Masonry Construction articles from January 2003

Masonry Construction archives from January 2003

Looking good. (editor's note).(appreciation for books on tape)(masonry labor-saving devices )(Editorial)
January 1, 2003... My daughter won't stand next to me anymore as I check out materials at our local library. She just turned 14, and the slightest chance of standing next to a very "uncool" father is enough to cause her to go to the end of the longest checkout...

How big is your lintel? (question of the month).(structural beams)(difference bricks and blocks)
January 1, 2003... MASONRY CONSTRUCTION recently received a message from Mark Daniels, who is the architectural representative for Buehner Block Company in Salt Lake City. His block plant recently supplied units to the newly constructed Tooele swimming pool near...

Bourbon open a BIA tradition for 54 years. (brickbats).(Bourbon Open Golf Tournament)(Brick Industry Association)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... The Bourbon Open Golf Tournament has been a cornerstone of the Brick Industry Association's Region 6 annual meeting since 1948. Gary Davis, keeper of the tournament rules and history, said that the tournament got its distinctive name when a...

CSDA creates a new web site. (brickbats).(Concrete Sawing and Drilling Association)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... The Concrete Sawing and Drilling Association (CSDA) has launched a new Web site designed to greatly improve collaboration and communication between the association and its 475 national and international members, prospective members, architects,...

Reader's forum. (brickbats).(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2003... I read MASONRY CONSTRUCTION magazine's September editorial, "The Same but only Different," and feel that many people are getting "off base" on the lessons of 9/11 with respect to the World Trade Center construction. I have a few thoughts on the...

Florida Association forms foundation. (brickbats).(Masonry Association of Florida)(Apprentice and Education Foundation)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... The Masonry Association of Florida (MAF), with support from the Florida concrete block producers, has formed the Apprentice and Education Foundation to organize, direct, and maintain a strong apprentice system for the state's masonry trade. The...

Brick Industry has strong year. (brickbats).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... The Brick Industry Association (BIA) reported that the nation's manufacturers produced and shipped about 8 million brick in 2001. About 84% of the brick were used for residential construction. "The numbers show that consumers continue to...

Construction equipment sales decline in 2002; expect slight upturn in 2003. (brickbats).(Brief Article)(Industry Overview)
January 1, 2003... In an annual forecast of construction machinery makers conducted by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) results predicted overall business in the United States will decline 5.6% in 2002 compared with the previous year and will...

The nature of masonry. (showcase).(Alexander Dawson School)(award winning project)
January 1, 2003... A wanderer in the vast Nevada desert comes upon yet another rock formation, a mass of craggy geometric shapes limned in the gentle hues that express eons of sedimentation. But perhaps our wanderer feels the effects of the scorching sun, for the...

Innovation rooted in tradition: blending the old and the new brings Leonard Masonry financial and artistic success. (top of the bearing wall).(Leonard Masonry Inc.)(Company Profile)
January 1, 2003... Leonard Masonry is the kind of company that nurtures stone carvers and other skilled craftsmen trained in the old-world tradition while at the same time using the latest equipment and practices to progress into the ranks of the nation's top...

Masonry news contractor tip. (top of the bearing wall).
January 1, 2003... Using large mixers keeps your job moving! Have you studied how much time your employees stand around and wait on mortar? If so, you may be amazed at what you would find! I'll bet your employees are consistently waiting on mortar the first...

World of Masonry preview: show and conference will provide immediate access to the latest products, equipment, technology, and information needed to increase productivity and profitability. (World of Masonry).
January 1, 2003... Las Vegas -- the country's most exciting city--will soon host the country's most exciting, informative, and largest annual commercial construction show. The World of Masonry/World of Concrete is expected to attract about 60,000 professionals...

Small forklift moves and installs door and window lintels. (Product Preview).
January 1, 2003... The Block Hog forklift fits through a standard 36-inch door and features fully invertible forks for lifting, moving, and installing lintels for doorways and windows. The walk-behind vehicle has a 1500-pound lift capacity, an 8-foot 6-inch mast...

