Masonry Design July/August 2017

Better Living Through Masonry

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July/August 2017 • Vol. 8, No. 4

Materials • Technology • Trends

Project Spotlight: SunTrust Park p28

Lighting the Way: Exterior Lighting p34

RESTORING THE MINNESOTA STATE CAPITOL p22

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volume 8 | number 4

July/August 2017 |content s

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Design Trends / Hardscaping and Landscape Architecture

Better Living Through Masonry

Design and public health professionals have recently joined together in a call to action to create healthier, more walkable communities and places. Explore masonry’s role in creating designed outdoor spaces that support health and activity.

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by Jim Cook

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Ball State University’s Architecture Offering

Are students of architecture learning about masonry? A student and one of her professors talk about BSU’s architecture program and how masonry is incorporated into the curriculum.

by Karen D. Hickey

28

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Materials / Natural Stone

Restoring the Minnesota State Capitol The Minnesota State Capitol underwent a four-year restoration in which more than 3,900 individual pieces of marble were replaced.

The project won MIA+BSI’s 2016 Grande Pinnacle Award.

by Maureen Upchurch

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Project Spotlight

SunTrust Park

The new stadium for the Atlanta Braves, the fastest-built Major League Baseball stadium in American history, features eye-popping amounts of masonry along with cutting-edge technology.

by Adam Cobb

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Design Elements / Exterior Lighting

Lighting the Way to Added Value

A homeowner’s outdoor space can go from an ordinary masonry job to an impressive hardscape installation with outdoor lighting.

by Steve Counter

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Materials • Technolog y • Trends

www.masonr ydesignmagazine.com LIONHEART PUBLISHING, INC. 1635 Old​41 Hwy., Suite 112-361 Kennesaw, GA 30152​ Tel: 770.431.0867 Fax: 770.432.6969 E-mail: lpi@lionhrtpub.com www.masonrydesignmagazine.com

Publisher John Llewellyn llewellyn@lionhrtpub.com

Editor Karen Hickey karen@lionhrtpub.com

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Manager leslie@lionhrtpub.com

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On the cover:

MIA+BSI’s prestigious Pinnacle Awards honor stone companies around the world for projects that stand out above the rest. The 2016 Grande Pinnacle Award was presented for the exterior stone restoration of the Minnesota State Capitol. Using the same White Georgia marble selected by the building’s first architect, Cass Gilbert, 115 years ago, the new stone matched perfectly in color and veining to the original building stone.

Reprints & Subscriptions Kelly Millwood kelly@lionhrtpub.com

Image courtesy of Polycor.

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Paver Lighting: Unobtrusive Accent Illumination, Weather Resistance and Design Versatility

Evening Star paver lights provide safety, demarcation and visual aesthetics in a lowvoltage, accent lighting option for all paved areas around the home.

by Michael Schiefer

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Following careful assessment of the condition of a masonry structure, coatings and sealants can be used for waterproofing, weather resistance or even a glazed, anti-graffiti surface.

co l u mns & d epa r t me n t s 4 6 8 44

From the Editor Industry Outlook Industry News Virtual Reality

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46 Supplies 47 Index to Advertisers 48 Estimation

Masonry Design (ISSN 1941-0975) is published bi-monthly by Lionheart Publishing, Inc.

Subscription Rates – For a free subscription to Masonry Design and Masonry Design eNews, sign up at: www.masonrydesignmagazine.com Click on Subscribe

Technology

Coatings, Sealants and Graffiti Protection

The editorial mission of Masonry Design is to educate and inform architects, engineers and specifiers about the vital role that masonry plays in the construction markets in the United States and Canada, as well as to promote masonry and masonry systems in building design (commercial, residential, institutional and educational), interior design and hardscaping applications. With each issue, readers will become better informed of the design trends, latest materials and newest technologies that will aid them in creating better masonry projects.

Copyright © 2017 by Lionheart Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.

The copyright owner, however, does consent to a single copy of an article being made for personal use. Otherwise, except under circumstances within “fair use” as defined by copyright law, no part of this publication may be reproduced, displayed or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner, Lionheart Publishing, Inc. Send e-mail permission requests to karen@lionhrtpub.com.

Disclaimer – The statements and opinions in the articles of this publication are solely those of the individual authors and contributors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Lionheart Publishing, Inc. or the editorial staff of Masonry Design or any sponsoring organization.

The appearance of advertisements in this magazine is not a warranty, endorsement, or approval of the products or services advertised.

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from the editor

A Home Run for Masonry Design

Karen Hickey, editor To make comments or suggestions, send e-mail to karen@lionhrtpub.com.

A March 2017 report by The New York Times described the online retail giant Amazon’s foray into brick-and-mortar stores. Amazon is slowly building physical bookstores and grocery/convenience stores and is exploring stores that would sell furniture, home appliances and electronics.

Did you catch that? No matter what the stores might look like or what materials are used to build them, they ’re referred to as “brick-andmortar stores.” The Amazon Shoppers and passers-by get a glimpse of the exterior of one of Amazon’s “brick and mortar” Go store in Seattle, for one, stores in Seattle in December 2016. does not have a brick exterior. I (Photo by David Ryder for The New York Times.) find this expression a testament about yet least utilized technology in design and to the durability of masonry over time. construction? Masonry Design hopes to help you unStill, despite the resilience of brick, stone and derstand it further so you can begin using this highly other similar materials, it’s no secret that masonry accessible technology or delve deeper into it. restoration is often necessary. In this issue of Next, be sure to check out this issue’s Industry Masonry Design, I’m excited to bring you the story of the Minnesota State Capitol restoration. This Outlook column, where Brian Fraley explains how project, which won the MIA+BSI 2016 Grande to begin building your social media presence.

Finally, we put the spotlight on SunTrust Park, Pinnacle Award, included the replacement of the brand-new stadium for the Atlanta Braves. more than 3,900 individual pieces of marble.

Beyond the building’s external brick, there are also We’re also introducing a new section on virtual reality this month. Could VR be the most talked hardscaping/landscape architecture, natural stone and exterior lighting aspects to the project. You might say it’s a home run for masonry design. wMD

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highlights coming in

Sept/Oct ‘17

Technology: Seismic Retrofitting, Reinforcement and Anchors Design Trends: Green Building Plus: • Recycled Masonry Materials • Roofing • New Green and Sustainable Products Materials • Technolog y • Trends

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Industry Outlook

Social Media 101 for Masonry and AEC Firms Building a meaningful presence on social media has more in common with masonry than you might expect. Multiple steps must be followed to achieve success. The good news is that imperfection won’t cause a structural collapse or any other dire consequences.

Venturing into social media as an AEC or masonry firm is a serious endeavor; time is money. Understand that each platform has its own best practices, so there is no onesize-fits-all approach. This article will provide a solid foundation for those looking to get started on social media.

By Brian M. Fraley About the author: Brian M. Fraley is the owner and chief strategist for Fraley Construction Marketing, a marketing communications consultancy with a unique focus and understanding of the construction industry.

He has served this niche market for more than 20 years. Brian is active on LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+, and regularly contributes to the Construction Marketing InSITE Newsletter, The Construction Marketing Straight Talker Blog, and various trade publications.

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Define Your Objectives You can save yourself a great deal of time and frustration by determining why you want to establish a social media presence. If your interest is based only on following the herd, don’t bother. You’ll end up like many other firms…a vacant storefront. Valid reasons to move forward might include building an online brand, interacting with customers and prospects, or generating inbound leads.

Don’t invest any time until you sit down with the key players on your team to determine whether you really have the time, budget and perseverance to succeed in this modern medium known as social media marketing.

Find Your Audience Once you’ve decided to proceed, determining where your target audience spends time is critical. You should be there and only there. Don’t feel compelled to join every platform. And don’t make the assumption that your industry is on Facebook just because it is the most popular platform. Take the rifle approach. It’s far better to create an active presence on one to three platforms than it is to have a weak presence on five or six. Consider collecting the names of your top 20 prospects, for |

July/August 2017

example, and search the different platforms to see where they’re active. This small investment of time now will ensure that you’re not hollering into an echo chamber for the next six months.

Craft a Strategy Social media for business isn’t about rigging up a profile and posting haphazardly; you need a strategy with measurable results. Define your objectives, the tactics you will deploy, the metrics that will determine success, and a plan to monitor your results.

There are many tactical questions to consider, including: • How frequently will you post?

• What type of content will you share?

• How will you engage with followers?

• What is your brand’s voice and personality?

• Will you use images, text or both?

• How will you handle complaints and trolls?

Build a Solid Profile Aesthetics are important in the structures you design or build. A social media profile is no different. You want people to visit and decide to stick around. Your two main elements are graphics and words. Your header graphic should be unique, attractive and indicative of your business. Make sure it’s consistent with the branding of your other internet properties, including other social profiles, your website and your eNewsletter. Your profile photo should be a company logo. It’s also critical for the verbal description of your firm to be clear, descriptive and reflective of your firm’s unique value proposition.

Cross-Promote to Fuel Growth One of the greatest mistakes AEC firms make is neglecting to cross-promote on Materials • Technolog y • Trends

their websites and other social platforms.

You will experience churn in your following, so it’s important to keep building. Link your social profiles to your website and your email signature, for starters. It’s also good practice to occasionally encourage followers to connect with you on your other platforms. This sounds elementary, but you would be surprised how many AEC firms don’t do it.

Measure Your Results The masonry industry is no stranger to measurement, so make sure to carry the practice to social media. Social media platforms provide analytics so you can see how you’re performing over time.

Don’t make the mistake of comparing your results to companies unlike your own; a niche market like masonry will produce humble results. Your greatest focus should be on the quality and relevance of your followers. The good news is that with a small following, you can get to know the followers that matter.

Design and build your social media presence as you would a wall or a building: block by block. You will achieve success with slow and focused consistency. This is not a one-time project. Consider it part of the diversification of your marketing strategy.

Social media can be an incredibly powerful tool when used properly. wMD

The complete solution for thin brick applications.

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Industry News

GRAPHISOFT and Black Spectacles Offer Online ARCHICAD Course GRAPHISOFT North America has partnered with Black Spectacles, an online learning resource, to create ARCHICAD for Beginners, a four-anda-half-hour course that teaches the basics of ARCHICAD. The easy-to-follow course is led by Josh Bone, architect and BIM expert recognized for proficiency in technology integration. He will demonstrate how to create detailed 3D models quickly and efficiently.

