Masonry Magazine May 1980 Page. 20
Masonry Research Foundation
Approves Broad Research Agenda
The Masonry Research Foundation has given approval to a masonry industry research agenda containing 57 projects involving design, construction and environmental issues that were developed by the Foundation's Advisory Council.
The Foundation's board of directors also decided to select six of the 57 projects as being of the highest priority, and to invite proposals on them from qualified individual researchers and research organizations.
The Foundation indicated that actions taken at its March meeting "are an important step toward development of a unified masonry industry research program devoted to the study of all kinds of masonry."
Earlier steps consisted of the establishment in 1979 of the Foundation, which is supported by eight masonry industry organizations; appointment of an Advisory Council consisting of 26 internationally-recognized authorities in the fields of building design and construction, as well as academicians and public officials.
The selected priority projects will be published in the near future and the Foundation will, as soon as responses to the research funding proposals are received, meet with the Advisory Council to review them, allocate industry "seed money" to the approved projects, and then seek grants from private and public sources to complete funding for the projects.
The Masonry Research Foundation is a non-profit organization. Eight organizations comprising all major elements of the masonry industry have representatives on the Board: the Mason Contractors Association of America, Brick Institute of America, International Masonry Institute, International Union of Bricklayers & Allied Craftsmen, Laborers International Union of North America, National Concrete Masonry Association, National Lime Association, and Portland Cement Association.
At its February meeting the Advisory Council elected William M. Sangster, dean of the Engineering School at Georgia Institute of Technology, as its permanent chairman, and C. E. Monk, an engineering consultant from Chicago, as vice-chairman.
Also at its initial meeting in February, Council members recommended six general projects for masonry industry research, and broke into into three subcommittees which then developed 51 additional proposals. The six recommended projects are:
* Development of a complete masonry research index to include masonry research research underway not only in the United States but internationally.
* A study of construction methods for the historic preservation of masonry buildings.
* Development of a state-of-the-art publication which describes all facets of masonry materials and their uses.
* A study on finishes and appearances and the aesthetic values of masonry materials.
* A research study of the "comfort factor" of masonry products and buildings.
* Research on health and safety issues in the masonry field.
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