Masonry Construction articles from July 2004

Masonry Construction archives from July 2004

More than just work: we base our selection not on the building's beauty, but on how the mason contractor helped achieve the project's design.(editor's note)(Editorial)
July 1, 2004... Everyone remembers that first summer job. Some probably labored for a parent as soon as they were able to carry a brick. Others may have begun their work lives as lifeguards, fast food counter clerks, or mowing lawns. If fortunate, these summer...

Hanson acquires Athens Brick.(brickbats)
July 1, 2004... Hanson PLC, an international building materials company, has acquired Athens Brick Co. Inc. from Texas Industries for $40.4 million. Athens makes facing brick used in residential and commercial construction from two plants in Texas and one in...

Brock White celebrates 50th anniversary.(brickbats)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Brock White Co. LLC recently celebrated its 50th anniversary with customers and vendors at its Minneapolis/St. Paul headquarters and branches in Duluth, Rochester, and St. Cloud, Minn.; Bismarck and Fargo, N.D.; Green Bay, Wis.; and Winnipeg,...

Masonry Variations wins PRISM award.(brickbats)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... The Stone Curtain portion of the Masonry Variations exhibit at the National Building Museum, Washington, D.C., received the 2004 "PRISM Stone in Architecture Grand Prize." The award honors outstanding examples of architectural achievement in...

Michigan Masonry Institute picks project winners.(brickbats)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... The Masonry Institute of Michigan Inc and the AIA Michigan recently selected seven state architectural projects as recipients of their "Excellence in Masonry Design Awards." To qualify, the project must utilize masonry as the primary building...

Justice prevails.(Showcase: project of the year)
July 1, 2004... The masonry contract for the Hall of Justice, Lansing, Mich., involved placing 14,000 limestone panels within an aggressive timeline, choreographing 300 truckloads of stone with the work of other trades, and customizing mini-cranes that could...

Steel joist connection to masonry walls.(details)
July 1, 2004... All walls must be braced laterally to resist wind loads. They are commonly braced by floor or roof systems constructed with steel joists. The steel joists (and metal decking) act as a diaphragm to brace the wall against wind loads. Columns,...

Do reveals cause problems?(troubleshooting)
July 1, 2004... Q Many architects use recessed brick courses to create a reveal in masonry walls. I have heard that reveals increase water penetration into the masonry veneer. Is this situation typically a problem? A Recessing a brick course to form a...

Reason for stains.(troubleshooting)
July 1, 2004... Q We built a large wood frame residence with a brick veneer just outside of Philadelphia. The exterior wall is brick veneer with generally less than a 1-inch cavity, building wrap, OSB sheathing, 2 x 4 studs with batt insulation, 6-mil poly...

Best institutional building/college.
July 1, 2004... Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Management at Rice University Houston, Texas The most amazing aspect of this project is that every stone, brick, and piece of brick was calculated, drawn, and erected to be in a specific...

Best institutional building/school.
July 1, 2004... Orlando, Fla. Colonial High School Thousands of teenagers and almost 50 years of use created a need for a replacement high school. The facility had to withstand the hot, humid climate of central Florida while being efficient to...

Best institutional building/government.(Smith Precision Masonry)
July 1, 2004... Dubuque, Iowa Mississippi River National Education & Conference Center Over 400 tons of native limestone was used in the structure, which was designed to match the surrounding Mississippi River bluffs. The building features 44...

Best historic restoration.(Green Hall)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Kingston, R.I. Green Hall University of Rhode Island Green Hall, a Georgian Revival building which is listed in the National Historic Register as part of the university's historic quad, is recognized as the University of Rhode...

Best institutional building/religious.(New Dimension Masonry Inc.)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... San Diego, Calif. Congregation Beth Israel The challenge in designing this 65,000 square foot facility was to serve both current and future needs, while providing a link to the past, a 1926 structure with a domed sanctuary and...

Best high-rise.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Austin, Texas Texas Association of Counties Office Building Scheduling and site challenges were a constant battle during the construction of this downtown Austin office complex that houses membership and training programs for...