Beginning with simple navigation instruction, the course will work through the soft-

ware in an easy-to-follow format. In the first module, users will learn how to draw walls, add stories, and place objects, columns and beams. Upon completion, students will have gained familiarity with documentation in ARCHICAD, as well as how to place labels, identify sections and elevations and incorporate external file formats.

The course is available to subscribers of Black Spectacles at https://blackspectacles.com/courses/ archicad-for-beginners. wMD

A. Rhett Whitlock Awarded ASTM Manufactured Masonry Units Top Award In June 2017, ASTM International’s committee on Manufactured Masonry Units (C15) presented its top annual award — the Award of Merit — to A. Rhett Whitlock, president of WDP & Associates Consulting Engineers, Inc. in Murrells Inlet, S.C. The prestigious award, which includes the accompanying title of fellow, is ASTM’s highest recognition for individual contributions to developing standards.

The committee honored Whitlock for his dedication to preparing standards related to the manufacturing of masonry units. He has been a member of ASTM since 1985, having previously won the Alan H. Yorkdale Memorial Award (1997).

Whitlock is a member of ASTM, The Masonry Society (serving as an author on the Masonry Designer’s Guide), the International Masonry Society, National Trust for Historic Preservation, and the Construction Specifications Institute. He received his Ph.D. in civil engineering from Clemson University.

For more information, visit www.astm.org. wMD

Keene Acquires Village Plastics Company Keene Family of Companies announced an addition to its portfolio. Village Plastics Company has been acquired and will join Keene Building Products, Dependable, LLC and Continental Products, Ltd. Village Plastics is still running 24 hours a day with the management staff that includes John Hosbach as manager.

Village Plastics Co. is a precision manufacturer of thermoplastic welding rod and 3D printing filament. The company offers an extensive product line and possesses manufacturing capabilities to extrude custom sizes, shapes and profiles to meet any requirements for extruded product.

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The state-of-the-art manufacturing facility located in Barberton, Ohio, features completely customized extrusion lines combined with in-house tooling capabilities, which can provide cost-effective extrusion solutions. Delivering near-perfect consistency, monitoring with laser micrometers provides a superior level of precision and quality at competitive prices. Village Plastics Co. is a family-owned and -operated business dedicated to exceeding customers’ expectations.

The addition of Village Plastics will allow for brand expansion and give the KEENE Family of companies a chance to grow both locally and nationally. For further information, visit www.KeeneBuilding.com. wMD Materials • Technolog y • Trends

PROSOCO’s R-Guard System Now Carries Declare Labels PROSOCO has announced that it now offers a complete R-Guard air and water barrier system whose components all carry Declare labels.

If you’ve ever been involved in a Living Building Challenge project, you are likely starved for a simpler process of specifying and documenting material ingredients. PROSOCO knows from experience what that process looks like: pages and pages of submittal forms, layers of reviews, and tedious back-and-forth between designers, manufacturers, consultants, engineers, distributors, and on and on. And that’s just for one product!

The International Living Future Institute (ILFI)’s Declare product database simplifies that process significantly. You could either

complete countless forms, specification documents and emails, or simply look up the Declare ID for a product.

Now that every component of PROSOCO’s Cat 5 system (Joint & Seam Filler, FastFlash, AirDam, Cat 5 and now PorousPrep) features an ILFI Declare label, specifying an ICC-ESconformant air and water barrier system is simpler than ever.

You can find the Declare ID numbers for all 13 of PROSOCO’s products that carry a Declare label at the ILFI Declare Product Database. You can also read more about all the ways PROSOCO is committed to promoting transparency in construction at www.prosoco. com/sustainability. wMD

DEWALT Announces Digital Solutions for a Fully Connected Jobsite DEWALT has announced the latest in jobsite connectivity with an unprecedented effort to make building more efficient through digital solutions. Over the coming months, DEWALT will launch a fully connected system, including a WiFi mesh network and, later, an Internet of Things (IoT) platform, to enhance productivity, profitability and safety on the jobsite.

Due to the increase in digital dependency in the construction field, there is an unmet need for reliable connectivity and asset management across the jobsite, according to DEWALT’s extensive research. Sharing data has become more necessary for contractors, yet limited connectivity options exist.

DEWALT’s patented WiFi mesh technology provides a key solution, with rugged access points built to withstand the harsh and variable conditions of construction jobsites. DEWALT WiFi enables contractors to collaborate in real time across large-scale jobsites and to easily access critical site information such as prints, schedules, budgets and RFIs. The WiFi solution is the beginning and foundation of w w w.masonr ydesignmaga zine.com

an entire end-to-end solution. DEWALT will also offer an IoT platform, enabling contractors to understand the location and utilization of assets and data onsite. As an initial offering, the DEWALT Tool Connect™ inventory management system is one component of total asset management. This will become part of the larger digital platform, providing critical data to inform decision-making.

Together, these solutions from DEWALT will connect the jobsite, allowing contractors to improve efficiency, profitability and safety through full connectivity, insights and asset optimization.

DEWALT will soon be accepting pre-orders. Sign up to learn more at www.dewalt.com/jobsitewifi.

For more information, visit www.dewalt.com. wMD

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Industry News

Camarata Masonry Wins 2017 AMCH Golden Trowel Awards In an effort to recognize and encourage excellence in all phases of masonry construction, the Associated Masonry Contractors of Houston (AMCH), in conjunction with the Texas Masonry Council, bestow the Golden Trowel Awards. The Golden Trowel Awards are given annually to an architect, a general contractor or owner, and a masonry contractor demonstrating excellence in their respective contributions to a masonry project deemed worthy by a distinguished panel of judges.

The 2017 Golden Trowel Awards were bestowed in May, and Camarata Masonry Systems Ltd. won the Excellence Award in four of the eight categories, with Honor Awards in the other categories.

Excellence Awards • Chelsea Montrose, Residential Multi-Family • Methodist Hospital Sugar Land Bed Tower, Government/Institutional • San Jacinto River Authority Surface Water Facilities, Block • 811 Louisiana (Formerly Two Shell Plaza), Restoration Honor Awards • Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences, Government/Institutional • TSU New Student Resident Housing, Educational Facility (College/University)

• Kyle Field at Texas A&M University, Block • Energy Center III, Hardscape/Landscape About Methodist Sugar Land Bed Tower In response to the rapid population growth in Fort Bend County, Methodist Hospital set forth plans to expand its presence in Sugar Land by adding a new six-story patient tower. Camarata Masonry Systems, Ltd. was responsible for the masonry scope on the new tower, which included the supply and installation of: • 295,000 pre-blended DTP brick (90% Burnt Pumpkin, 10% Red Sunset).

• 15,750 TUP Garnet Modular Velour.

• 1,130 cf cast stone (for window sills, banding and parapet coping).

Because the site was an expansion of an existing functioning hospital, and interference with existing services was not allowed, several challenges were presented. The limited space required that materials be brought over from a laydown yard via forklift, which had to maneuver through the hospital’s physician, staff and visitor parking lots while open for parking.

Since scaffolding needed to be erected on the existing roof, special precautions were taken to protect the area by utilizing I-beams, Styrofoam and plywood. In order to find a suitable match for the existing façade, a special brick blend was created through experimentation. The end result is in an attractive and functional facility that will meet the growing needs of the community.

For more information on any of the other Camarata Masonry projects listed above, visit www.camaratamasonry.com.

To view all the winners from the 2017 Golden Trowel Awards, visit www.amchhouston.org. wMD

Camarata Masonry Systems, Ltd. was responsible for the masonry scope on the new six-story patient tower at Methodist Hospital, Sugar Land, Texas.

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Materials • Technolog y • Trends

The World’s Most Innovative Brick Buildings of the Last 15 Years Of all building materials in the world, brick is one of the most enduring and ubiquitous. Traces of brickmaking date back to 7500 B.C., and fired brick first made its appearance in about 3500 B.C. Since then, the trusty brick has shown amazing resilience and remains one of the mainstays of contemporary architecture. Rooted in tradition in countries as different as China and the Netherlands, it is inexpensive, flexible in use and can also be ecologically fabricated.

A n e w, c o m p r e h e n s i v e , t w o - v o l u m e hardcover book set from TASCHEN tours the world to cover the most exciting and innovative brick buildings of the past 15 years, from Argentina to New Zealand. 100 Contemporary Brick Buildings, by Philip Jodidio, includes new talents like Argentina’s Diego Arraigada and Vietnam’s Nguyen Hai Long, as well as established “starchitects” such as Tadao Ando and Peter Zumthor. Featured buildings showcase the variety of brick applications across cultural, domestic, infrastructure and leisure spaces, including Tate Modern Swaitch House by Herzog

& De Meuron, Tidy Architects’ Amorio Restaurant in Santiago, and Mass Design Group’s Maternity Wa i t i n g V i l l a g e i n Kasungu, Malawi.

Philip Jodidio studied art history and economics at Harvard, and edited Connaissance des Arts for over 20 years.

His TASCHEN books include the Architecture Now! series and monographs on Tadao Ando, Norman Foster, Renzo Piano, Jean Nouvel, Shigeru Ban, Oscar Niemeyer and Zaha Hadid.

You can order the book set online at www.taschen.com. wMD

Structural Masonry Support Services Now Available via the Illinois Structural Masonry Coalition The Illinois Structural Masonry Coalition is a combined effort sponsored by many groups that have interests in masonry, working together to promote and provide resources for design of structural and load-bearing masonry. The combined effort is made up of the Illinois Concrete Products Association, The Brick Distributors of Illinois, The International Masonry Institute, The Masonry Institute of Southern Illinois, Bricklayers and Allied Craft Workers from Local 6, 8 and 21, The Greater Chicago Mason Contractors Association and The Masonry Advisory Council.

The coalition seeks to be a resource to Illinois’ engineering community by providing design assistance, technical service, and in some cases project-specific consultation and hands-on training w w w.masonr ydesignmaga zine.com

in masonry design software. The group’s collective goal is to help design buildings that satisfy building code requirements and design objectives while taking full advantage of the efficiencies of structural masonry.

One of the key individuals to the Illinois Structural Masonry Coalition is Sam Rubenzer. Sam has given numerous lunch-and-learns, seminars and held private meetings with structural engineers and architects in the Chicago area, helping them with masonry design. His service through the coalition is free to those who need help.

