New Resources Available to help Professors with Masonry Classes and Research
Words: Daniel Abrams, Clayford GrimmIn the last few years, a number of new products, publications and resources have become available to help professors with masonry classes and with masonry research. The following briefly describes some of these products and services that are offered by The Masonry Society.
One of the most popular masonry textbooks, "Masonry Structures: Behavior and Design" by Drysdale, Hamid and Baker, has recently been released in its second edition. This new edition has been completely updated and expanded. This textbook is widely used in university undergraduate and graduate level classes because of its comprehensive discussion on the behavior of masonry and its detailed design examples.
Another well received publication in design courses as well as practicing design offices, is the practical, "Masonry Designers' Guide". This publication is also in its second edition and it has been entirely updated and revised. The Guide is highly regarded by designers because of the extensive examples on everyday problems.
A third publication, "A Set of Classnotes for a Course in Masonry Structures" by Daniel P. Abrams is in its third edition, and has been updated to all current building codes and standards. It serves as the perfect start for any professor beginning a new masonry structural design course.
Several new slide sets have also become available to show students how masonry can be used in a variety of interesting and unique ways. Two popular slide sets are Clayford T. Grimm's "Any Shape and Form" and "Ecclesiastical Architecture". Another of his slide sets, "Architectural Observation", has been used in construction management and architectural courses to help describe common construction techniques that need the attention of designers and specifiers. A 10 year old slide set on "Masonry Cracks: Types, Causes and Prevention" remains popular because the detailed script and practical slides allow anyone to present this subject like an expert.
For those professors just beginning, or thinking of beginning a masonry course, the University Professors' Masonry Workshop, which will be held from March 11-13, 2001 at Clemson University, serves as an excellent primer. The course overviews why and how to conduct masonry courses at the university level, and professors are provided with a variety of teaching resources and references to help them start a masonry course.
Masonry researchers will find several new searchable databases helpful in locating information quickly and easily. These databases are available on the website of The Masonry Society at www.masonrysociety.org so that keywords, titles and authors of past masonry research projects can be searched electronically. These databases are simple to use, and are being expanded later this year to include even more useful information.
Additional information on any of these resources can be obtained by calling The Masonry Society at 303-939-9700 or by visiting their website at the address listed above.