This course provides an overview of resilient design and discusses how resilient design is and is not covered by building codes and standards. The role of masonry construction in meeting resilient design goals is explained, and the inherent properties of masonry that make it resilient are described.…
This course reviews US fire statistics, the Balanced Fire Safety Design concept and the role that passive masonry firewalls play in it. Examples of how today’s building codes have eroded the Balanced Design Concept are shared to provide a better understanding of the crucial role fail-safe, passive masonry fire walls play in today’s fire safety designs.
The perpetual evolution of design and construction requirements adopted by building codes presents an ongoing challenge to designers and code officials as they strive to keep pace with these changes. In response, the National Concrete Masonry Association developed and released the Direct Design Software as a simple, intuitive resource to quickly generate code-compliant designs of structural masonry buildings.…
Most designers who engineer reinforced masonry know that code provisions for lap splice lengths have been evolving over the past few code editions. A newer confinement-steel option is available that has the potential to significantly reduce the lap splice lengths, especially for larger diameter bars, through confinement of the structural reinforcement.…
The latest version of LEED for new construction, LEED v4.1 Building Design and Construction (BD+C), was released in early 2019. This version is an update to LEED v4, rather than a complete rewrite of the rating system. Several of the credits found in LEED v4 proved difficult to achieve or beyond the market’s capabilities.…
This lesson provides an overview of why special inspection of masonry is required, what needs to be inspected, and how often inspection is typically provided based on requirements in various codes, standards, and guides. Basic special inspection requirements for various masonry tasks are reviewed, and expectations on a special inspector are discussed.…
Proper testing of masonry products is essential to ensure that materials meet project requirements. There are many mistakes that can be made during product testing, and most of these mistakes can lead to jobs being delayed or stopped, and usually require costly follow-up to determine if there are problems with the resulting construction.…
Special inspection is increasingly being required on structural masonry construction projects, and it will likely become commonplace in the coming years. Minimum requirements for Special Inspection and Quality Assurance of masonry recently were updated and modified in TMS 402/602-16. This lesson will overview special inspection, review changes, and highlight key inspection tasks.…
Achieving energy code compliance is becoming increasingly more difficult using the code prescriptive methods. Whole building analysis is one alternative method that will produce more cost effective designs for exterior masonry assemblies. This lesson provides an overview of energy code provisions, reviews energy studies performed utilizing whole building analysis, and provides recommendations for cost effective energy efficient solutions for energy efficient exterior masonry wall designs.…
The TMS 402/602-16 (formerly designated as TMS 402/ACI 530/ASCE 5 and TMS 602/ASCE 530.1/ASCE 6) has been released and adopted by the 2018 edition of the International Building Code and International Residential Code for the design and construction of structural masonry, masonry veneer, and glass unit masonry.…
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