Paint system applied to inorganic surfaces. (Product Preview).
January 1, 2003... Silacote mineral silicate paint system is applied on inorganic substrates such as concrete, masonry, and other cementitious substances. The fully tintable, water-based, chemically adhered, inorganic paint is noncombustible, nontoxic,...

Smaller silo holds 3000 pounds. (Product Preview).
January 1, 2003... The Load N Go silo system serves contractors who do smaller jobs and/or use smaller telehandlers or forklifts. The system requires a lifting apparatus that can raise a 3000-pound bag 10 feet in the air for silo loading. Each bag is filled with...

Bit features center pointed carbide head. (Product Preview).
January 1, 2003... The Deltagon bit has a one-piece carbide head that helps achieve a close to perfect round hole and smooth, easy centering. The product drills through steel plate 1/16 inch thick, and the triple cutting edge reduces sticking when hitting rebar....

Scaffold planks meet OSHA standard. (Product Preview).
January 1, 2003... The D165 Southern yellow pine scaffold plank is precision mitered on all four corners, rodded at each end to reduce end splits, continuously branded on both edges to show OSHA standard conformance, and proof loaded. Each plank has 1-inch-wide...

Hammer drills incorporate L.E.D. light. (World of Masonry).
January 1, 2003... Models HP2050F and HP2051F 3/4-inch hammer drills include a high-output L.E.D. light to improve the operator's view of the work piece. The drills feature a positive stop mode selector that prevents accidental mode disengagement and a two-mode...

Scaffold system travels to indoor and outdoor jobs. (World of Masonry).
January 1, 2003... The multifunction scaffold system is a mobile platform that travels on 5-inch caster wheels to indoor and outdoor applications. The scaffold is easy to install and provides a safe and secure work surface. Frame extensions, guardrails, and...

Blade combines three functions into one. (World of Masonry).
January 1, 2003... The Super Blade has ultra-high mixed turbo segments, a specially designed core, a high cutting speed, and a long life. The product combines three blade functions into one. * Matrix Diamond Tools, 23142 Alcalde Drive #B, Laguna Hills, CA...

Most innovative products contest. (World of Masonry).
January 1, 2003... The finalists for the first-annual World of Masonry/World of Concrete "Most Innovative Products Contest" have been selected. It's now time for the readers of MASONRY CONSTRUCTION magazine and attendees at the Las Vegas show to choose the...

System provides seismic reinforcement. (World of Masonry).
January 1, 2003... The Seistec reinforcing anchor system is used for retrofit seismic upgrading or seismic repair of structures made of brick, stone, terra cotta, adobe, or timber. The system internally strengthens the integrity of wall-to-wall, wall-to-roof, and...

Rotary hammer drills provide extended service life. (World of Masonry).
January 1, 2003... The TE 6-S and TE 6-C (shown) rotary hammer drills feature a quick-release chuck and deliver up to 50% longer life than previous company models. The TE 6-S does precision specialty drilling of brittle and delicate materials at full speed while...

Fork attachment does double duty. (World of Masonry).
January 1, 2003... A recently introduced fork attachment for skid-steer loaders features block forks (cubing forks) capable of handling banded brick or concrete block in an expanded mode or moved closer together to function like any other pallet forks. Slotted...

Brick-sized soap receptacle serves outside needs. (World of Masonry).
January 1, 2003... The Lava-Brick outside soap receptacle was recently redesigned and is now constructed from a high-strength and heavy-duty aluminum alloy with a stainless steel rotational pin and a no-touch magnetic close. The product is the same size as a...

Mortar box slows setup time. (World of Masonry).
January 1, 2003... The 22-inch-wide Mortar Box specifically slows down mortar setup time and takes up less room on scaffolding or work platforms. The box has base legs with square openings that allow it to be raised and transported around the jobsite by forklift...