If you need masonry advice on a project you are designing, call the Masonry Advisory Council at (847) 297-6704 or visit masonryadvisorycouncil.org and click on “ASKMAC.” wMD July/August 2017

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Industry News

LafargeHolcim Appoints Jan Jenisch as CEO LafargeHolcim announced the appointment of Jan Jenisch as CEO, effective Oct. 16, 2017. Since January 2012, Jenisch has been the CEO of Sika AG, which develops and produces systems and products for the building materials and automotive sectors. He joined Sika in 1996 and has worked in various management functions and countries. He was appointed to the Management Board in 2004 as Head of the Industry Division, and he served as President Asia Pacific from 2007 to 2012.

Beat Hess, chairman of LafargeHolcim, said, “Jan Jenisch is a CEO that is widely respected for consistently delivering strong business results and he comes with a deep understanding of the building materials sector.

His agile leadership style and his personal skills

will be a good fit with our company culture and the management team of LafargeHolcim.

I look forward to working with him to accelerate the strategy execution of our company.”

Jenisch, CEO designate, said, “I am delighted to have the opportunity to join LafargeHolcim. It is an iconic company and a global leader in the building materials industry with enormous future potential. I very much look forward to joining the global management team and to leading the company into a very successful future.”

Jenisch earned an M.B.A from the University Fribourg, Switzerland. He is a non-executive director of the stock listed S c h w e i t e r Te c h n o l o g i e s A G a n d o f t h e privately held Glas Troesch AG. For more information on the company, visit www.lafargeholcim.com. wMD

MC&MCA Announces 2018 Concrete & Masonry Design Awards Program The Minnesota Concrete & Masonry Contractors Association (MC&MCA) has announced its 37th Annual Excellence in Concrete & Masonry Design and Construction Awards contest. The online applications for the 2018 contest will go “live” on August 1, 2017.

The application process will be open for one month, ending on August 31. On-site judging by local architects will take place on September 19.

There will be five new masonry construction categories: two masonry restoration categories and four concrete categories.

View the 2017 winners and find more details about the application process at MC&MCA’s website, www.mcmca.com. wMD

The A-Mill Artist Lofts in Minneapolis, Minn., was the winning project in MC&MCA’s 2017 Masonry & Concrete Awards in the Masonry Restoration Residential & Commercial category.

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Materials • Technolog y • Trends

DESIGN TRENDS: HARDSCAPING AND LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE

Better L iving Th r ough

MASONRY

By Jim Cook

Stone and brick create welcoming spaces for outdoor activity

EVERYONE KNOWS THAT AMERICANS NEED TO GET OUTSIDE AND GET ACTIVE. Report after report shows that obesity and inactivity are making us sicker and shortening our lives. Despite all the studies and surveys, convincing us to shed our sedentary ways has proven to be a tough sell for health advocates. Masonry may be part of the solution, making the great outdoors a place where more of us want to be.

A Call to Action The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) has joined with seven health and building organizations to issue a joint call to action to the 450,000 professionals who represent their membership. The call to action urges health and design professionals to keep healthy living and outdoor activity in mind when planning and creating housing and other developments.

“The idea is for all of us to work together with our members to be more cognizant of creating healthy communities and built environments,” says Shawn Balon, a landscape architect and ASLA’s career discovery and diversity manager.

“It’s not an afterthought at the end of a project; it’s a matter of always thinking about how design can work with public health, and cross-pollinating the two concepts when projects are still in their early stages.

[RIGHT] The courtyards of an apartment complex in Washington, D.C., designed by Steve Cook, include cut limestone and granite for the benches, walls and paving stone.

(Courtesy of VIKA Maryland, LLC.)

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DESIGN TRENDS: HARDSCAPING AND LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE Advantages of Masonry Balon says masonry offers many aesthetic advantages that can help influence people to get outside and get active. Masonry also makes environments look more natural, he says, and the many available colors of stone and other masonry materials help designers convey a certain mood and theme to visitors.

“Stone masonry is something a lot of people find an affinity to because it has a more natural undertone,” Eric Gilbey, a project marketing manager for Vectorworks, says. “From that perspective, if someone’s really trying to connect with nature, they’d have a hard time doing so with something that was synthetic. They wouldn’t feel that same connection that they feel to natural materials because it’s just not there.”

Gilbey says he is particularly proud of his contributions to Waterford Park, a housing development in Columbus, Ohio. Gilbey and developers used large boulders to create a stair-step effect on a downward slope. The stair-step effect, Gilbey says, makes the slope safer for residents who may be walking in the area and also helps create a more appealing outdoor environment.

[BELOW] The second courtyard of the Washington, D.C., apartment complex, in which cut limestone and granite were used for the benches, walls and paving stone.

(Courtesy of VIKA Maryland, LLC.)

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Materials • Technolog y • Trends

Joint Call to Action: Gilbey says that, in addition to making an outdoor space feel more inviting, masonry can also be used to set the space apart from other areas.

According to Gilbey, walls and other vertical structures can help designate spaces as being dedicated to activity or as being private spaces. Gilbey says the solid, permanent nature of masonry helps it make these distinctions, whether as walls, columns or other vertical structures or as walkways.

Supporting Organizations: American Society of Landscape Architects, www.asla.org American Institute of Architects, www.aia.org American Public Health Association, www.apha.org American Society of Civil Engineers, www.asce.org American Planning Association, www.planning.org National Recreation and Park Association, www.nrpa.org U.S. Green Building Council, www.usgbc.org Urban Land Institute, https://uli.org

Masonry’s Options for Outdoor Environments Steve Cook, a senior landscape architect for VIKA, says that designers have lots of options with masonry to make outdoor environments more inviting and conducive to exercise and enjoyment. “Paving, walls, columns, fountains — whatever your imagination can dream of,” he says.

Cook likes to use masonry in outdoor spaces because of its connection with nature and its durability and reusability. “I always think about building for re-use,” he says.

Cook recently designed courtyards for an apartment complex in Washington, D.C. He used cut limestone and granite to create benches, walls

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DESIGN TRENDS: HARDSCAPING AND LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE and paving for the courtyards. Cook says the stone used in the project helps create an intimate, inviting atmosphere that makes the courtyards a great place for meditation or exercise.

“I prefer natural masonry products because of their durability and reusability,” says Cook. “Aesthetics are also an advantage. There’s a great range of color you can get out of natural stone that can help accent a space.”

[BELOW] McHale Landscape Design used Weatherface fieldstone to create this sheer-descent water feature and stone accent wall.

(Courtesy of McHale Landscape Design.)

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From Public Areas to Private Spaces Public areas aren’t the only places where masonry can help create an enjoyable environment for exercise. Private homes can also make use of masonry to create pleasant spaces for outdoor activity and exercise.

McHale Landscape Design recently contributed to the construction of an exercise/pool room that connects to an outdoor pool with an expansive deck and surrounding lawn.

In the project, Pennsylvania bluestone was used for the floor and pool coping, while Weatherface fieldstone surrounded a sheer-descent water feature and created a stone accent wall. The Weatherface fieldstone wall was built using a dry impression technique, which conceals the mortared joints. The arch inset in the stone centers on the pool, the sheer-descent water feature and the windows above.

Materials • Technolog y • Trends

“Artful masonry creates spaces that let people slow down and admire the craftsmanship and draw people to a space where they want to spend time,” says Steve McHale, owner of McHale Landscape Design, Inc. Obesity’s Growing Threat High rates of obesity and physical inactivity pose serious risks to public health. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), more than one third of adults in the U.S. are obese. Obesity rates among children are also climbing. The CDC says that one in five schoolaged children are obese.

People with obesity are at high risk of developing life-threatening diseases and conditions. Obesity greatly increases risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer. Children with obesity face bullying from peers and also risk developing chronic health conditions such as sleep apnea, asthma, bone and joint problems, and other serious issues. The CDC estimates that annual medical costs for people who are obese are $1,429 higher than those of people within their recommended weight range.

Physical activity can help Americans shed the excess pounds they’ve gained, but our lifestyles have become sedentary. CDC figures show that 80 percent of adult Americans do not get recommended amounts of exercise each week.

Health experts recommend that adults get at least 2.5 hours of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise each week or an ounder’s Way on the campus of East Carolina University gets students hour and 15 minutes of vigorous-intensity to class on time—by foot or bike—with colorful clay pavers that activity. The CDC also recommends that replace an unsightly asphalt street, alleys and parking lots. adults engage in muscle-strengthening It’s all done with one versatile product—authentic clay pavers activities such as lifting weights or doing —in five colors. push-ups twice a week.

English Edge Full Range and Pathway Full Range Masonry may not be the first thing pavers make up the pedestrian right-of-way, while Georgian that comes to mind when you think Edge Buff pavers comprise the cycling lanes,with English Edge about getting people to go outside and Autumn directional arrows and English Edge Dark Accent dividing lines. Fired at 2000°, the colors run, swim or play. However, masonry’s are permanent and will hold up for generations of ability to make outdoor spaces more traffic while complementing the school’s attractive and inviting provides designers historic brick buildings nearby. and public health advocates with an Our colors inspire designers and architects to important tool they can use to convince make any hardscape more creative and functional. the public to get out and be more active.

Read more project details at:PineHallBrick.com/MD While masonry’s ability to create more inviting outdoor spaces isn’t a silver bullet that will solve the challenges obesity poses to our society, Landscape design by ColeJenest & Stone. it can help nudge the public in the right Pavers: English Edge Full Range, Pathway Full AUTHENTIC CLAY PAVERS direction. wMD Range, English Edge Dark Accent, English

The first rule of college: go to class

Jim Cook is a freelance writer based in Dothan, Ala. He can be reached at jim.cook.is@gmail.com. w w w.masonr ydesignmaga zine.com

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DESIGN TRENDS: HARDSCAPING AND LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE

Ball

State

University’s

ARCHITECTURE

OFFERING

By Karen D. Hickey

While I was visiting Savannah, Ga., earlier this year, I was waiting to cross at an intersection when I spotted a girl wearing a t-shirt that said “architecture.”

Being the inquisitive type, I asked her if she was studying architecture. She said that indeed she was, at Ball State University (BSU) in Muncie, Ind. Her mother, who was with her, explained that the young woman was studying landscape architecture and was in her first year. Because all of us were obviously on our way somewhere, I asked the student for her contact information so that I could ask some questions about her studies, and I gave her my business card.

The following interview came out of that short encounter. Here, Kailey Sherman, the architecture student I met on the street in Savannah, describes what she has been studying so far and how landscape architecture has become her focus of study. Kailey also put me in touch with one of her professors, Mr. Lohren Deeg, who is currently associate professor of urban planning at BSU. He describes how masonry is intertwined in the curriculum offered within the university’s College of Architecture and Planning. Thanks to both Kailey and Lohren for taking the time to talk with Masonry Design!