Best multi-family.(Salvucci Masonry Company Inc.)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Cambridge, Mass. MIT Graduate Dormitory The planning phase where strategy, design, and constructability were discussed proved to be the critical element in the successful completion of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology...

Best residential building.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... French Chateau This 10,000 square foot private residence is designed in the style of a French chateau using Marley Tudor brick and Indiana limestone. Leonard Masonry, who was also the contractor on last year's best residence, spent...

Best fireplace.(Adam Buckwald Company Inc.)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Lakewood, N.J. Buckwald Residence A personal dream of building a double spiral chimney combined with walks on the streets of Manhattan and admiring the brickwork of old buildings provided the inspirations for this winning entry....

Best commercial building.(construction industry)
July 1, 2004... Dallas, Texas Nasher Sculpture Center This 55,000-square foot building in downtown Dallas houses a world-renowned sculpture collection on two levels divided into five equal sections. Each of the six wall lines incorporate Roman...

Best repair/rehabilitation building.(hotel Selkirk)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Hotel Selkirk Edmonton, Alberta, Canada The original Hotel Selkirk stood in downtown Edmonton for over 50 years before being destroyed by fire in the 1960s. Partial drawings, historic photographs, and examination of contemporary...

Take me out to the ballgame ... and see the new brick wall: a Chicago contractor hits a home run at historic Wrigley Field.(brick)
July 1, 2004... Wrigley Field--home of the Chicago Cubs--is one of baseball's treasures. From the ivy gracing the brick outfield wall, to the organ serenading the fans, to the original scoreboard still turned by hand, the park is loaded with character and...

Work platform maneuvers in confined spaces.(new products)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... The Falcon 125 is a self-propelled boom lift work platform with four-wheel drive VAC adapter for indoor jobs. The lift offers a 360-degree range of motion, a working height up to 41 feet, and a horizontal outreach up to 21 feet. The operator...

Stain remover cleans numerous materials.(new products)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Pour-N-Restore concrete and masonry stain remover treats motor oil, grease, hydraulic/transmission fluid, antifreeze, tar, wax, vegetable oil, and other substances. The product penetrates deep into concrete and masonry, where it locks onto...

Catalog presents 3000 hand tools.(new products)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... A 92-page catalog incorporating about 3000 products features construction hand tools and accessories specifically for concrete and masonry tradesmen. New products include a line of masonry trowels with a special soft-textured grip. A...

Wall vent ensures proper drainage.(new products)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Driwall masonry wall vents provide a path at each weep to ensure that the entire surface has ventilation and drainage, even if a mortar bridge occurs at each brick course. The vertical wall vents disconnect the horizontal mortar bridge and...

Skidsteer specializes in digging and grading.(new products)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... The SK160 skidsteer has a turbocharged diesel engine rated at 56 hp. A high-flow option boosts hydraulic capacity to 27 gpm for enhanced attachment versatility. A radius lift path is designed for jobs in which digging and grading are a higher...

Coating protects various surfaces.(new products)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Uni-Tex is a high-build, 100% acrylic architectural texture coating system that delivers long-term waterproofing and impact resistance over various types of brick, concrete, and other surfaces. Its stucco-like finish forms a protective barrier...

Veneer looks like natural stone.(new products)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Dufferin Stone is a masonry veneer that delivers the look of natural stone, both in color and texture. Suitable for interior or exterior applications, the product can be used as a full exterior cladding or as an accent. It installs much like...

Telehandlers include new controls.(new products)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... The TH220B and TH330B telehandlers feature electronically controlled engines for responsive performance and enhanced fuel economy. New controls provide easier operation, more work tools and options, and extended service intervals (compared to...

Sprayer uses four pump speeds.(new products)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... The ProPack SRS-540 backpack sprayer includes a four-gallon polyethylene tank and is powered by a rechargeable 12-V battery. It eliminates the need for manual pumping and has enough power to spray as much as 120 gallons on a single charge. A...

Brochure displays saws and blades.(new products)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... A new brochure features materials for cutting applications, including angle grinder blades and wheels, circular saw blades, high-speed cutoff saw blades, tile/masonry saw blades, walk-behind wet and dry blades, and wet/dry core drill bits. A...

