Masonry Construction articles from February 2003

Masonry Construction archives from February 2003

Qualifying workmanship. (editor's note).(Editorial)
February 1, 2003... It's a sign of the times when some of our industry's most influential experts need to expend their efforts to create written documents to describe what workmanship means. There was a time when proper vocational and journeyman training and...

Question of the month. (brickbats).
February 1, 2003... ASTM subcommittee C15.05 with Jerry Painter as chairman is about to finish a very difficult project. They are in the ballot and review stage in drafting the Standard Practice for Unit Masonry Workmanship. When finished they will have created a...

ACI names new executive vice president. (brickbats).(American Concrete Institutes appoints William R. Tolley)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... William R. Tolley, a 27-year veteran at the American Concrete Institute, has been appointed executive vice president of the organization. He most recently served as senior managing director of operations and services. "I am honored to be...

Ergonomics Awareness Program meets Federal criteria. (brickbats).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... In order to comply with proposed Federal OSHA regulations, masonry contractors and masonry material producers must initiate an ergonomics awareness program for their employees. The program must address the "hazard and caution zones" mentioned...

The Jefferson Hotel Richmond, Virginia. (project of the year).
February 1, 2003... When the Jefferson Hotel was designed in 1895, incorporating a motor court wasn't a consideration. More than a century later, the Richmond, Va., hotel has added a grand entry featuring a six-car porte-cochere in the ornate, neoclassical style...

Pride and joy. (top of the bearing wall).(Company Profile)
February 1, 2003... To Kenny Boschen, vice president of Boschen Masonry Inc., Ashland Va., projects such as his company's work on the Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, Va., are their "pride and joy." Additions and renovations that integrate smoothly into the historic...

Pay your bills before they are due. (Masonry News Contractor Tip).
February 1, 2003... Is it better to wait full term to pay your bills, to squeeze a few more days out of paying a vendor, maybe earn a little more interest on your money? Or is it better to bite the bullet and pay your bills even before they are due? At Lang...

New York State Education Building Albany, New York. (best historic restoration co-winner).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The masonry restoration of the south, west, and portions of the east elevations of the Education Building included structural and cleaning of the exterior facade and columns, repairs to the portico walkway, and removal of bird The building...

Fort Mackinac Mackinac Island, Michigan. (best historic restoration co-winner).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Fort Mackinac was built in the 1780s by the British during the Revolutionary War, and today stands as one of Michigan's most treasured historic resources and a premier tourist attraction. The ravages of its 220-year life necessitated a...

The Cable Center Denver, Colorado. (best institutional building/college).
February 1, 2003... The Cable Center is an educational, training, and research institution for the cable and telecommunications industries located on the University of Denver campus but not part of the college system. Stone on the interior and exterior played an...

McClurg Dining Hall Sewanee, Tennessee. (best institutional building/college).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Brazos Masonry's stone setters chiseled and shaped 22 columns made from arched sandstone quarried and milled on the University of the South campus. Each column built out of CMU and surrounded with the sandstone starts in the interior and goes...

Bertrand H. Snell Hall Potsdam, New York. (best institutional building/college).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The 92,000-square foot Clarkson University academic building's exterior consists of over 120,000 utility brick with a field color and two accent colors and limestone faux columns, sills, caps, fasciae, and accent pieces with metal stud backup....

Rhode Island Public Transit Authority Providence, Rhode Island. (best institutional building/government).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The $20 million, 95,000-square foot expansion of the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority compressed natural gas maintenance facility retains the look and feel of the old trolley barn that once sat on the site by preserving various elevation...

Yates County Courthouse Penn Yan, New York. (best institutional building/government).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The courthouse was designed with a 19th century appearance while using innovative structural elements of the 21st century. The facade features solid and cored brick, architectural precast stone, ground face concrete block, and reinforced...

Wiester Residence Murrysville, Pennsylvania. (best fireplace).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The stone fireplace at this private residence was a joint effort between masonry contractor Calvin M. Gongaware and owner Wayne Wiester, who wanted a design that would complement the room's furnishings while showcasing his animal trophies. The...

St. Mary Cathedral Lafayette, Indiana. (best institutional building/church).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The original plan for St. Mary Cathedral was a simple painting and redecorating for the 135-year-old brick masonry, limestone, and wood structure. However, the planning committee soon realized that more space was needed for various church...

123 Luckie Lofts Atlanta, Georgia. (best multi-family).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... This two-building complex in the historic district occupies diagonal corners of a city block connected by a central courtyard. The six-story structures built over two levels of underground parking contain 49 residential units and street level...

The Hallmark of Creve Coeur Creve Coeur, Missouri. (best multi-family).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... This 281-unit, 6-level (plus a garage), 317,700-square foot facility provides independent and assisted living for seniors. Masonry was selected as a key component in the project because it creates a sense of permanence and stability for the...

Brazos River Authority Waco, Texas. (best commercial building).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... This project started out with a great hurdle to overcome--the owner's dream for the building didn't match his bank account. The original design called for cut limestone and very little chopped stone. Brazos Masonry showed the owner that it...

Community Association Underwriters of America Bucks County, Pennsylvania. (best commercial building).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... This two-story building is a combination of natural stone and brick veneer. The stone was mixed and matched to a perfect combination of color and texture typical of older structures in the area. The facades incorporate brick veneer and stucco...

Westminster Canterbury Virginia Beach, Virginia. (best high-rise).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... This structure with five lower levels for parking and 11 floors of condos for senior living sits at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay where it feeds into the Atlantic Ocean. The exterior has heavily reinforced/grouted 8-inch CMU walls placed on...

Providence Academy Plymouth, Minnesota. (best institutional building/school).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Providence Academy's new home uses colonial Georgian design fundamentals to create a 100-year-old look. Unlike most projects, the planning started with the materials. Brick color, texture, scale, availability, character, cost, and quality were...