Whether you’re a student or a faculty member, if your architecture curriculum includes masonry, we at Masonry Design would love to hear about it and your experiences. Email me at karen@lionhrtpub.com.

A LETTER FROM MR. DEEG I am currently an associate professor of urban planning at Ball State University.

I was Ms. Sherman’s instructor for the second semester of our foundation-level design studio sequence, shared among Architecture, Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning. I have been on the Urban Planning faculty since 2008, and was an instructor of architecture from 2000 to 2008, teaching at the sophomore and junior levels. My primary role is in teaching these beginning design studios and in the number of graphics/visual communication courses across the undergraduate and graduate levels. As an urban designer/master planner and illustrator, it is critical for me to know, delineate and teach how to represent several masonry materials in both hand and digital drawings/renderings as part of an initial vision early in the process.

BSU’s College of Architecture and Planning continues to have a close relationship with Irving Materials Inc. (IMI), a producer of concrete, lime, mortar and aggregates here in Indiana. IMI has helped support faculty lines for many years. Ball State has 20 |

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had a close relationship to the masonry industries in the sophomore year of the architecture program, with those design studios culminating with a studio-wide design competition sponsored by the Indiana Concrete Masonry Association — an organization of concrete masonry unit producers in Indiana and Ohio. That partnership ended recently, but similar connections to materials associations and producers remain.

I am also a BSU alumnus. As a young student at Ball State more than 20 years ago, tours of the limestone quarries in southern Indiana, and the gravel/mortar sites of IMI remain fresh in my mind. Product representatives continue to visit and share specifications, examples and samples, and donate Materials • Technolog y • Trends

Masonry Design: What is your ultimate career goal? Do you have a progressive path in mind?

Kailey Sherman: I was actually just accepted into the Landscape Architecture program at Ball State University. I am not 100 percent sure what I would like to do after I complete my degree, but I know that I would love to be able to work with parks and playgrounds to provide green spaces and really help bring the community together.

MD: What topics have you covered so far in your studies? How would you say the curriculum has been broken down so far into topics?

KS: During the first-year College of Architecture and Planning (CAP) program at Ball State, students learn about architecture, landscape architecture and urban planning. I think this is a great first-year program to have because students can learn about the three different disciplines before choosing which one they want to pursue. I actually came into the CAP program thinking I wanted to do architecture. After going through the first year, I realized that I wanted to do landscape architecture, so that is what I am doing now.

MD: Has masonry been part of your curriculum thus far? If so, what about it has been covered? If it hasn’t yet been covered, do you know if it will be and when?

KS: We did not talk much about building and design materials during the first-year program. We talked about certain materials during certain projects, but the first year is a lot of basic information and a broad overview of the three disciplines so the student can figure out what he/she wants to do. I believe that I will learn more about different materials, such as masonry, soon, since I have declared landscape architecture. Once you start your second year at BSU, you really start to learn more about your declared major.

MD: Are you satisfied with the education you’re getting in landscape architecture thus far? If not, what would you change about it?

KS: I am extremely satisfied with my architecture education from Ball State so far. Ball State has an amazing first-year program with professors that are helpful in so many ways. I have learned so much, and I can’t wait to continue my degree and see how much I grow over the next few years in the Landscape Architecture program.

MD: What practical experience are you getting, if any, during your years of study at Ball State? Are there internships or similar programs available to you? Is there help finding these, or do you have to look on your own?

KS: Ball State is great when it comes to helping their students find internships and helping them get out into the world so they will have a job when they graduate. During the fourth year of the landscape program, there is a semester set aside for the students to either have an internship or study abroad. This is a great opportunity because either will help the student succeed when it comes to learning about landscape architecture. wMD For more information on Ball State University’s College of Architecture and Planning, visit http://cms.bsu.edu/academics/ collegesanddepartments/cap.

Editor’s note: to our splendid materials library, located in our college facility. They also offer “materials talks at lunch” for students and faculty. A full list of these activities is available at http://bsu.libguides.com/vrcsamples. The librarian, Bradley Johnson, is always looking for networking opportunities with producers and more samples for the library.

In the required building technology courses at BSU, students are challenged to reach awareness and understanding of architectural wall sections and the beginnings of material specifications. Several design-build opportunities in upper-level studios also engage students with masonry materials. The critical issues facing successful walls are absolutely necessary for our students to know here in Indiana, as the freeze-thaw winter climate is quite tough on these materials, and because our regional market favors the rich and stable aesthetics of brick and limestone patterns and combinations. In our landscape architecture programs, a similar relationship exists with nearby brick w w w.masonr ydesignmaga zine.com

See more about Lohren Deeg on

his faculty page: and stone companies for the http://cms.bsu.edu/academics/ extensive purposes of brick collegesanddepartments/urbanpaving, the sculptural qualities planning/about-us/faculty-andof limestone, and the necessary staff/deeglohren. awareness of granite and marble Also visit his American Society of across projects in landscape Architectural Illustrators (ASAI) gallery at: architecture. Likewise, our https://www.asai.org/members/ students in that program enjoy lohrendeeg. good relationships with nearby quarries and producers in their education, design-build opportunities and their courses.

We at the College of Architecture and Planning, Ball State University, look forward to many years of collaboration in the years ahead. wMD

— Mr. Lohren Deeg July/August 2017

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RESTORING THE

M I N N E S O TA STATE CAPITOL

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Materials • Technolog y • Trends

WHAT DO YOU GET WHEN YOU MIX 30,000 pieces of existing

2016 MIA+BSI Grande Pinnacle Award

exterior façade stone, a quarry that is no longer in use, and a team of 13 AEC and trade professionals from around the globe? You get the prestigious 2016 Grande Pinnacle Award from the MIA+BSI for the exterior restoration of the Minnesota State Capitol Building in St. Paul.

With such an expansive and extensive project — valued at nearly $60 million — where did the team even begin? In 2010, they started with a blockby-block analysis of the exterior of the building. For the first several months of the project, representatives of HGA Architects and Engineers, Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc. (WJE), and JE Dunn Construction assessed each of the 30,000 pieces of stone on the exterior façade, tapping and sounding each of the decorative elements to forensically determine its integrity. Ultimately, it was determined that more than 60 percent of the building required some level of treatment.

By Maureen Upchurch Photos courtesy of Polycor, Twin City Tile and Marble, and HGA Architects and Engineers

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MATERIALS | NATURAL STONE

More than 6,900 cubic feet of marble was employed for the project — the same marble used in structures such as the Lincoln Memorial and the original Minnesota State Capitol Building.

“Phase One was a mini-project to test the process,” says Ginny Lackovic, associate vice president for HGA. “It allowed the design team, stone masons, carvers and suppliers a chance to determine their individual and combined strategies to complete the project.

It was also essential to the state of Minnesota in determining final overall project budget.”

The exterior analysis defined a three-tiered system to determine which pieces needed to be replaced.

Was the stone a threat to life safety (Tier 1)? Were water-shedding features no longer performing as originally designed (Tier 2)? Had the character of a piece deteriorated enough to mute its historical and aesthetic integrity (Tier 3)?

It was essential to get the owner of the quarry, Polycor, Inc., involved early in the process. Seeking to use Georgia White Marble, found only in the firm’s Tate, Ga., location, the Minnesota State Capitol received permission from Polycor to re-open its facility for this specific use. More than 6,900 cubic feet of the marble was employed for the project — the same marble used in structures such as the Lincoln Memorial, St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City and the original Minnesota State Capitol Building. “We worked with the architect to select the material ahead of time,” says Sylvie Beaudoin, project manager at Polycor. “They bought it early

New pieces of Georgia White Marble were blended into the old to replace only the deteriorated areas.

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Materials • Technolog y • Trends

Skilled stone carvers were employed to help restore the the Capitol building.

to ensure that there was enough supply beauty of and that the color was correct to match the existing building.”

Each stone and its desired outcome was laid out — full replacement, partial replacement, crack fill, etc. Twin City Tile and Marble began measuring these and created corresponding shop tickets. “We talked to Polycor about lead time,” says Joe Becker, vice president of Twin City.

“And we worked with them to find fabricators of stone with different specialties.”

By the end of the project, five fabricators were employed from the United States, Canada and Italy. When the shop tickets were completed by phase, they were sent to Beaudoin at Polycor, who would sort the tickets and have the stone cut per the requested dimensions and profiles.

“Based on the tickets and my knowledge of the scheduling, I determined the right fabricator for each ticket,” Beaudoin recalls. “I would inspect every piece of the stone, and I would send it to them.”

It was imperative that the fabricators held strict tolerances. There could be no assumptions, though there were only drawings of what was measured. “Not every stone was rectangular,” says Becker. This

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Introducing Prairie Gold Sandstone

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MATERIALS | NATURAL STONE Each new piece of stone had to be precisely fabricated and then blended to fit the pocket where the old stone had been.

meant the measuring had to be on point and fabrication had to conform precisely to dimensioned shop tickets. This was critical to keep the installation process on schedule, as Mark 1 Restoration had to cut the pocket for the stone prior to receiving the finished piece.

Across every phase, pieces were reviewed by the architectural and engineering team eight to 12 times, and the result was practically perfect. Attention to detail paid off, as there was a less than 1% error rate on the nearly 4,000 fabricated pieces.

“When we took the first pilaster off the building, it was heart stopping,” remembers Lackovic. “We were hopeful that historically accurate replacements could be fabricated, but at that point we didn’t have approved models. We spent a lot of time with the fabricators to ensure that new work would be true to the original design. When the pieces came in, they were so beautifully crafted; everyone was able to relax a bit.”

Several of the building’s signature features had deteriorated, to the point that restoration was no longer a viable option. To re-create these elements, master carvers hand-tooled blocks of stone on-site, exactly as had been done a century ago. Blank stone was purchased and either installed first or carved on the ground (allowing easier access) to 50–60 percent completion before being put in place. Becker comments, “From there it was installed and blended to make it look like it was always there, having just a bit more white in color than the stone that had aged and grayed.”

The building’s intricately carved pilaster and column capitals have more than 1,600 acanthus leaves. However, “a leaf is not a leaf,” says Becker. “If you measured each, they were not all the same size.” After measuring and analyzing the range of sizes, a prototype was developed. Paulo Costa and Sons in Italy worked on a model and were able to mass produce the leaves, a rarity on this project.

