Masons and The Software Revolution

By Jennifer Morrell

Almost six years ago, when I first entered the world of masonry, I was highly impressed with the different types of software available to contractors and project managers. Then came the rounds of estimating software, which really changed the way contractors do business – right there on the jobsite. And then, the configuring was done on a laptop. Today, it’s more likely an iPad.

As of late, I’ve been blown away again by the software ingenuity in our industry. This time, it’s a little different. Not only are software companies staying atop their game, but also manufacturers are leaving their footprints. Super-sophisticated applications (apps) for mobile devices seem to be popping up everywhere. The creativity is amazing. From Holcim’s Weather App that tells masons if conditions are right to lay brick that day, to General Shale’s new app that allows users to browse product colors and sizes in brick, thin brick and pavers, and then email favorite selections or final cost calculations without leaving the app. The innovation is growing by leaps and bounds.

Of course, we have the big, tall, fat, imposing elephant in the room: Building Information Modeling (BIM). The old saying, “Get on board or get out of the way,” applies here. BIM is prevalent for architects and engineers who are designing buildings. But masonry is not currently an option as A&E look at different available wall systems. But that is about to change.

But that’s going to change. Thanks to six determined and dedicated funding organizations, masonry is knocking at the BIM door. The Mason Contractors Association ofAmerica (MCAA), the National Concrete Manufacturer’s Association (NCMA), the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers (BAC), Western States Clay Products Association, the International Masonry Institute (IMI) and The Masonry Society (TMS) have banded together to urge software developers to include masonry in BIM software. To do this, the groups are working with The Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), which is creating a “roadmap” that has just been completed. 

Masonry will update you on this roadmap in our May issue. Stay tuned. Technology is changing your world, like it or not. And, from what I’ve seen, there’s plenty to like about it. 

Jennifer Morrell is editor of Masonry Magazine.

Cronholm Earns Certified Masonry Contractor Credential

Josh Cronholm, VP of Ammex Masonry, has earned the Certified Masonry Contractor (CMC) credential from the Rocky Mountain Masonry Institute, a nonprofit trade association of more than 100 companies throughout Colorado, Wyoming, Montana and Idaho.

Principals and supervisory employees with at least five years of experience in masonry construction are eligible to enroll in the CMC credential program, which consists of 12 one- and two-day courses covering
every aspect of masonry design, construction, safety and management. Expert instructors have been recruited from the top ranks of the masonry research and industry community, including the Brick Industry Association, National Concrete Masonry Association and The Masonry Society.

Participants who attend all of the courses and pass the comprehensive examinations are awarded the designation of Certified Masonry Contractor. Certified Masonry Contractors are eligible to display the CMC logo on their business materials and are eligible to bid on projects that specify a certified masonry contractor.

Thomson Receives ASTM International Walter C. Voss Award

Margaret Thomson, Ph.D., new business development technical director at Lhoist North America in Fort Worth, Texas, has received the Walter C. Voss Award from ASTM International. The Voss Award is presented annually to an engineer or scientist who has made notable contributions in the field of building technology. 

Thomson was honored by ASTM for her numerous contributions to the development of standards and specifications for the use of lime in construction applications, especially in the area of repair and maintenance of historic mortars.

A member of ASTM International since 1996, Thomson is vice chairman of Committee C07 on Lime and chairman of Subcommittee C07.06 on Physical Tests. She also serves as a member at large on the executive subcommittee of Committee C12 on Mortars and Grout for Unity Masonry and received the Award of Merit, ASTM's highest organizational recognition for individual contributions to ASTM standards activities, from the committee in 2011. She is also a member of ASTM Committees C01 on Cement, C15 on Manufactured Masonry Units and E60 on Sustainability.

Thomson joined Lhoist North America (formerly Chemical Lime Co.) as technical manager of Chemstar Type S Hydrated Lime in 1996. She was promoted to technical director, Western Sales Division, in 2009, and received her current title in 2011. Before Lhoist, she was a research scientist focusing on performance of lime-based mortar for masonry at the National Research Council Canada's Institute for Research in Construction. A graduate of University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, where she received a B.Sc. with honors in geology and a Ph.D. in geology, Thomson is also a member of the Masonry Society.