Seven hammers added to line. (World of Masonry).
January 1, 2003... This company recently welcomed seven new hammers to its product line. The new products joining the already extensive line are two 1 9/16-inch SDS-max combination hammers, two 1 9/16-inch spline combination hammers, two SDS-max demolition...

Working under cover: several materials and methods for enclosing scaffolds and work platforms are available. (worker protection).
January 1, 2003... The phrase "undercover work" doesn't bring to mind images of a private detective in a fedora sleuthing in and out of the dark for the masonry contractor. Instead, these jobsite veterans see images of bricklayers and block layers on scaffolds or...

Switching to metal stud backups: changing from a brick veneer and concrete block backup exterior wall to a brick veneer and metal stud requires a system redesign. (exterior walls).
January 1, 2003... In many cases, an original architectural design will call for a brick veneer and concrete block backup exterior wall system. Later, due to an economic or construction management decision, the original design is changed to a brick veneer and...

The drainage wall. (brick tips).
January 1, 2003... Brick on buildings--whether residential, commercial, or institutional--is almost always built as brick veneer, which is "a single wythe of masonry for facing purposes, not structurally bonded." In theory, brickwork on any building carries only...

Most innovative products: cast your vote online or at the World of Masonry. (innovative products).
January 1, 2003... World of Masonry is the place where industry professionals meet to learn about the most innovative technologies that manufacturers have to offer. Every year a select few exhibitors display products that rise above the crowd and promise to make...

Saw blades: new marking system lists blades' specific application. (the mason's toolbag).
January 1, 2003... The Concrete Sawing & Drilling Association is in the process of implementing its new CSDA Standard Blade Application Code, designed to eliminate the confusion among the various blade coding systems used by manufacturers. The standard...

Are walls water damaged? (troubleshooting).
January 1, 2003... Q Our firm designed an insulated masonry cavity wall system using 4-inch split-face concrete masonry veneer with an 8-inch reinforced concrete masonry backup. The veneer wythe contained an integral water-repellent admixture in both the concrete...

Meeting the grade. (troubleshooting).(water saturation standards for brick)
January 1, 2003... Q I received a test report from a brick manufacturer on a unit with an average saturation coefficient of 0.83. The average maximum water absorption by 5-hour boiling was 11%. However, the manufacturer certified that these brick units met ASTM C...

Anti-graffiti coatings: ASTM standard practice determines products' cleanability level. (product focus).
January 1, 2003... Graffiti on buildings and other structures is an ongoing and increasing problem. A number of coatings have been developed and advertised as resisting the application of graffiti or easily removing graffiti from the surface. Coating products are...

Dumond Chemicals Inc. (Anti-Graffiti Products).
January 1, 2003... Protect brick, concrete, stucco, copper, brass, wood, plastic, and other building materials with the SC-101 sacrificial barrier coating that is removed with the graffiti before it has a chance to penetrate and permanently mar the surface. This...

Professional Products of Kansas Inc. (Anti-Graffiti Products).
January 1, 2003... Water Sealant and Anti-Graffitiant is a dual-purpose, silicone rubber-based, inorganic sealant that provides invisible non-sacrificial protection from graffiti and water damage. The product penetrates new and existing substrates and fills pores...

Rainguard International Products Co. (Anti-Graffiti Products).
January 1, 2003... Vandl Guard permanent, non-sacrificial coating protects a variety of interior and exterior vertical surfaces from permanent graffiti staining and damage caused by most spray paints and marking pens. Suitable for use on dense masonry, porous...

Prosoco Inc. (Anti-Graffiti Products).
January 1, 2003... Sure Klean Weather Seal Blok-Guard and Graffiti Control is a clear, solvent-based silicone elastomer formulated to weatherproof concrete block and other porous masonry materials and protect their surfaces from repeated graffiti attacks without...

Every time: aim at nothing and hit it. (lookout).(construction industry management strategies)
January 1, 2003... Most companies, managers, project teams, and field crews do not have a clue when they hit a home run at the jobsite. Employees are told to "do your best" or "work as hard as you can" but are not given specific milestones to shoot for. Most...