PlanGrid: Free Blueprint Reading App for Students

Words: Dan KamysPlanGrid has emerged as one of the most mature apps for viewing, amending and discussing construction drawings on a collaborative cloud-based platform. [caption id="attachment_12355" align="alignnone" width="300"]The PlanGrid blueprint reader. The PlanGrid blueprint reader.[/caption] It is the number-one most downloaded app for reading blueprints, and collaboratively sharing plan updates including photos in the iTunes Store. Established in 2011, PlanGrid is now the largest digital blueprint repository in the world, with over 30 million sheets of construction documents in the cloud, and they've helped build over 300,000 construction projects. Construction clients are only just beginning to see what's possible through the software platform. In 2014, the company launched PlanGrid for Education, allowing students full and uninhibited access to every feature of the app free of charge. PlanGrid for Education is also available to instructors for no cost. Students and teachers should sign up for a basic account using their .edu email address and send an email to support@plangrid.com requesting the upgrade. Find out more about PlanGrid (which operates on both iOS and Android) here.
American Treasure: Valparaiso’s Grand Gardner Hotel
October 2026

A 125-year-old school building in Valparaiso, Indiana, is getting a second life, and much of the credit goes to the masonry that has been standing there since 1899. The Grand Gardner Hotel is an adaptive reuse project centered on the former Gardner Schoo

Cass Stern
American Treasure
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Designing Better Masonry Envelopes Starts with the Air Barrier
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As expectations for building performance continue to rise, air barriers have become a critical part of modern wall design. Today’s building envelopes must support energy efficiency, occupant comfort, durability, moisture management, and increasingly strin

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Kennison Forest Products, Inc. Continues as a Silver Partner in 2027
October 2026

The Mason Contractors Association of America (MCAA) is pleased to announce that Kennison Forest Products, Inc. is continuing as a Silver Partner in the 2027 Masonry Alliance Program.

MAP Partner
MAP Partner
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WIRE-BOND Renews as a Platinum Partner in 2027
October 2026

The Mason Contractors Association of America (MCAA) is excited to announce that WIRE-BOND will renew as a Platinum Partner in the 2027 Masonry Alliance Program.

MAP Partner
MAP Partner
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