The leaves were not the only embellishments. The façade of the building was filled with unique, ornate carvings. There were several swags with fruit adorning the building. When these were in need of replacement, small blocks were put in place, and Margaret “Mimi” Moore of Moore Carving carved the fruit. Deterioration was so advanced, it was hard to tell the original detail — was it a melon or a pineapple? Historic images taken during the original construction were an invaluable reference from which. Moore could sculpt. This ensured architectural, as well as historic, integrity.

Historic integrity and consistency were a large piece of the Minnesota State Capitol puzzle. Stone carvers are artists, and each has an individual eye for aesthetics. Rather than allow for varying points of view, HGA established design standards. Ribbons on newly fabricated scrolls could be off by half an inch and would have to be modified by Twin City Tile and Marble carvers.

When new personnel would join the project, they were given this frame of reference. It was important when updating these pieces that variation from piece to piece was minimal.

Additionally, Advanced Masonry was tasked with patching.

“Sarah Arkeh and Krista Rogers colorized the new stone to

The

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match the patina of the existing stone,” says Tim Miller, president of Advanced Masonry. “Their work was like a snowflake; no two pieces were the same.”

“The pool of master stone carvers is somewhat limited,” observes Lackovic. “We were very fortunate to find so many talented people with such highly developed skill sets.

Without them, we could not have accomplished what we set out to do.”

The patching, blending, installing and carving were phased horizontally around the building.

“When they took the scaffolding down from the first phase, we were able to finally get a full perspective. It was the second time my heart almost stopped,” says Lackovic.

Although the team was deliberate and holistic in its approach, there was concern that a mix of new and old stone would detract from the dignified appearance of the building. It didn’t, thanks to the forethought of HGA and WJE to balance the location of the work, and due to the superior patching and blending of the stone by the masons on the team. A clean and smooth finished project was unveiled. wMD

The ribbons on newly fabricated scrolls could not be off by more than half an inch prior to being modified by carvers.

LYONS SANDSTONE

Q U A R R Y & FA B R I C AT I O N

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Colorado’s Quartzitic Sandstone

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PROJECT SPOTLIGHT:

SUNTRUST PARK Atlanta Braves’ new home is the fastest-built Major League Baseball stadium in history

By Adam Cobb Photos and renderings courtesy of American Builders 2017 and Populous 28 |

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Materials • Technolog y • Trends

THIS WAS NO ORDINARY BRICK LAYING. Forty-one years after Atlanta Braves slugger Hank Aaron hit his historic 715th home run — the one that surpassed Babe Ruth’s all-time record — he carefully slid a trowel with mortar across a red brick and placed it alongside another emblazoned with words commemorating the start of construction of the Braves’ new stadium, SunTrust Park.

Aaron was joined at the August 27, 2015, ceremony by Eutis Morris, who had laid the first concrete block at Atlanta Fulton County Stadium — where Aaron blasted that record-breaking home run — as well as the first and last bricks at what would become known as Turner Field, where the Braves won the 1995 World Series. Current Braves slugger Freddie Freeman, donning a hardhat designed like a Braves batting helmet, also joined in cementing a brick.

With those first ceremonial bricks, the foundation was laid for what would become the fastest-built Major League Baseball stadium in American history.

What would come next, in its own record-breaking pace, would be a stadium true to Southern tradition and built with eye-popping amounts of masonry, cutting-edge technology and creativity.

[ABOVE]

A rendering of SunTrust Park, the new home of the Atlanta Braves.

[INSET]

Brick walls flank the first base entrance of SunTrust Park, shown in this photo after completion of construction.

Photo by Ryan Linton.

Let Me Root, Root, Root for the Home Team In the fall of 2013, the Atlanta Braves officially announced they were leaving Turner Field, their home of 20 years, and heading just north of the city to w w w.masonr ydesignmaga zine.com

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PROJECT SPOTLIGHT | SUNTRUST PARK

[ABOVE, LEFT TO RIGHT]

• • • •

A brick commemorating the start of construction of SunTrust Park.

Eutis Morris lays a ceremonial brick.

Hank Aaron also partici pated in the bricklaying ceremony.

One of the brick walls of SunTrust Park.

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Cobb County. Once the move was finalized, architectural firm Populous and American Builders 2017, a joint venture between New South Construction, Brasfield & Gorrie, Mortenson Construction and Barton Malow Company, knew they were swinging for the fences with the aggressive timeline.

With a short 29-month turnaround expected, the team immediately began developing the park’s hybrid design of concrete, steel and precast stadia.

Doug Davidson, New South Construction’s CEO, was excited to join Populous and American Builders to continue New South’s longstanding relationship with Atlanta’s Major League Baseball club. Previously, New South had completed about 300 projects at the Braves’ former home, Turner Field, including the 7,000-square-foot elite SunTrust Suites, the complete renovation of the 755 Club/Delta 360 Lounge, and the ChickFil-A mascot — a 40-foot tall, 7.5-ton, tomahawk-chopping cow perched on the roof in left field.

“New South has a 16-year relationship with the Braves organization, and we were thrilled to be part of this monumental project,” Davidson said. “We knew from the beginning that completing the 1.1-millionsquare-foot park would be a huge undertaking.”

Materials • Technolog y • Trends

Leading Off: Staying True to Southern Tradition The Braves envisioned a stadium that captured baseball’s heritage while also embracing the South’s traditional architecture. Populous embraced this vision and designed the ballpark to include a variety of outdoor spaces where fans can lounge and experience a relaxed social environment while taking in a ballgame.

“Conceptually, the Braves discussed the notion of being outside on a front porch with friends and family on a hot Southern summer day,” said Brad Albers, lead architect from Populous. “And since Atlanta is a strong brick city, we wanted to incorporate those elements as best we could.”

To maximize the fan experience, the stadium was designed with several distinct places where people can gather. “We wanted to create a variety of spaces within the park,” Albers said. “Aside from the standard stadium seating, we created unique spaces where fans can experience the game in a non-traditional setting.”

These include the three-level Chop House, a restaurant that includes two large patios overlooking right field, and the Xfinity Rooftop venue, which features one-ofa-kind views of SunTrust Park.

To s t a y t r u e t o A tlanta’s roots, Populous sourced the region for local natural stone and Photo by Ryan Linton. brick to stay consistent with Atlanta’s signature brick cityscape. By incorporating modern, innovative techniques, the team created a millennial-friendly ballpark with a traditional façade and feel.

Take Me Out to the Ballgame Before construction began, one of the many challenges facing the design and construction team was the fast-tracked w w w.masonr ydesignmaga zine.com

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PROJECT SPOTLIGHT | SUNTRUST PARK

tt

“THE MAJORITY OF THE EXTERIOR WALLS ARE BRICK, AND THE BRICK IS CAST INTO THE ARCHITECTURAL PRECAST PANELS.” — Rob Ragan

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schedule. Because of the time constraints, the team decided to go with an architectural precast with a thin brick overlay as opposed to traditional handlaid brick.

“Though there are some areas of hand-laid pavers and stone, the majority of the exterior masonry walls are brick, and the brick is cast into the architectural precast panels,” said Rob Ragan, New South’s vice president of business development.

By using the precast, construction crews and brick masons could work on the exterior façade of the stadium off-site while construction on-site simultaneously moved forward. As an added benefit, the precast walls were easier to install and were a safer alternative to masons hand-laying bricks while perched atop tall scaffolding. Precast on the exterior walls of the stadium also allowed for greater quality control during the brick-laying process.

As a base element for the exterior brick, Populous sourced more than 600 tons of Crab Orchard stone from Silvara Stone in Crossville, Tenn. The oneof-a-kind stone, which creates a warm and inviting atmosphere, was also constructed into several benches in front of the stadium, as well as the columns lining its border. In order to meet the needs, the quarry extracted more than 3,000 tons of Crab Orchard from across the Cumberland Plateau.

The exterior of the stadium is primarily a three-color-blend, wire-cut brick, which gives the walls a traditional Southern texture. Burgundy Sands No Black, Medium Ironspot #46 and Dark Ironspot Endicott brick are used throughout the stadium, along with decorative glazed brick for accents. Hand-laid pavers line the walkways around the stadium as “forever monuments,”

Materials • Technolog y • Trends

part of SunTrust Park’s Legacy Brick Program that allows families and businesses to leave their mark on their home field by purchasing personalized brick pavers to be installed on the northern side of the ballpark’s exterior, behind home plate between the first-base and thirdbase gates.

Outside the stadium, natural stone is infused in sidewalls and landscape bedding is capped with capstone material.

The hardscaping around the ballpark is dense with native and regional vegetation and stone.

Crab Orchard was also used in large blocks around the perimeter, which doubles as a retaining wall and safety element. The blocks are large enough to prevent vehicles from gaining access to the pedestrian areas and high-traffic walkways.

According to Albers, “We decided to use these large, cut, textured stones as opposed to standard metal pylons because it helps bring everything together.” In fact, every type of stone and brick on the outside of the stadium is also present inside the stadium.

Project Data: General Contractor: American Builders 2017, a joint venture comprised of Brasfield & Gorrie (Birmingham, Ala.), Mortenson Construction (Minneapolis, Minn.), Barton Malow Co. (Southfield, Mich.) and New South Construction Co. (Atlanta, Ga.)

Architect: Populous, Kansas City, Mo.

Masonry Contractor (brick, CMU, thin brick, cast stone, stone veneer): BBA Partners of GA, LLC / Whiterock & Associates, Inc. (a joint venture), Orlando, Fla.

Landscape & Hardscape Contractor (exterior unit pavers, stone for site walls and caps): Brightview Landscapes, LLC, Atlanta, Ga.

Top-of-the-Line Technology The ballpark boasts some impressive numbers: more than 57,300 cubic yards of concrete, 5,600 tons of rebar, 6,800 tons of structural steel, 231,890 linear feet of piping, 502,000 concrete masonry unit blocks, and 602,000 hand-set bricks were used to construct the threetiered, 41,500-seat stadium.

SunTrust Park is the first new-construction ballpark to install LED lighting.

Not only are LED lights cost- and energy-efficient, but from an operational standpoint, they allow the home team to turn the lights on and off without delay. The colors of the lights can also be changed, which allows for special theatrics after a home run, a game win or any other special moments during the game.

Additionally, the LED lights are better for television broadcasts and make it easier to meet the very specific MLB requirements for light levels on the playing field. In fact, Freeman, the Braves’ all-star first baseman, already has commented positively on the lighting at SunTrust Park.

