2011 Building Code Requirements and Specification for Masonry Structures (TMS 402-11 & TMS 602-11)

TMS Annual Meeting A Smashing Success
Members Honored during Awards Luncheon
 

The Masonry Society's 2011 Annual Meeting, which was held on November 10-15 in San Antonio, Texas helped advance a number of TMS projects, provided excellent educational opportunities for attendees and a beautiful and comfortable venue for the attendees. Many thanks to all who attended the meetings, made presentations, and sponsored the meetings. Your contributions led to a very successful meeting! A short report on some of the main actions from the meetings can be viewed by clicking here. During the Awards Luncheon, TMS recognized a number of volunteers for their past service and presented a number of awards. Outgoing Board Members, Committee Chairs, and Members of the Administrative Committee Team and Technical Activities Committee were recognized for their contributions as well. In addition, the following Awards were presented: Honorary Membership J. Gregg Borchelt President's Award: Christine Subasic Haller Award: Edwin T. Huston Scalzi Research Award Jason M. Ingham Service Awards: Richard M. Bennett   Thomas C. Young Clayford T. Grimm, PE Student Scholarship Sarah Ebright Outstanding PhD. Dissertation Awards: Dziugas Reneckis   Alistair Russell Outstanding Masters Thesis Award: Kawsar Ahmed Outstanding Administrative Professional Award Phillip J. Samblanet

Above, Gregg Borchelt (on right) is acknowledged as an Honorary Member of TMS, by TMS President John Chrysler. Below, Christine Subasic is presented with the 2011 President's Award. As shown on the left, many other awards were presented at TMS's Annual Meeting in San Antonio. Click the links to the left to read about these awards and to see additional photographs from the meetings.

TMS Prepares to Move its Office in February

The lease for TMS's office space is expiring, and to reduce expenditures while providing a better work environment for TMS Staff, The Masonry Society will be moving its offices approximately 10 miles northeast of its current location. Address information and phone numbers will be forwarded to members and associates in January prior to the move. but until that time, TMS's current contact information remains accurate.

TMS Assists with Updating ICC Structural Masonry Special Inspection Examination
ICC delays update of Exam to 2012 IBC until July

As previously reported, TMS will be hosting its Spring 2012 Meetings in Chicago Illinois from March 28-31 in a hotel near the 2012 Structures Congress. A preliminary schedule of meetings is available here. TMS will also be supporting the Structures Congress by hosting two sessions, the first on Masonry Codes and the second on Evaluation and Repair of Existing Masonry. Attendees to TMS's Spring Meetings will be able to attend these sessions as part of their registration and will have access to the ASCE Structures Congress Exhibits on Thursday, March 28th.

As part of TMS's efforts to have a strong presence at the Structures Congress, we will have an exhibit table displaying many of TMS's publications and resources, and volunteers are needed to answer questions on the Society and to take orders for publications. Likewise, volunteers will also be needed to help with TMS registrations while staff is busy with duties at the Structures Congress and at TMS Meetings. If you can help support either of these efforts, please fill out the Volunteer Form here. Staff will be in contact with you later to confirm your availability based on needs.

TMS presents to nearly 100 USACE Engineers and Inspectors
 

At the request of the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Fort Worth District, The Masonry Society presented three, 2-day long seminars on masonry quality assurance and special inspection earlier this month in El Paso, Killeen and San Antonio. While the seminars were originally scheduled for 75 attendees, 98 attended the entire workshop and additional safety personal participated in portions of the seminars. The courses were rated very highly, and at least one attendee said the seminars were the best he had ever attended. USACE uses masonry frequently at Fort Bliss, Fort Hood, Lackland AFB, Fort Sam Houston, Fort Polk and other military facilities in Texas and Louisiana. It is critical to have these masonry facilities constructed properly, and these courses assisted in training Corps personnel on evaluating the acceptability of masonry construction as well as recommended inspection verifications that should take place on the jobsite. The Brick Institute of America, Mason Contractors Association of America and the National Concrete Masonry Association either donated materials for the seminars or permitted downloading and reproduction of their materials for the seminar binders.  If you are interested in having similar seminars conducted in your area, contact TMS at 303-939-9700.

Ad Space Available for TMS E-Newsletter
 

The Masonry Society is accepting applications for project funding through its Pilot Project Fund. TMS's Pilot Project fund began in 2008 as a result of TMS’s Strategic Planning Session where it was quickly realized that TMS Members had excellent ideas for new programs, projects and seminars, but that there were limited financial resources to start these projects. As a result, the Board of Directors approved a new “Pilot Project Fund” to support special projects that further the Society’s mission and offerings through direct contributions of donors. Grants of up to $3000 will be provided, with approval from the Executive Committee. For additional information on the Pilot Project Fund, or if you would like consideration of support for a project, click here

If you would like to make a tax deductable contribution to the Pilot Project Fund, or the Endowment Fund, simply send a check to TMS indicating how you would like your contributions to be used. TMS will then send a receipt that you can use for income tax purposes.
 

The Masonry Society is offering sponsorships for the popular  Sustainability E-Newsletter in 2012. If you are interested in sponsoring the E-Newsletter, contact, Susan Scheurer. Sponsorship levels for 2012 are as follows:

• Platinum Level: $1000 or more

• Gold Level: $500 to $999

• Silver Level: $250 to 499

• Bronze: $100 to $249

Sponsors will be recognized in each 2012 issue of the TMS Sustainability Newsletter by showing their logo in the appropriate sponsorship level listing. Website links will also be provided.

TMS distributes the TMS Sustainability E-Newsletter twice monthly to more than 1200 individuals, and numerous organizations forward the E-Newsletter to their members and clients and post it to their own websites. As such, this is an excellent, inexpensive way to promote your company and to show your support for the Sustainability E-Newsletter.
 

Professional
Ryan Christopher Barth, Monroe & Newell Engineers, Inc.
Denis A. Brosnan, Clemson University
Tomas A. Montemayor, Simpson Strong-Tie