Thomson Receives ASTM International Walter C. Voss Award

Words: Dan KamysThomson Receives ASTM International Walter C. Voss Award

Margaret Thomson, Ph.D., new business development technical director at Lhoist North America in Fort Worth, Texas, has received the Walter C. Voss Award from ASTM International. The Voss Award is presented annually to an engineer or scientist who has made notable contributions in the field of building technology.

Thomson was honored by ASTM for her numerous contributions to the development of standards and specifications for the use of lime in construction applications, especially in the area of repair and maintenance of historic mortars.
 
A member of ASTM International since 1996, Thomson is vice chairman of Committee C07 on Lime and chairman of Subcommittee C07.06 on Physical Tests. She also serves as a member at large on the executive subcommittee of Committee C12 on Mortars and Grout for Unity Masonry and received the Award of Merit, ASTM's highest organizational recognition for individual contributions to ASTM standards activities, from the committee in 2011. She is also a member of ASTM Committees C01 on Cement, C15 on Manufactured Masonry Units and E60 on Sustainability.

Thomson joined Lhoist North America (formerly Chemical Lime Co.) as technical manager of Chemstar Type S Hydrated Lime in 1996. She was promoted to technical director, Western Sales Division, in 2009, and received her current title in 2011. Before Lhoist, she was a research scientist focusing on performance of lime-based mortar for masonry at the National Research Council Canada's Institute for Research in Construction. A graduate of University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, where she received a B.Sc. with honors in geology and a Ph.D. in geology, Thomson is also a member of the Masonry Society.
What Mason Contractors Don't Know Is Costing Them Money
July 2026

Most mason contractors can tell you exactly what a job should cost before it starts. Bid labor hours, material takeoffs, and crew rates per square foot. The numbers are on paper, and they look right. What most can't tell you is whether those numbers held

Preserving Masonry Aesthetics with Concealed Lintel Systems
July 2026

Masonry has long been valued for its ability to create buildings with character, permanence, and visual appeal. Features such as arches, deep reveals, corbelling, and decorative brickwork continue to be popular design elements in modern architecture. Howe

The Sync Up: Aligning Schedule, Labor, and Logistics in Masonry
July 2026

A masonry contractor is only as good as the crew standing on the staging. You can source the highest-grade block, line up the perfect mix, and have every submittal approved weeks in advance, but production ultimately depends on the stamina, skill, and phy

Color Trends Shaping Today’s Masonry Projects
July 2026

Homeowners today are coming into projects with a lot more opinions than they used to have. Between social media, home shows and contractor sites, most customers already have a look in mind before you even quote the job. For masonry contractors, having a