Masonry Magazine July 1981 Page. 8
New Symbol for Union Masonry Craftsmen, Contractors
A new symbol, "The Sign of a Masonry Pro," is being introduced throughout North America in a major campaign to create a greater awareness of the skills and capabilities of union masonry craftsmen and contractors. The "mark" and the slogans to be used in the campaign were created by the International Masonry Institute, market promotion arm of the Mason Contractors Association of America and the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftsmen.
The symbol a hand-held mason's trowel with the tagline "The Sign of a Masonry Pro" will be the keystone of a multi-level, multi-media "awareness" campaign. The mark will appear on job site signs, hard hats and truck decals as well as bumper stickers and company stationery, enabling specifiers and users of masonry to easily and immediately recognize masonry union professionals.
Widespread use of the identifying logo by contractors and craftsmen will be reinforced by a national introductory advertising campaign in architectural and building trade magazines.
Two slogans will be used interchangeably with the trowel-in-hand symbol: "Nobody Builds Like Union Craftsmen and Contractors" and "Build It for Keeps with Masonry." The mark and slogans are trademarked and copyrighted.
IMI has distributed the printed "awareness" materials to approximately 70 local/regional masonry promotion groups in the U.S. and Canada, who in turn will make the identifying symbols and slogans available to MCAA contractors and BAC members in their areas.
Endorsement and use of the materials by both craftsmen and contractors exemplifies the unique labor-management partnership of their two membership organizations.
Presidents of the two organizations-John T. Joyce of BAC and Louis J. Helbert, Jr., of MCAA-said in a joint statement:
"The rigorous training and the superior skills and experience of union masonry craftsmen and contractors have enabled them to build masonry structures which are unsurpassed in excellence. We believe that our new identifying logo will help architects, engineers, building owners and public officials become more aware of this superior quality and allow them to recognize instantly if they are dealing with union craftsmen and contractors.
"An added benefit of widespread use of the 'Sign of the Masonry Pro' is that it will reinforce the spirit of cooperation our members share and augment the already strong pride they possess about the work they do."
Detailed Course Outlines on Structural Masonry
Published for Use in Engineering Schools
Two detailed course outlines designed to aid engineering faculty in teaching structural masonry are now available to colleges and universities throughout the U.S. and Canada. Produced by the International Masonry Institute, the new outlines can easily be grafted onto existing curricula to provide a core of up-to-date technical information on engineered masonry.
The materials consist of a "Material Science Module" and an "Engineering Laboratory Module," and were written and designed in cooperation with engineering consultant and educator C. B. Monk, and with the counsel of an advisory group of engineering school deans. IMI is distributing the modules to schools throughout the U.S. and Canada through local/regional masonry promotion groups.
The outlines were created to fill a gap in structural engineering curricula. Despite the fact that there have been radical developments in recent decades in the design and construction of engineered masonry, and despite the fact that masonry is a major structural material and system, most structural engineering curricula have concentrated primarily on newer materials, such as steel and concrete, and have failed to give engineering students an adequate understanding of the structural capabilities and design possibilities of masonry, according to IMI.
A combination of text, charts, photographs and illustrations, the material offered in each module can serve as the nucleus for an entire course. An instructor also can use all or parts of it to supplement an already existing course.
Students exposed to the information in the first module will receive a fundamental understanding of masonry as a basic building element the types of mortars and grouts, the kinds of masonry units, the general physical properties of stone, brick, concrete masonry, tile, terrazzo, and the like.