OUR SPONSORS
Lehigh Northeast Cement Company
Join us at our annual
Holiday Meeting
December 9, 2009
Holiday Inn Boxborough
For more information and to register:
A Word from the Board
There’s an old saying that in a breakfast of bacon & eggs the chicken is involved, but the pig is committed. Are you involved in the concrete masonry and hardscape industry or committed to it? At this challenging time in our history there is a significant need for more commitment, not just involvement. There are any number of ways you can demonstrate your commitment to the growth and success of our industry.
Now more than ever, the wisdom and concerted, coordinated efforts of the many far out weigh the efforts of anyone of us. Working together to promote concrete masonry and hardscape solutions through membership in the New England Concrete Masonry Association just makes good financial sense. Join now and help us help your business grow.
Another project underway that could use your commitment is VISION 2020. This effort to inform community planners and officials of the benefits of concrete masonry and hardscape products is a new and innovative program launched by the National Concrete Masonry Association in cooperation with the Mason Contractors Association of America. (See story below on how you can support this unique partnership with very little effort)
NECMA to Host Build Boston Sessions
This year’s Build Boston, being held November 18 – 20 at the Seaport World Trade Center, will feature a pair of sessions sponsored by NECMA:
Loadbearing Masonry’s Bottom Line
Daniel Zechmeister
Executive Director, Masonry Institute of Michigan
Wednesday, November 18, 3:30 to 5:00 (session #A73)
This presentation will compare two masonry exterior wall systems for condensation potential and initial construction cost. The two wall systems consist of: 1) a structural steel frame with masonry veneer and metal stud infill, and 2) a multi-wythe masonry wall with masonry veneer and a loadbearing concrete masonry wythe. The metal stud infill will consider three insulation strategies; 1) batt insulation, 2) batt insulation and rigid insulation, and 3) rigid insulation. The multi-wythe masonry wall will consider only rigid insulation. The bottom line will be presented for both systems with respect to cost and schedule.
The New Chapter 5&6 Requirements for Height and Area and Construction Type in the Massachusetts Building Code 7th Edition
Walter Adams, Principal,
WBA Associates
Thursday, November 19, 3:30 to 5:00 (session # B64)
This is an overview the Mass Building Code 7th ed. requirements for compliance with the height and area limitations and construction type provisions of the code. The workshop will introduce the many modified and new provisions of the 7th ed., including the new height and area limitations table, new provisions for calculating height and area modifications, the new way buildings are classified as to construction type, and the new provisions that allow a building with two different constructions types. What qualifies as a mezzanine, the classification of Heavy Timber type mill buildings, unlimited area buildings, and exterior wall rating requirements based on fire separation distance will also be covered.
(NOTE: This session is co-sponsored by the New England / New York Fire Safety Construction Advisory Council)
Join in this opportunity as nationally and internationally recognized industry leaders team up with the Northeast’s best to share their expertise in over 200 workshops, sessions, symposiums and tours at the 25th annual Build Boston. The professional development program focuses on a range of issues that are timely and of special interest to the building industry including energy, building technology, firm management and profitability, urban design, preservation, interior design and more. Build Boston also features the largest design and construction industry exhibit hall in the Northeast. Visit more than 300 booths filled with the nation’s leading suppliers of building technologies, products and services while getting a glimpse at new products being debuted at the show.
For more information, go to www.buildboston.com.
Engineer Education Day Included New Design Software Demonstration
In cooperation with the Structural Engineers Association of Massachusetts (SEAMass) and the New England Concrete Masonry Association (NECMA), the International Masonry Institute (IMI) and A. Jandris & Sons Co. recently sponsored an education day for engineers throughout New England. Attendees gathered at the Doubletree Hotel in Waltham for an overview of new design software available from the Bentley Structural Group. The RAM Structural System and RAM Advanse software facilitate easier and faster engineering design of both load-bearing and hybrid masonry buildings. David Eckrore, P.E. from Bentley demonstrated design of both single masonry walls and a complete building using this innovative new software solution.
Following the education session, attendees were transported to the A. Jandris & Sons concrete masonry unit (CMU) production facilities in Gardner, MA. Upon arrival they were taken on a tour of the block plant led by Dana Morse, President of A. Jandris & Sons to see how CMUs are produced in this state-of-the-art facility. Jandris produces a full line of CMUs including split-face, ground-face, standard masonry units and segmental retaining wall units. Concrete masonry units, which use local materials, are manufactured throughout New England.
“Based upon their questions during the block plant tour and the seminar, the engineers in attendance certainly learned a good deal about products they work with on a regular basis,” commented Steve Bolognese, IMI Regional Director. “Working with the new structural masonry design software for concrete masonry units and actually seeing the product produced locally, makes quite a difference in your understanding of the real world applications of it.”
Building Officials Updated on Fireplace & Chimney Construction
Once a staple of our industry, fireplace and chimney block sales have steadily declined over the past decade. Surprisingly though, the interest in them by building officials and the need for education about proper construction techniques and code requirements has been a continuing one. At their 43rd New England Municipal Building Officials annual education conference attendees heard from Brian Trimble, Senior Director, Engineering Services & Architectural Outreach for the Brick Industry Association. Mr. Trimble’s presentation on code requirements and construction detail recommendations was well received and very interactive with many questions and real-world situations discussed with those in attendance.
