TMS Masonry Production and Repair Database

Words: Phillip SamblanetThe Masonry Society (TMS) is pleased to introduce the "Masonry Production and Repair" database, a new online resource available to TMS members and the general public.

An indexed bibliography citing 160 years of masonry research, "Masonry Production and Repair" is a searchable database containing complete citations for thousands of masonry-related articles. Additionally, "Masonry Production and Repair" contains approximately 2,000 full-text articles in PDF form.

"Masonry Production and Repair" was developed by TMS member Debra Laefer of University College Dublin,

Ireland. Funding for this resource was provided by the United States National Endowment for the Arts and the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training.

For more information on the data-base, or to use it, visit www.masonrysociety.org.
PPE That Workers Actually Wear: Building Buy-In Through Education and Smart Selection
August 2026

In masonry construction, personal protective equipment (PPE) is often the last line of defense between a worker and an injury. Yet despite its importance, PPE compliance remains one of the most common challenges on jobsites across the country. The realit

Greg Brown
Safety Library
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Zero Laydown: Navigating the Logistics of Tight Urban Job Sites
August 2026

In modern commercial construction, spatial real estate has become just as valuable as the materials themselves. The industry shift toward high-density, urban projects means that the sprawling job sites of the past have been replaced by tight footprints wh

Shayne Sanders
MAP Partner
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Why "The Software Can't Track That" Is Finally Going Away
August 2026

For as long as specialty contractors have used field software, most of them have kept a workaround somewhere: a spreadsheet on a foreman's laptop, a whiteboard in the trailer, or a text thread where crew leads send block counts at the end of the day becau

Erin Koets
Build Smart
MAP Partner
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Monadnock Building
August 2026

Chicago’s Monadnock Building doesn’t dominate the skyline the way it once did. Surrounded by steel-and-glass towers, the dark brick structure can seem almost understated. But for anyone in the masonry industry, it remains one of the most important buildin

Cass Stern
American Treasure
Brick Clay Brick
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