Grout available in 45 colors.(new products)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... SpectraLock grout is as easy to use as a portland grout, but offers the performance of an epoxy formulation. It provides a high degree of color accuracy and uniformity, stain resistance, and durability. It hardens fast and is ready to handle...

Engines feature redesigned cylinder block.(new products)
July 1, 2004... Available for the first time in North America, the 1100 series Electropak engines offer increased productivity. Engineering changes include a fundamental redesign of the cylinder block to create an advanced open-top-deck structure that reduces...

Safety: an asset to improve our bottom line.(Masonry News Contractor Tip)
July 1, 2004... How much are you spending annual]y on OSHA fines, lost-time workdays, & Workers Compensation? Would starting a company wide safety program & giving your employees an additional incentive check actually save you money? Take a look at what it has...

System combines insulation and mortar control.(new products)
July 1, 2004... The Weep Guard extruded polystyrene insulation system combines rigid foam with a mortar control device to reduce labor costs by increasing installation efficiency. It is used as the bottom course in a masonry cavity wall application and has a...

Patcher used for tuckpointing, repairing, and setting.(new products)
July 1, 2004... Vinyl concrete patcher is used indoors or outdoors to make thin repairs of spalled, cracked, or pitted concrete floors, drive-ways, sidewalks, steps, or other horizontal concrete surfaces. It can also be used for tuckpointing, patching stucco,...

Skidsteer tracks include steel traction cleats.(new products)
July 1, 2004... Z-Track MS Skidsteer traces have hammer-forged steel traction cleats that offer a high degree of wear resistance. The cleats are self-cleaning and give exceptional machine control. The tracks also provide a smoother ride and reduced operator...

System lifts heavy loads quickly.(the mason's toolbag)
July 1, 2004... The Mark II-HLP dual mast-climbing scaffold system has a lift platform that boasts the highest speed/load combination on the market, and uses a minimum number of pieces and optimal configuration technology. The 7-foot x 24-foot platform has a...

Decks combine aluminum and plywood.(the mason's toolbag)
July 1, 2004... A line of scaffolding decks consists of a high-strength, lightweight aluminum frame and a 1/2-inch plywood deck with protected edges. Each deck has heavy-duty aluminum hooks (offset hooks allow continuous runs) and safety latches, and the deck...

Platform handles jobs high and low.(the mason's toolbag)
July 1, 2004... The FRSTM 20 K mast-climbing work platform provides quick, easy setup and is suitable for both low-rise and high-rise jobs. It offers a lift capacity of 10,000 pounds and a lifting speed of 8 feet per minute. It reaches 48 feet of length in a...

Lifter provides positive load grip.(the mason's toolbag)
July 1, 2004... The Scaffold Lifter makes handling easier by providing positive load grip almost anywhere along the hydraulic scaffolding system. The easy to operate product gives users increased safety and saves time and money on setup, repositioning, and...

Twin-mast machine lifts nearly 10,000 pounds.(the mason's toolbag)
July 1, 2004... The MS 5000 is a heavy-duty, twin-mast machine. The basic unit is 30-feet long and is mounted to a 4-wheel chassis. The platform can be extended to as long as 60 feet by attaching a series of 5-foot decks to the main platform. The chassis...

Elevating platform works 12-foot walls.(the mason's toolbag)
July 1, 2004... The V.I.P. Series provides elevating scaffolding at an affordable price. Suitable for use on 12-foot high walls as long as 100 feet, the product is quick and easy to set up. The scaffold weighs only 65 pounds and can be moved by hand or in a...

Wood planks meet or exceed current standards.(the mason's toolbag)
July 1, 2004... GripStrip planks for the company's frame scaffold are constructed of dense, industrial 65 solid, sawn wood, and stamped to indicate that they meet or exceed OSHA and ANSI standards. They are treated with an advanced waterproofing end sealer...

If it's not in writing, it didn't happen.(laws governing contracts)
July 1, 2004... Are these the five truths of construction? Every set of plans is perfect. Every project is over budget. Every project is too slow. No change ordes are legitimate. The contractor is always wrong. No, but it often seems...