Fall/Winter 2016: Table of Contents

Words: Dan Kamys
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FALL/WINTER 2016:
Table of Contents

Features

Technology / Retrofitting & Reinforcement
Saving A Building And A Forgotten Work Of Art
In 2012, the City of Los Angeles and the Getty Conservation Institute funded a plan to restore a forgotten mural on the historic Italian Hall Building. As part of the restoration, the mural wall needed to be strengthened to reduce the likelihood of damage to the historical monument during earthquakes that often occur in the Los Angeles area.
By Chukwuma G. Ekwueme, PhD, PE, SE, LEED AP

Materials / Natural Stone
Express Beauty And Interest With Natural Stone
Natural stone can add unique texture and elegance to a room, building, or outdoor space that can’t be achieved with other materials. Incorporating natural stone into interior or exterior settings can give both residential and commercial spaces a little something special. Whether you’re designing a residential space or a grand foyer in a public building, using natural stone is a guaranteed way to make a statement.
By Kleber & Associates

Design Trends / Green Building
Onsite Masonry Production from Diverted Excavation
Watershed Materials is exploring a solution to a problem that real estate developers often face—excavation that has to be moved off a construction site to make way for new buildings. Rather than haul off the excavation spoils and then import thousands of CMUs for use at a pilot project, the developers and Watershed Materials are repurposing native excavation material to create the structural masonry blocks used in the development.
By David Easton

Design Trends / Green Building
Iredale Mineral Cosmetics International Headquarters
Croxton Collaborative Architects recently completed the 21,000-square-foot international headquarters for Iredale Mineral Cosmetics in Great Barrington, Mass. Adding to the company’s smaller home base nearby, the new structure represents the rehabilitation of the abandoned 1886 William Cullen Bryant School building (and its early 1900s addition), a Massachusetts Cultural Resource, as a 21st century center of operations.
By Randolph R. Croxton, FAIA, LEED AP

Columns & Departments

From the Editor
Estimation
Supplies


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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