Masonry Magazine January 2003 Page. 38
MCAA News
Masonry Saves Lives in Ohio Tornado
Recently in Van Wert, Ohio, when Scott Shaffer, the manager of a small theater, heard the storm warning on the radio, he knew he had precious little time to get 50 parents, children and neighborhood patrons to safety. In fact, he had just five minutes to rush them into a brick hallway and restrooms before a half-mile wide tornado ripped through the building.
Although the twister tore off most of the roof and walls and tossed three cars into the front seats of the cinema that had just been filled with kids watching a "Santa Clause" movie, lives were saved when they were safely moved into the parts of the building constructed with masonry. While glass was breaking and ceiling tiles were dropping all around them, the strong structure of brick and block-not to mention the quick thinking of Scott Shaffer-gave women, children and teenagers a chance to survive the tornado.
I spoke with project manager Stan Hitchcock, of Alexander and Bebout, the general contracting company in Van Wert that constructed the original building in 1976. Hitchcock told me that the front entrance of the theater was masonry; the rest was pre-engineered with Butler steel. In 2001, three more theaters were added, using brick and block, with metal on either side. According to Hitchcock, those particular portions of the cinema held up well in the storm and are the main reason those movie-goers are still alive today.
As we all know, when it comes to constructing a building-whether residential or commercial-the use of bricks can add great value to the structure and increase its durability. The mason contracting industry doesn't like to use a tragedy, such as a tornado in Ohio or the destruction of the World Trade Center buildings in New York, to emphasize the advantages of masonry construction, but we do believe it's important that our industry send yet another message to the general public that those benefits are often immeasurable.
BAC 2002 Craft Awards Presented to Masonry Projects, Industry Professionals
The International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers (BAC) presented a total of 37 awards to projects and individuals at an awards ceremony held in conjunction with the Union's Fall Executive Council meetingin Biloxi, Mississippi on October 28. Now in its 16th year, the BAC Craft Awards program honors the accomplishments of North America's masonry industry and the talented organizations and individuals who continue to drive the entire building industry forward. BAC President John J. Flynn praised this year's winners for their carrying forward the "extraordinary sense of pride and contributions to the industry, that defines the masonry industry.
The expanded 2002 awards program included inspiring accounts of the BAC members who responded to America's calls for heroacism in the wake of the
MIT Website
Release of New, Educational Website: www.masonryuniversity.com
The Masonry Institute of Tennessee has been working on the development of this online seminar for three years. At a meeting on November 2, 2001, M.L.T's Board of Directors voted to fund the establishment of an educational website to provide professionals with a working knowledge of all aspects of masonry manufacturing, design and construction practices, along with the opportunity to earn continuing education units. This course was developed for anyone interested in gaining more knowledge about the masonry system. It was realized that there was a much larger audience out there needing to gain a better understanding of all aspects of masonry.
Be one of the first participants in M.I.T's new online program that is based on an already successful classroom-based seminar. The course contains an interactive review section that guides you through books that you will receive in the mail. These very important industry-related books are the P.C.A. "Concrete Masonry Handbook," "Principles of Brick Masonry," "Concrete Masonry Standards," and "Building Codes and Specifications." In addition, you will receive a certificate that declares you a Certified Masonry Inspector for the State of Tennessee if you pass the final exam at the end of the course. Outside of the state of Tennessee, you will receive a Certificate declaring hours earned.
If you are an architect, you will earn eight Health, Safety and Welfare Credits.
This online version of M.I.T's program will allow you to work at your own pace and, in the end, you will gain pertinent knowledge that can be directly applied to your career. This course is designed for eight hours of classroom time with appropriate studying included.