Masonry Magazine April 1970 Page. 21
Developing Our Masonry Market
It is mandatory that we be alert to, and prepared to cope with, the development and the introduction of factory-assembled modular units for both multiple and individual dwelling units. Certainly there will be an appeal with the public for factory assembled components on a mass-production basis. This means that we as an industry will have to learn to live with this projected competition and to develop techniques and systems of our own that will insure better buildings at competitive costs.
Knowledge through promotional education
Of equal importance, we must learn to recognize our own inherent limitations. Perhaps the most serious limitation that we face as an industry today must be what I would call the "knowledge gap." Specifically, there is today far too little knowledge and understanding of masonry systems among those persons who are responsible for new construction: that is, the architect, the engineer, the building code official, the general contractor and, most important, their client. Certainly one of our first concerns must be to provide this knowledge through planned and intelligent promotional education. It's important that we recognize that volumes have been studied and years spent by these people in understanding wood framing, reinforced concrete design and structural steel systems. Perhaps two of the first text books that the engineering or architectural student initially receives are the concrete design handbook and the structural steel handbook. During the course of their studies at institutions of higher learning at best only a cursory mention is made of masonry systems. As an industry we are asking these designers and future designers to leave the systems and the practices that they have studied, know, and understand, to adopt systems that are to them often unknown, many times unclear and often poorly defined in our building code.
The fact of the matter remains that during the course of a formal education our designers are receiving virtually no exposure to masonry as a structural building component. This dictates that we as an industry must substitute for the lack of formal education in our product and our systems. Moreover, it is equally mandatory that we develop our own handbooks of masonry system design.
Education process starts at grass roots
Each of us individually and all of us collectively must recognize that in addition to being artisans, contractors, distributors and manufacturers we must also be educators. Since today's and tomorrow's designers are not being exposed to or taught masonry materials as structural building components in a formal sense, it is necessary for us to supply this education to today's and tomorrow's building designers. Fortunately, today we do in fact have local and uniform building codes that recognize the value of our masonry systems and admit to its merits as a building technology. The development of such codes are the direct results of long and continuing efforts on the part of many manufacturers and trade associations.
While a considerable amount of work remains to be done in code changes, the recent additions of the Uniform Building Code and its attendant Seattle Building Code as well as the new National Building Code of Canada allow us to do things with masonry design that only a few years ago would have been impossible under the then existing codes. As a result we are permitted now to utilize masonry systems of design throughout the whole spectrum of building construction, not alone for its aesthetic value but as a functional structural component.
We have only begun this educational task. It will be necessary for us to develop and to publish the necessary tools with which the designer may utilize our masonry systems simply, effectively and safely.
Still to be developed, published and disseminated is additional data on engineered masonry mortars and grouts, tables to develop guides for reinforcing steel placement in masonry systems designed to resist various assumed lateral and vertical loads, quick-quantity estimating guides, and so on.
The ultimate design can be no better than its execution. The fact is that the best designed masonry structure speaks poorly when it is carelessly assembled and the most brilliant masonry structural system is a failure when it leaks. Every promotional effort and expense assumed by the manufacturer or distributor will fail without the artisan to accomplish it. The skill and the attention of the journeyman will go begging without the efforts of qualified promotion which results in structures for us to build.
Keen sensitivity to investor's needs
Every new masonry building which meets the owner's requirements in cost, time and aesthetics as a handsome structure will breed many more structures like it. Each job carelessly detailed, selfishly designed, beyond the budget limitations, and carelessly put together can only cost us other buildings in the future. Those of us that are directly concerned at the design stage of masonry structures must be keenly sensitive to the designer and his client's requirements for value in dollar invested, time to complete, and total cost of construction.
In almost any design situation there is certainly more than one solution to a given problem. The selection of the proper solution to a given situation will result in time and cost savings to the client without aesthetic sacrifice. We must accept the obligation to help the designer to find these correct solutions in each and every design circumstance.
Specifically, we must become familiar with and offer sound and reliable advice to both the engineer and the designer in such areas as thruwall step flashing, cap flashing, cleaning techniques, waterproofing and so on. If those of us charged with architectural promotion are to accept these responsibilities, we must demand the cooperation of both the contractor and the journeyman for assistance in preparation of acceptable laying techniques, cost estimating for various types of assembly, and workmanship standards. Cutting corners on a job because your price is too low may very well help the profit picture today, but it can only result in the loss of tomorrow's profit when the designer turns to another system for his next building.
Tired, old cliches must be eliminated
It would be well for us as an industry to consider in depth what we offer to the investor with masonry systems. As an industry we have been for too long guilty of hiding behind old and tired cliches about masonry walls. Specifically, masonry walls are permanent, masonry walls have low maintenance, masonry walls are fireproof. While these things are just as true today as they were in the past, we must recognize that most investors know these facts already and are very likely tired of hearing them.
What we really offer and what will motivate the investor and then his designer to use masonry systems is simply return on an investment. That is, how fast and at what cost can this building be completed? In today's economy the investor who proposes to erect a new building for whatever purpose faces a series of problems.