The Braves also wanted top-of-the-line technology to satisfy millennial crowds. This was achieved by running more than 250 miles of fiber-optic cable throughout the stadium and the adjacent retail center, allowing SunTrust Park to offer 800 Wi-Fi hot spots to fans.

Heading for Home Plate In March 2017, the Braves extended another warm welcome to “Hammerin’ Hank” when Aaron returned to SunTrust Park for the unveiling of Monument Garden, one of the main areas where memorabilia is showcased in the stadium. Monument Garden is nestled behind home plate on the main concourse and allows fans to get up close and personal with the displays, much like the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, N.Y. The showcase features masonry, audio, light and water elements, and the main focal point is a custom-commissioned statue of Aaron surrounded w w w.masonr ydesignmaga zine.com

Photo by Ryan Linton.

by water features built with Crab Orchard stone and cast stone–capped walls. The walls in Monument Garden are filled with handlaid brick, which tie in with the exterior masonry components of the ballpark.

In total, crews logged more than 5.6 million man-hours to complete the ballpark, which, as a bonus, is LEED certified and the recipient of regional and recycled points for using locally sourced stone and CMU block.

SunTrust Park is a world-class venue that offers the ultimate fan experience with a classic ballpark feel, modern amenities and Southern hospitality to create a fan experience unlike any other.

Ragan credits the success of the project to the teamwork from the joint-venture partners, design teams, the Atlanta Braves organization and county officials.

“This was a once-in-a-lifetime project for many of us in this city, and it came together seamlessly for such a fast-track project,” said Ragan. “We are proud to be a part of a project of this magnitude that encompasses the traditions, construction materials and techniques Atlanta was founded on.” wMD Adam Cobb, of New South Construction, was the project manager on SunTrust Park.

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DESIGN ELEMENTS | EXTERIOR LIGHTING

Lighting the Way to

ADDED VALUE

By Steve Counter

[BELOW]

The combination of lighting with masonry extends the hours that homeowners can enjoy their outdoor living area. This home in Massachusetts now has lights installed on the steps, in the pavers and in the stone walls.

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GOOD COMPANIES ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR WAYS TO ADD VALUE FOR THEIR CUSTOMERS. The best ones are

able to grow their business while doing it. Bahler Brothers, a design-build firm in Connecticut, has discovered that outdoor lighting adds substantial value to their masonry projects. Combining masonry and lighting extends the hours their customers can enjoy their outdoor living area. This was the case with a recent Bahler Brothers installation in Massachusetts that won a 2016 Hardscape North America Project Award in one of the residential categories.

“Seven years ago, our company focused solely on hardscaping,” says Jen Kloter, project designer at Bahler Brothers. “Now, half of our projects include lighting installations. There’s been a definite trend in clients wanting to take full advantage of the outdoor living spaces we’re creating. We’re not just selling lights — we’re selling extended time for families to enjoy their hardscaping. Combining lights with masonry is a tremendous added value.”

Outdoor lighting solved a unique challenge at the Massachusetts residence. The property includes 7,000 square feet of Techo-Bloc’s Blu 60 pavers in the backyard and 2,400 square feet of natural stone and segmental walls, including 12 retaining walls. This extensive hardscaping provided ample room for large gatherings, but the homeowner also wanted intimate areas where his immediate family could enjoy the space without feeling overwhelmed.

“We selected each of this project’s 80 individual lighting fixtures based on the effect we desired,” says Kloter. “All lighting in this project is

Materials • Technolog y • Trends

function driven. The large space can be transformed into intimate areas when the homeowner uses an app to illuminate just one lounging or dining space at a low intensity.”

All lighting materials, including the Luxor lighting system manufactured

by FX Luminaire, were purchased from SiteOne Landscape Supply. The Luxor is a tech-driven system with zoning, dimming and color-changing capabilities. All lights have a unique group number and can be controlled through a mobile app. A slider bar within the app controls each light group’s color and intensity.

“Our SiteOne representative was a big help in getting us the right fixtures and lighting system to achieve our desired effect,” says Kloter. “He provided lighting training, made suggestions, helped with design and connected us with FX Luminaire to take care of tech issues. Our partnership with SiteOne gave us the help and training needed to sell, install and troubleshoot this project.”

Project highlights include: • Lights embedded in pavers near the pool house and under the deck are designed to highlight the home’s architecture.

• Low stone walls near the pool and fire pit double as seating during large gatherings. Lights were mortared into the stone for added functionality.

• A 9-foot-tall flight of concrete Irregular Steps by Rosetta was installed with path light fixtures to accent each step.

• Stone walls retaining the playscape area have several light fixtures below them in the landscape bed that offer a wider spread of light in a wash effect.

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[ABOVE]

A view of the outdoor living area of the Massachusetts home during daylight hours.

• Significant trees on the property are lit, including a Japanese maple near the fire pit. A bullet light sends light up into the tree’s canopy, where it becomes reflected light and adds illumination to the intimate fire pit area.

“The result is an impressive hardscape installation with outdoor lighting that extends the homeowner’s enjoyment of the space,” says Kloter.

“What’s more, the space can be easily adjusted for large or small gatherings by using smart technology.

All of this adds a lot of value to what could have simply been a large masonry job.” wMD Steve Counter is director, Category Management — Lighting & Irrigation for SiteOne Landscape Supply.

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DESIGN ELEMENTS | EXTERIOR LIGHTING

PAVER LIGHTING: Unobtrusive Accent Illumination, Weather Resistance and Design Versatility

By Michael Schiefer THE FRONT YARD OF A CHARMING, CRAFTSMAN-STYLE HOME IN CENTRAL NEW JERSEY, BUILT IN 1926, has a

[BELOW] Evening Star PL250 Paver Lights in Frost were installed into the border of the walkway, staggered 6 feet apart.

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winding front walkway of interlocking pavers around a lighted koi pond with a natural stone waterfall. Connecting to a side driveway of interlocking concrete pavers the path leads to a rear deck and detached garage. Hardscape lighting was important to the long-time owners, a senior couple who sought needed demarcation for safety, in addition to desired visual aesthetics and curb appeal.

The small footprint and understated, 2 ½-inch round design of Evening Star® paver lights provided both of these benefits in a low-voltage, accent lighting option for all paved areas around the home.

Materials • Technolog y • Trends

Project Details Instead of taking the place of a paver in the field or border, Evening Star paver lighting installs directly into any standard concrete paver flush with the surface of the pavement. Lamp modules come in 10 custom-formulated colors — five designer colors and five architectural colors (see photo for color options). The Designer Color Collection is particularly ideal for delineation, color washing or accenting aspects of a landscape design, while the Architectural Colors comprise shades that are specially created to harmonize with popular shades of pavers and segmental retaining wall blocks — unique to Evening Star — as well as tones found in wood composite decking, step materials, architectural characteristics of the home and natural surroundings.

Project: Residential walkway and driveway, Highland Park, N.J.

Contractor: Champion Landscaping, Highland Park and Piscataway, N.J.

Paver Lights: Evening Star Lighting, Inc., Glen Cove, N.Y. U.S. Patent Nos. 7,070,294 and 7,556,394 CA Patent Nos. 2,491,501 and 2,591,736

Pavers: North Brunswick Construction Materials, North Brunswick, N.J.

Flexible Design Options Another likable aspect of the lamp modules is how easy it is for the consumer or professional to change lens colors — to create either a oneof-a-kind color palette design or a seasonal color display — using a removal tool available from the manufacturer. It was refreshing for these homeowners to know that, with the product’s adaptability, they could add relevant paver lighting colors to their outdoor holiday décor.

The pavers chosen were EP Henry Old Town Cobble, 6x6 and 6x9, in the producer’s soft and earthy Harvest Blend. The laying pattern was the “I” pattern, which is universally viewed in any direction, so the pathway looks uniform as it flows from front to rear. The soldier course is 6x9 in matching color, as the designer/contractor did not opt for a contrasting border treatment. There are 29 Evening Star PL250 fixtures with Frost lamps integrated into the walkway and adjoining driveway. The lights are installed into the border, staggered 6 feet apart, as recommended by the lighting manufacturer’s technical support team.

FULHAM UNVEILS NEW UNIVERSAL VOLTAGE LED SHOEBOX RETROFIT KIT Earlier in 2017, Fulham Co., Inc. released its new Universal Voltage LED Shoebox Retrofit Kit. Designed to replace conventional shoebox lighting and 400W HID luminaires, the new LED Shoebox Retrofit Kit uses clever LED programmability for greater energy efficiency and performance. The kit comes in a single configuration for outdoor applications using street lamps, parking lights and area lighting luminaires.

The LED Shoebox Retrofit Kit supports 120V to 227V with low total harmonic distortion (THD) and features an integrated thermal management system for optimal performance, reliability and longevity.

The kit is designed to maintain the aesthetics of the original shoebox luminaire and can be used in dry or damp locations. It also is UL classified for field installation and can be fitted in from 5 to 10 minutes. The outdoor/high-output version of the Shoebox Retrofit Kit also complies with DLC 4.0, the new DesignLight Consortium standard.

Part of Fulham’s growing line of LED lighting products, the LED Shoebox Retrofit Kit has a programmable driver that can be configured for 165W to 53W for greater versatility and low power consumption, with seven programmable wattage settings for multiple lumen outputs (preset by request). Smooth dimming can be programmed from 100 percent to 10 percent or 0 percent.

The unit also is compatible with daylight harvesting controls, occupancy sensors and building automation systems. wMD For more information on this or Fulham’s complete line of LED lighting units, visit www.fulham.com.

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DESIGN ELEMENTS | EXTERIOR LIGHTING

[BELOW] The universal size of the adjustable Evening Star fixture, containing a wire harness, recesses securely into any standard 2 3/8-inch (60-mm) or 2 ¾-inch (70-mm) -thick concrete paver.

[INSET] Evening Star lamp module color selections. Top two rows left to right, Designer Colors: Frost, Firefly, Rouge, Seaglass and Pacific. Bottom two rows left to right: Brandywine, Driftwood, Blush, Ash and Sesame.

Two independent circuits, enabling even more versatility, can be operated from an optional 10/3-cable. No re-lamping is necessary. A unique Cam-Lock™ allows quick replacement of just the lamps. For presentation of a landscape architect or contractor’s design plan, samples of lamp module colors, as well as a Paver Light Sales Kit, can be obtained from the manufacturer or through a network of company-authorized dealers.