PCA/NECSA Sustainability Workshop Provides Industry Much Needed Education
The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) program is intricate, involves voluminous reporting requirements and continues to evolve. Sometimes it seems meeting the targets set by it can be like trying to hit a moving target at 1,000 yards… in the dark …. . with a pea shooter! Thanks to the education program recently hosted by the PCA/Northeast Cement Shippers Association the accuracy with which attendees from our industry hit the mark should be much improved in the future. More than 50 representatives from the masonry, precast and ready-mix industries attended this session in Suffern, NY and heard industry segment-specific presentations dealing with their products and the LEED program. Included in the day-long series of presentations were the insights of Tracie Hall, Executive Director of the New York Upstate Chapter of the USGBC (United States Green Building Council). Her focus on the overall purpose of the LEED program helped the audience better understand the higher purpose of LEED: Its not about the points, its about designing & constructing better buildings.
Nick Carparelli, Executive Director of the New York State Concrete Masonry Association represented the masonry perspective on this day. He made an interesting analogy that I thought some of our members might find useful. Nick talked about his family’s history in the concrete and block industry and about the history of block making. In the early 1900’s individuals used hand-operated block machines to produce one block at a time. They used local materials that they could transport to their plant (or home/garage as was more likely the case) in the trucks available at that time. Many used cinders from local coal burning plants as a raw material (hence the term “cinderblocks”). And then, because transportation capabilities were limited, these essentially hand-made blocks were delivered to local projects and/or distributors (such as Sears Roebuck). This all sounded like a nice, “homey” story until the relationship to the current LEED program became clear. These blocks could have potentially helped to earn 3 LEED credits had the progam existed then. The raw materials were sourced locally, they included recycled materials, and the projects built from the blocks used construction materials acquired within 500 miles of the project. Truly, concrete blocks have been green since day one!
Architects Learn About LEED & Concrete Masonry at IMI Event
More than 100 architects, engineers and building officials attended the Masonry Day Educational Conference and Trade Show sponsored by the International Masonry Institute in cooperation with the AIA-Rhode Island Chapter on October 29th in Providence. They heard the latest on “New Details with Masonry Construction and LEED 2009 Version 3.0” from Richard Filloramo, IMI Area Director, Market Development and Technical Services, New England Region – Connecticut / Rhode Island Office. In addition, attendees were able to visit with more than 30 exhibitors, including NECMA, to see the latest in LEED-related products and sustainable construction systems. These types of events are important to our overall marketing activities and IMI has a history of doing a great job of putting them on and inviting us to participate in them.
NECMA Continues Consulting Work for VISION 2020
VISION 2020 is a grassroots effort that will promote masonry to cities, counties and municipalities across the United States and Canada by explaining the advantages of building with masonry products. This effort was born through a cooperative effort between the National Concrete Masonry Association (NCMA) and the Mason Contractors Association of America (MCAA). In 2008 the two groups recognized that identifying areas of common interest on which they can work together made sense as they launched efforts to recover lost market share.
The focus of the VISION 2020 program will be to share a long-term vision with communities as they look to their future needs. Ann Wolter, a consultant for MasonrySystems.org, a website created to serve as a unified source for information on masonry describes the program; “We need to understand the challenges that our communities face and focus our efforts on the true, long-term owners of buildings; municipalities, school districts, and state, local, and federal governments. No one has a greater stake in the quality of what’s built in our communities than the communities themselves” she continues. “Masonry and masonry guidelines add value, beauty, durability, safety and tax-base stability.”
VISION 2020 also has a goal of uniting the masonry industry. Over the years it has become fragmented. People see brick, block, stone, marble and granite as separate products. What will be presented through this marketing program are wall systems, regardless of the product. The expectation is that in the long run the entire industry will benefit.
NECMA is playing a key role in the development of this program. The plan is to create “toolkits” to be utilized by local teams in their educational efforts in their communities. In the past several months more than 675 industry representatives have been contacted and asked to supply information about their most effective marketing materials. If you are one of them, please take a moment to respond to the email. If you were not and feel you have something to contribute please contact Dave Dimmick.
There exists a wealth of information and marketing materials that has been developed over the years by the wide array of promotional organizations in the masonry industry. The challenge is to identify and centralized access to this wealth of materials and this is where the association will play an essential role. Efforts to collect and catalog this information to facilitate access by the local teams as they develop are now underway. This is a large undertaking and input is welcome from anyone who may wish to share their expertise or marketing materials
New Membership Options Available from NECMA
In our continuing efforts to serve the concrete masonry and hardscapes industries NECMA has launched two new membership categories. Key to both of these memberships is our effort to keep designers and installers informed, educated, and supplied with materials that provide them the opportunity to see our products in use in the real world.
The Professional membership is designed for architects and other professionals involved in the design and specification of concrete masonry and hardscape products (Professional Member application). Our Hardscape Installer membership is for contractors involved in the design & installation of segmental retaining walls and pavers (Hardscape Installer application).
In addition to these new membership opportunities, NECMA continues our WEB Partner offering through our members’ support. This unique program offers organizations a web-presence even if they do not have a website. NECMA offers both design and hosting services through our members. For more information on this program ask one of our Producer Members or email NECMA Headquarters.
To subscribe to the electronic version of NECMA News e-newsletter click here and email your name, company & address to NECMA Headquarters.