dozen years ago, the Sustainability E-News will feature 24 issues again in 2023 with a distribution directly to over 4,000 with widespread sharing by others. Considering the large distribution, the open rates typically exceed industry averages. Please consider sponsoring this valuable and widely read resource.

Sponsors are recognized in every issue as well as on the website for the electronic newsletter with both a logo and a link.

Established in 1995 to honor the memory of James L. Noland, the Noland Fellowship is awarded every four years to a graduate student who is doing research on masonry. This research can be in materials, structures, architecture, or construction and must be performed under the direction of a member of The Masonry Society. The current value of the award is $3,000 US.

The Masonry Society (TMS) is now accepting applications for the 2023 James L. Noland Student Fellowship until April 16, 2023 (see Rules for applicant requirements). The most recent Noland Student Scholarship was awarded at the 13th North American Masonry Conference (NAMC) in May 2019. The next award will be presented in Omaha, Nebraska, June 11 – 14, 2023, at the 14th NAMC.

The Masonry Society depends on our membership to help us meet our mission of advancing the knowledge of masonry. The fastest and easiest way to renew is to login here, where you can also order publications at Member discounts, and take advantage of other membership benefits. We express our thanks to our 2022 Members, and look forward to working with our 2023 Members to accomplish more great things in the coming year!

David Sommer, who serves as a Director on TMS's Board and as Chair of the Design Practices Committee, has been promoted to Associate Principal at Degenkolb Engineering in Seattle.