Economy and Durability With Little or No Maintenance In this particular project, the closeness of the waterfall and pond, in addition to the Northeast’s changing climate conditions, could have presented problems for incorporating paver lighting into the plan. However, with Evening Star paver lights, the lamp modules are totally sealed, making them weed- and corrosion-proof — unaffected by water, de-icing salts or harsh coastal environments.

Evening Star paver lights are UL listed. The durable, polycarbonate construction withstands vehicular and pedestrian traffic, which is also ideal for varied commercial, municipal and residential pavement applications.

Installation Methods The universal size of the adjustable fixture, containing a wire harness, recesses securely into any standard 2 3/8-inch (60-mm) or

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Materials • Technolog y • Trends

2 3/4-inch (70-mm) -thick concrete paver. Using a diamond-tipped core drill, a hole is made through the paver to receive the lamp support assembly and lamp module. As an added convenience, coring is also available from many Evening Star masonry supply dealers. Some dealers also provide shipping to the project site if the dealer’s location is not easily reachable by the installer.

The completed fixture quickly connects to standard 12/2-circuit cable with an exclusive, reusable Power Tap Connector™. This system installs easily to new or pre-existing work, and the circuit cable can be routed with several options. Fixtures are connected without wire nuts or splicing with the unique, reusable Power Tap Connector.

By design, the Evening Star system allows for lighting fixtures to be placed anywhere in a project and not limited by a paver’s geometric shape.

Field-proven Evening Star paver lights were first introduced in 2006.

Complete and comprehensive product and installation information, in addition to a design gallery, dealer locations and literature downloads, can be found online at www.eveningstarlighting.com. Technical support is available by calling (732) 249-8567. wMD Michael Schiefer is a marketing consultant, creative director and writer of material that is of interest to producers of hardscape materials, landscape designers and professional contractors. He also acts as an art director and conceptual designer of outdoor living spaces that feature hardscaping and related products and amenities.

Over the past 30+ years, Schiefer has been instrumental in the launching of several brands and innovative products connected to the hardscape industry.

tt

EVENING STAR PAVER LIGHTS ARE TOTALLY SEALED, MAKING THEM WEED- AND CORROSION-PROOF, SO THEY ARE UNAFFECTED BY WATER, DE-ICING SALTS OR HARSH COASTAL ENVIRONMENTS.

We made it first. We make it last.

The first-ever building restoration cleaning in the United States was in 1956, when PROSOCO devised a technique for cleaning the delicate terra cotta surface of the Mountain States Telephone Building in Denver, Colo.

We’ve ushered in many more “firsts” since then, including cleaners and protective treaments for masonry, concrete flooring products, and air and water barriers.

Helping buildings withstand the test of time is in

our DNA and in our products - used on some of the most recognized buildings across the United States. It is the foundation of our company, and the purpose of our future.

prosoco.com

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TECHNOLOGY

COATINGS, SEALANTS AND GRAFFITI PROTECTION Following careful assessment of the condition of a masonry structure, coatings and sealants can be used for waterproofing, weather resistance or even a glazed, anti-graffiti surface.

THERE IS LOTS OF TALK ABOUT MOISTURE MANAGEMENT.

Techniques vary between traditional stone masonry and that of modern construction, which uses various methods and materials to prevent moisture from migrating across the building envelope. But moisture management is only one piece of the puzzle in preserving masonry structures. Coatings and sealants are utilized on brick and natural stone in order to protect them from the elements or even graffiti artists. After careful assessment of the condition of the structure, coatings and sealants can be used for waterproofing, weather resistance or a glazed surface. The next few short articles provide a glimpse into some products and techniques now available in this area.

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TECHNOLOGY | COATINGS, SEALANTS AND GRAFFITI PROTECTION

SEALING CLAY PAVERS ANYONE WHO HAS SEALED CONCRETE PAVERS KNOWS THE CHALLENGES THAT ARE OFTEN PRESENTED: from

By David Warren

the vast differences in porosity to trying to decide which sealer to choose.

Clay masonry pavers offer the same challenges as their concrete brick counterparts in trying to decipher the best product to use to achieve the practical and aesthetic goals for the project.

Two basic types of sealers are recommended for use on clay pavers. The first is a penetrating sealer. This type of sealer usually leaves the surface looking natural and is applied to help combat the intrusion of moisture, which can accelerate the growth of mold and mildew. A great penetrating sealer choice is Black Diamond Coatings’ AQUA-X™ 33. This sealer is a one-coat application for a natural appearance with excellent moisture repellency.

The second type of recommended sealer is a film-forming sealer. This type of sealer, while also aiding in the exclusion of moisture, adds an aesthetic aspect to the surface. Film-forming sealers often enhance to color of the paver, as well as offer different levels of sheen, depending on the type of sealer chosen for the project. We recommend using Black Diamond Coatings’ STONE+™ for a color-enhancing, satin finish to your clay pavers. This product is also a one-coat application.

The key is to use products that are manufactured to work with clay, while also following any application instructions that may differ for masonry. Concrete paver sealers generally are not recommended for clay masonry. The products we produce and recommend are commercial grade and will keep your pavers looking great for years to come. wMD David Warren is president of Black Diamond Coatings, Inc., a national producer of bio-based, environmentally friendly, low-VOC sealers for concrete, pavers, stone and wood.

For more information, visit www.

BlackDiamondCoatings.com or call (800) 270-4050.

[RIGHT] Top image: STONE+ on clay brick.

Bottom image: AQUA-X 33 on clay brick.

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TECHNOLOGY | COATINGS, SEALANTS AND GRAFFITI PROTECTION

GRAFFITI-RESISTANT GLAZED BRICK TILE FACADE PROVES A WINNER FOR CHIFLEY SPORTS RESERVE

By Robertson Façade Systems

A RECENT UPGRADE OF CHIFLEY SPORTS RESERVE, one

of the largest sports complexes in Randwick, New South Wales, Australia, included constructing two amenities buildings complete with kiosks, storage, meeting rooms, toilets and change facilities.

Situated between the reserve’s two main sports ovals, along an east-west pedestrian pathway, the buildings create a central focus for the reserve. A series of concrete blades, situated at the ends of the buildings, are shaped to capture a long, flat roofline and to enable transparency and access between the northern and southern sports fields.

The buildings’ striking façades were created by Simply Precast using Robertson Façade Systems’ proven brick inlay system. Using this system, Simply Precast placed glazed thin brick tiles, in black, white and yellow, supplied by Robertson’s Building Products, into concrete on the external panels in the precast factory. The panels were then delivered to site, and quickly and easily installed.

Completed in 2016, the choice of glazed brick facing tiles for the buildings’ façade was a clever one, for both practical and aesthetic reasons. The glazed brick tiles are not only durable and create a strong profile in the center of the reserve, but they also easily meet a challenge common to many community facilities — graffiti removal. Glazed brick tiles are incredibly easy to clean. They make the process of removing graffiti much simpler compared to traditional porous masonry surfaces, using environmentally friendly methods. Not only is this in line with Randwick City Council’s graffiti management policy, but it’s also sure to put a sigh of relief on the faces of the personnel who are charged with the task of removing graffiti. wMD For more information on this project, Robertson Façade Systems’ brick inlay system or glazed brick tiles, visit www.robertsonfacades.com.au.

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TECHNOLOGY | COATINGS, SEALANTS AND GRAFFITI PROTECTION

NEW ASTM GUIDE HELPS PREDICT PERFORMANCE AND LIFESPAN OF BUILDING SEALANTS A NEW GUIDE AIMS TO HELP PREDICT HOW BUILDING SEALANT SYSTEMS WILL PERFORM OVER TIME USING ACCELERATED TESTING METHODS. The new standard (to be

published as C1850, Guide for Improved Laboratory Accelerated Tests to Predict the Weathering and for Developing Methods to Predict the Design Life of Building Sealant Systems) was developed by ASTM International’s committee on building seals and sealants (C24).

The guide outlines a systematic way to develop realistic tests that show the longterm impact of weathering and other factors.

“It is impossible to know how a product will perform in five to 10 years, but you have to select a product now,” says ASTM International member Christopher White, a research chemist at the U.S. National Institute for Standards and Technology. “This new standard is a guide to accelerated test methods that will help determine the performance of products in the future.”

White says that the proposed standard could be useful for anyone in charge of choosing or buying sealants. He says the new standard could potentially serve as a model for the development of accelerated testing standards for other materials. wMD For more information, visit www.astm.org.

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606 PAINT REMOVER PAINT REMOVER

Diedrich Technologies delivers a triple threat against vandalism with their innovative water repellents, coating strippers, and paint removal

1-800-283-3888

products that protect, clean, and restore masonry resurfaces!

www. diedr ichtechnologies.com/gr affi t i

Diedrich Technologies is a division of HOHMANN & BARNARD, INC. For for more information on our full line of products, please visit www.h-b.com

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Virtual Reality

VR Is the Future of AEC

by Joana Simoes Joana Simoes is content manager for Enscape GmbH, Karlsruhe, Germany.

She can be reached at j.simoes@enscape3d.com.

For more information about Enscape, visit https://enscape3d.com.

Virtual reality (VR) may seem like a new concept, but it’s been around since the 1950s. You may only know it as the weird headset that everyone crowds around in tech stores, but industries have been using VR for quite some time. NASA has been using it for years, and most recently had some of their astronauts take a trip to Mars using virtual reality. The VR movement has been made easier to attain with the release of headsets like the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift. The simplicity of use is what has made it the new trend in architecture and construction.

Virtual Reality in AEC The growth in popularity of virtual reality has not spared the architecture/engineering/ construction (AEC) community. Both industry professionals and clients alike are enjoying the stunning visuals that VR can provide. The innovation stems from the clarity that is now found with this technology. The design processes are becoming more streamlined, and the demonstrations to clients are becoming beautiful, realistic experiences. We live in an age where we all want instant gratification. Emails come through in seconds, we binge-watch TV shows with a click of a button, and news travels right to the palm of our hands. Virtual reality is bringing that same effect to architectural designs.

Concepts Come to Life Architecture is art. As such, sometimes when a concept is shown to a client or even a boss, they may not fully grasp what is being shown. It is hard for people to fully visualize a building when it is in its concept stage, but with VR coming into play, the game is starting to change significantly.

When using a head-mounted display (HMD) — these are the ones worn over your eyes — you are fully immersed in the virtual world. This is when concept becomes reality in a shorter amount of time. A client can now fully immerse themselves into a design, clearly seeing what their buildings and structure will look like in the end. With software like Enscape for Revit or SketchUP, the client can request a change during the presentation, and the rendering can be done in real time. Instant gratification attained! It’s costeffective, too, as most VR headsets are affordable these days, and something that used to take a lot of time and money can now be done at a fraction of the cost.

