Masonry Magazine October 2003 Page. 45
MCAA News
Web Site Design
# New MCAA Web Site Design:
# www.masoncontractors.com
MCAA is sporting a new, innovative web site design thanks in part to Tim O'Toole, MCAA's Manager of Website Development, who joined the organization in June. The new design includes all of the old favorites along with several new items, such as news and events, legislative issues and other resources that will be updated on a regular basis.
MCAA is utilizing the web site, not only to keep you up-to-date on the industry, but also to help its members, providing sections on Masonry Careers, a Job Bank, Codes & Standards, and Courses & Seminars. In the future the web site will also have information on "Designing with Masonry" and offer resources for contractor web site design.
The web site also houses everything you need to know about MCAA's Masonry Showcase 2004. Plus, you can register for the show online.
The new MCAA web site, www.masoncontractors.com, is just one more way that this organization is staying at the forefront.
International Apprentice
Contest
After years of investing in their careers, apprentice masonry craftworkers will have a chance to show off their skills, at the inaugural BAC/IMI International Apprentice Contest.
The contest involves four levels of competition, beginning with local and regional contests held earlier this year. National semifinal contests took place in August and September at International Masonry Institute's (IMI) National Training Center. The finals will be held in Washington, D.C., at the National Building Museum, in conjunction with the "Masonry Variations" exhibit, on October 18.
"This contest gives young craftworkers an opportunity to show everyone how serious they are about their careers," says BAC President and IMI Co-Chair John J. Flynn. "It presents a healthy future for the industry."
The contest includes hands-on competitions in the respective crafts, plus a written test. Judges include prominent construction experts.
For general information on IMI, go to www.imiweb.org.
ASTM New Standard for
Inspecting Building Facades
ASTM International recently developed and passed E2270, "Standard Practice for Periodic Inspection of Building Facades for Unsafe Conditions." The new standard outlines the requirements and procedures for conducting facade inspections. The standard is intended for adoption by model building codes, local municipalities or private owners of multiple buildings, such as universities. The availability of this standard will help many cities that don't have a facade ordinance to adopt one and assist cities with existing ordinances to adapt their current ordinances to reflect improved practices.
"While some cities have very stringent requirements for their (facade) inspections, others require only visual inspections, and still others don't have any regulations regarding facade inspections," said Michael Petermann and Jeff Erdly, co-chairs of the ASTM Facade Inspection Task Group. "Facade ordinances have typically been adopted because of damage to property, injury to pedestrians or even loss of life."
Furthermore, the late forensic engineer Tom Grimm noted in the March 2000 issue of The Construction Specifier that masonry falls off a building facade somewhere in the United States about every three weeks, and that at least 49 such masonry failures had killed 30 people and injured 81 during the late 1990s.
"ASTM's new standard is the result of six years of work by industry members who, without the pressures of politics and special interests, created a practical standard using the rigorous consensus process that is