Brooks Crossing Elementary School South Brunswick, New Jersey. (best institutional building/school).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The school is steel framed brick veneer on concrete block exterior walls. Interior walls are also concrete block. The exterior uses a series of specially shaped brick arches with a concealed steel lintel support system over the entrance...

French Country Home LaDue, Missouri. (best residential building).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... The owners of this 10,000+-square foot residence wanted to achieve the feel of a French cottage in a new home that looked 100 years old. Old-world stone and stucco achieved this effect. Leonard Masonry meticulously blended Eden, Landon, and...

Lakeside Residence Horseshoe Bay, Texas. (best residential building).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2003... Locally mined stone materials were selected for their warmth, connection to the land, general aesthetic appeal, and environmentally friendly attributes. The "landscape wall" built of solid masonry shields the view of the house from the street...

Inspecting Masonry walls. (troubleshooting).
February 1, 2003... Q The MSJC 1999 Code requires the inspection of masonry walls. How much inspection is required? A The allowable values for masonry permitted by the Code only apply if the quality of the completed masonry meets or exceeds the requirements...

Conspec. (Grouts: materials to help you anchor, fill, and level).
February 1, 2003... Enduro 50 grout is specially designed for damp pack to fluid applications and is recommended for column bases, tie holes, anchor bolts, and more. The product is a blend of portland cement and natural aggregates with cementitious expansive...

Tamms Industries Inc. (Grouts: materials to help you anchor, fill, and level).
February 1, 2003... Rapid Rock fast-setting pourable grout is a high-strength gray hydraulic cement compound ideal for anchoring applications. The grout has controlled expansion and no shrinkage and achieves strengths of over 5000 psi in 1 hour and 8000 psi at the...

Micor Co. Inc. (Grouts: materials to help you anchor, fill, and level).
February 1, 2003... Micorox grouts are fast-setting, 100% solids epoxy systems that yield exceptionally high strength and need minimal surface preparation. Installation is quick and trouble-free--in most cases, machines can be reset without removal by just raising...

Fox Industries Inc. (Grouts: materials to help you anchor, fill, and level).
February 1, 2003... Foxpack 1200 is a 100% solids epoxy resin and specially selected aggregate system. The flowable, self-leveling grout is used in applications where heavy loads, impact, torque, and other operating stresses occur. Pre-measured proportions allow...

Nox-Crete products group. (Grouts: materials to help you anchor, fill, and level).
February 1, 2003... Precision grout fills voids in blocks and is used as a bedding material underneath precast panels, beams, and columns. This unique blend of cements combined with special mineral aggregates is formulated to compensate for shrinkage to allow...

Product line eliminates mold and fungus. (new products).
February 1, 2003... The Healthy Walls line of products eliminates the growth of household mold and other types of fungus on wood, concrete, masonry, stucco, and gypsum. These retardants are warranted to reduce or eliminate mold and other fungi for a minimum of 5...

Scissor lift includes extended deck. (new products).
February 1, 2003... The LX31 scissor lift features an extra-long Supa-Deck so that contractors have more room for handling and/or installing large cladding sheets or other bulky construction materials. It provides more than 23 feet of internal length via twin deck...

Foam insulation handles commercial, residential. (new products).
February 1, 2003... Incylthane premium spray foam insulation is a two-component system designed for both commercial and residential use. Available in three densities (0.5-pound, 1.7-pound, and 2-pound), the foam provides a healthy, safe, long-lasting,...

Dust barrier protects work areas. (new products).
February 1, 2003... Protect finished masonry projects with this unique system that saves time and money by screening off work areas on jobs that may otherwise have been turned down because of dust-control costs and time required to install other equipment. One...

Rebar splicer offers added versatility. (new products).
February 1, 2003... Male/female coupler and male coupler/anchor combinations increase the versatility of the Xtender HRC 500 Series for rebar splicing. The system creates a splice that exceeds the capacity, stress and strain, tension, and cyclic loading of any...

Advanced Building Products Inc. (Flashings).
February 1, 2003... Cop-R-Cote laminated through-wall flashing has three layers of waterproofing material combined into a single, full sheet of copper that provides complete resistance to acid and alkali to ensure permanent moisture protection. Coated with a...

Hyload Inc. (Flashings).
February 1, 2003... This surface-adhered membrane with or without a drip edge is used in all flashing applications. Both products feature a 25-mil-thick polymer-composite top membrane and a 15-mil-thick rubberized adhesive backing. The former membrane extends 1...

Ultraseal waterproofing & seal. (Flashings).
February 1, 2003... The 3750 MTO bridge deck membrane protects structures from damage caused by moisture infiltration. This hot-applied waterproofing/roofing compound consists of a specially selected blend of refined asphalt, synthetic rubbers, and inert mineral...

Wire-bond. (Flashings).
February 1, 2003... Copper Aqua-Flash is a composite flexible flashing with a layer of polyester film bonded to a solid sheet of soft-tempered copper bonded to 32 mils of a highly adhesive SBS-modified bitumen (rubberized asphalt) with a removable silicone-coated...

Lennel Specialties Corp. (Flashings).
February 1, 2003... Jamflash provides a simple and cost-effective method for providing a primary waterproofing barrier and air dam at the jambs and heads of openings in exterior cavity walls. The product is a semirigid flashing fabricated from water-resistant...

Low bid is not enough: ever been low bid and didn't get the job? Follow these ten tips to win more profitable work. (lookout).
February 1, 2003... Bidding many jobs is not enough to guarantee a steady flow of profitable work in today's competitive construction business. Successful general contractors and subcontractors have learned that their bids are only one step in the sales cycle. ...