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.
Managing the Mysterious Job Site Slowdown
August 2026

Every contractor knows the feeling. A job looks good on paper. The schedule makes sense. The crews are lined up. The material is supposed to be there. Then, for no obvious reason, the whole job starts crawling. That is what makes it so frustrating. Nobod

Damian Lang
Contractor Tip of the Month
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Sainte-Cécile Cathedral
August 2026

Imagine being handed a set of plans calling for the largest brick cathedral in the world. Now imagine building it without modern cranes, engineered scaffolding, forklifts, power tools, or structural analysis software. That was the challenge facing medie

Cass Stern
Marvelous Masonry
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Why SkillsUSA is the Keystone to MCAA’s Outreach
August 2026

When I stepped into the role of the MCAA’s first Director of Youth Outreach and Education, I knew we had a massive job ahead of us. I am a fourth-generation brick mason, and I have spent over two decades teaching the trade, from working with apprentices a

Robert Melgaard
Outreach Outlook
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The First Paycheck
August 2026

Several years ago, Huntley Brothers hired a young apprentice. It was his first real job, and he had never had a paycheck before. Friday rolled around, and he got paid just like everyone else. Later that day, one of the guys told me something I have never

Kent Huntley
Chairman’s Message
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