Masonry on the VR Bandwagon The masonry industry is no different from any other — architects and construction professionals are making rapid strides toward this technology, as they can fully immerse themselves in visuals of their projects. They are getting a clear and concise view of what

By combining VR with Enscape’s real-time rendering capabilities, you can achieve a level of proficiency that was previously unattainable.

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a concept can become in real life. Our imaginations can do only so much work.

Virtual reality helps answer such questions as: What will different details look like? Will it work? How can I make it better?

Building and Planning With Enscape While virtual reality is making the visualization of designs easier, it’s also making the building and planning process a more productive and time-saving task — especially with software plug-ins like Enscape. By combining VR with Enscape’s real-time rendering capabilities, you can achieve a level of proficiency that was previously unattainable.

As you design and walk through those designs in a VR world, you can spot any possible issues and quickly find solutions. Then, as you fix the issue within the plan, Enscape will instantly show it in the VR experience. This not only helps speed up the design process, but it also helps fix issues along the way and even in the later stages of the design, without the stress of time constraints. It’s not just being able to see what the windows, walls and doors look like that makes this an appealing trend for AEC. You can even use VR to take a deeper look into mechanical/electrical/plumbing (MEP) aspects of a design — once again with Enscape offering the freedom and ability to fix things in real time.

Enscape is the first real-time rendering plugin for Autodesk Revit and SketchUp. It will run alongside the programs, and the changes made will instantly appear in the visualizations.

Enscape works closely with users through their Development Agenda, which can be found at https://enscape3d.com, where users can vote on planned features. This gives users exactly what they want and need with each update. And with a 14-day free trial, there’s nothing to lose with Enscape.

As technology changes, many people want to hold on to the past, adamant that the old ways are the best. Yet it’s hard to ignore all the positive aspects that virtual reality and real-time rendering can bring to the table. The more time that passes, the more impatient human beings will become.

Technology is making everything happen in a blink of an eye, and somewhere down the line people will look for the firms that will give them immersive and fast-acting responses to their wants and needs. Virtual reality is the present and future of AEC, whether you’re ready for it or not. wMD w w w.masonr ydesignmaga zine.com

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Supplies | Mortars & Admixtures Masonry mortar is a key material in unit masonry construction. Specifiers should maintain a balanced viewpoint when selecting both mortar type and mortar ingredients, comparing the advantages of each with the requirements of the project.

1 Sakrete Type S Mortar Mix www.sakrete.com

Typically used for new construction and repairs, Sakrete Type S Mortar Mix is a contractor-grade mortar mix. It’s a smooth blend of sand and masonry cement or sand, lime and portland cement depending on your geography. Sakrete Type S Mortar Mix is for the laying of brick, block and stone in load-bearing walls and construction below grade. This versatile product can be used for laying brick, block or stone, repointing, as a stucco mix or parge coat. Look for Sakrete Type S Mortar Mix and its new packaging in your local independent hardware or home improvement store.

Get Your Products Featured!

The September/October 2017 Supplies section will feature green and sustainable products. Send your product descriptions and images to Karen Hickey at karen@lionhrtpub.com.

1

2

Krystol Mortar Admixture (KMA) From Kryton www.kryton.com KMA is a hydrophilic crystalline admixture used to provide long-term protection of masonry mortars and concrete masonry units against water and waterborne contaminants by reducing permeability and absorption of the mortar. Simplifying installation by removing the need for surface-applied sealers and easily incorporated into the existing mix-design and application processes, KMA provides superior waterproofing performance that lowers building maintenance and repair costs.

When added to cementitious mortars or concrete masonry units, KMA chemically reacts with water and unhydrated cement particles to form insoluble needleshaped crystals that fill capillary pores and microcracks in the concrete and block the pathways for water and waterborne contaminants. Any moisture introduced over the lifespan of the concrete will initiate crystallization, ensuring permanent waterproofing protection.

2

3

Greencore USA Super High Yield Mortar www.greencore-usa.com Greencore USA offers a full line of high-quality, high-yield and environmentally friendly cementitious building materials. All of the mortars, stuccos and grouts from Greencore USA, a QUIKRETE® company, are manufactured using a unique combination of slag cement and Portland cement to increase the environmental benefits on a project while improving productivity and reducing labor costs. Greencore USA Super High Yield

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Mortar is an ecologically friendly, high-performance blend of portland and slag cement, dried sand, and other proprietary ingredients. This mortar meets ASTM C270, C1714, and ICC requirements for masonry mortars when properly mixed in the field with water. Available as type S or M, Greencore USA Super High Yield Mortar can be used for non-load-bearing applications above or below grade in a variety of custom colors.

3

® 4 SPEC MIX Set Delayed Mortar

www.specmix.com

Longer board life, great workability and excellent bond! These are the primary advantages of SPEC MIX® Set Delayed Masonry Mortar. Masons working in hotweather climates need a high-quality, specialized mortar to combat the negative effects associated with rapid evaporation of water from the mix, and SPEC MIX Set Delayed Mortar is the solution. Engineered to meet the requirements of ASTM C 270 and C 1384, Set Delayed Mortar is thoroughly pre-blended with dried masonry sand and proprietary admixtures that slow its initial set time in hot-weather conditions, resulting in increased water retention, longer board life and superior bond.

In addition to custom mix designs that are available for specific project applications, SPEC MIX Set Delayed Mortar is available in custom colors or 25 standard colors, making it ideal for the installation of CMU, brick and stone unit masonry. wMD

4

advertiser’s index page#

company-phone-website

Arriscraft International, Inc.

17

5

Mortar Net Solutions

1

SPEC MIX, Inc.

800.265.8123 www.arriscraft.com

800.664.6638 www.mortarnet.com

888.773.2649 www.specmix.com

43

Hohmann and Barnard, Inc.

26

Natural Stone Veneers Intl.

45

Tradesmen’s Software

800.645.0616 www.h-b.com

877.923.2800 www.nsvi.com

800.494.4899 www.tradesmens.com

7

Laticrete International, Inc.

C4

Owens Corning

800.243.4788 www.laticrete.com/mvis

844.CAV.COMP www.cavitycomplete.com

25

Lyons Sandstone

27 303.823.5659 www.lyonssandstone.com

42

Masonry Cosmetics, Inc.

888.698.8705 www.masonrycosmetics.com

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19

Pine Hall Brick Company, Inc.

31

Weix Industries

262.628.4188 www.weixindustries.com 800.441.8359-TN

800.334.8689 www.pinehallbrick.com

39 Prosoco

800.255.4255

www.prosoco.com

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Estimation

Overcome Familiar Financial Challenges With Ease Editor’s note: This is the last in a threepart series of articles on construction financing that Masonry Design has planned with CreditSuppliers.

By James Nielsen,

Esq., CPA, founder and CEO of CreditSuppliers

About the Author James Nielsen, Esq., CPA is the CEO and founder of CreditSuppliers.

Nielsen combined his backgrounds in law, accounting, construction supply and venture capital to found CreditSuppliers, a financing platform that provides project funding to contractors and subcontractors. He earned his B.S. and master’s degrees in accountancy from Brigham Young University. He earned his J.D. at Arizona State University. He is currently a CPA and an active member of the Arizona State Bar.

Construction has been dubbed a high-risk industry by lenders. While anyone working in construction will admit that there are certainly risks associated with being in the business, banks and credit card companies have given the field a bad name.

The reality is that these big companies do not understand the construction industry. Construction doesn’t have the same draw schedules or payment cycles that other industries have. Projects often involve multiple parties who need to be paid before they can pay their subsidiaries. In short, finances can get messy very quickly.

A few recurring challenges for construction pros are cash flow limitations, bad credit, low profit margins and cost overruns. After watching a number of contractors pull themselves out of the recession, it is clear that there are ways to overcome these financial roadblocks. These challenges have a common solution: reliable project financing.

Cash flow limitations Cash flow is a common problem among contractors, no matter their specialization. The paywhen-paid model is antiquated — it is rare in other industries to see such a payment model.

This payment cycle puts financial stress not only on the contractor but also on his suppliers, his employees and the sub-contractors on the project.

In the pay-when-paid model, contractors front project expenses with their own money to satisfy the monetary demands of the other parties working on the project. This practice moves all of the project risk onto the contractor and may limit his ability to start another project until he is paid, which can kick-start a never-ending cycle that will eventually inhibit business growth.

My advice is to utilize financing to increase cash flow. This may seem counter-intuitive, as there are always costs associated with third-party financing. But think about what you’d be able to do if you had the extra capital available to hire another employee who would allow you to work on two projects at once. You’ll make more money in the long run by making investments that push your company to grow.

Poor credit rating Credit can stem from cash flow. If you do not have the capital available to pay for supplies on time, your credit rating will be impacted. Using financing to increase your cash flow can help you

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increase your credit. You’ll need to pay off your financing on time in order to reap the credit benefits.

In addition to paying your financing on time, pay suppliers as quickly as possible. You can often negotiate a discounted price for paying in full in a timely manner. Financing can provide a cushion that allows you to make these payments without further straining your working capital.

A higher credit rating can lead to more capital from your financing partners, which allows you to invest more money in growing your business.

Low profit margins The recession was at its worst almost 10 years ago, but some businesses have yet to fully recover.

Certain areas of the country are experiencing high levels of competition for construction projects, which can lead to very low profit margins.

Combat this by spending time perfecting your bidding process. Contractors often cut profit margins down significantly in order to submit a bid that comes in at the lowest cost. While it is a good idea to consider costs when bidding, it is important to take home a profit on a project.

Financing companies often look at your profit margins during the application process. The key is to maintain a steady flow of work in a variety of areas so your company shows a strong profit margin. When it comes time to apply for financing, this will help you win a higher financing limit.

Cost overruns No matter how your budget was prepared, there is always risk of a cost overrun. When a project budget does not account for last-minute changes or potential change orders, there is a chance that the project will be thrown into chaos if a major change is needed. Thoroughly preparing for each project will help you mitigate risk.

A line of project financing can help ease the effects of change orders. More capital allows you to be more flexible when it comes to adjusting for budget and project changes. Factor your financing into each project’s budget and make a list of potential change orders. Your finances should be able to cover the most expensive change order.

This process may be unnecessary if a project does not go over budget, but it is important to consider multiple outcomes so you are ready to switch gears if needed. wMD Materials • Technolog y • Trends

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