Winter 2015-2016: Table of Contents

Words: Dan Kamys

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MasonryDesign_Winter2015-16
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Winter 2015-2016:

Table of Contents

Features

Design Trends / Green Building
Climate Efforts To Impact Built Environment
Much attention has been given, and rightly so, to the recently completed negotiations in Paris that resulted in the unprecedented Paris agreement to combat climate change. Not only will governments and the private sector seek construction of buildings capable of mitigating the emission of climate-related gases, but also to construct buildings that have the resilience to perform under adverse climactic conditions.
By Jared O. Blum

Materials
Designing for Exterior Continuous Insulation
There are several benefits with using continuous insulation, which include increasing the durability of the assembly, reducing the risk of condensation, reducing thermal bridging, and increasing performance. However, due to vague understanding of what is considered “continuous,” the benefits of using continuous insulation often are times significantly reduced.
By Alejandra Nieto

Design Trends / Educational Facilities
A Fresh Equation for Campus Dining
Bruner/Cott & Associates reimagines the University of Georgia’s student dining experience with Bolton Dining Commons. Bruner/Cott envisioned the building as a symbol of openness, full of transparency and natural light, meant to strike an appropriate balance between the institutional grandness of its surroundings while seeking its own more casual identity.
By Brian Libby

Columns & Departments

From the Editor
Supplies

CMU Partitions: How Much Reinforcement Is Actually Required?
February 2026

Walk onto almost any job site and you’ll find masons laying out interior partitions much the same way they did decades ago. The work looks straightforward: stack the units, strike clean joints, and keep the wall plumb. And the function of these partitions

MASONRY STRONG Podcast, Episode 37 Recap: Starling Johnson, VP of Sales at STALITE Lightweight Aggregate
February 2026

On this episode of the MASONRY STRONG Podcast, Starling Johnson joins the set in Indianapolis to talk about her path within masonry, sales in this industry, and life outside of work.

Masonry Restoration: Why Walls Fail and How We Fix Them
February 2026

Masonry doesn’t crack. Old brick never has issues. Every masonry wall lasts 100 years or more… right? If only that were true. Masonry is one of the most durable building materials ever used, but like all construction, it responds to time, movement, mo

MCAA President Jeff Buczkiewicz Testifies To Congress On AI In Masonry
February 2026

On February 11, 2026, Jeff Buczkiewicz, President and CEO of the Mason Contractors Association of America (MCAA), testified before the House Subcommittee on Workforce Protections. He spoke during a hearing titled “Building an AI-Ready America: Safer Workp