Organization Expands Free Education Programs

Words: Bronzella Cleveland

JanuaryFebruary 2008
Industry News

Organization Expands Its Free
Masonry Education Programs

RMMI, a Denver-based consortium of more than 120 masonry-related companies throughout Colorado, Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, is expanding on its series of free monthly Lunch-n-Learn seminars for architects by offering similar courses for engineers. The seminars are geared specifically to the professional needs of the target audience, and the topics are based upon information requests from architects and engineers. All seminars will be taught at RMMI, 686 Mariposa St., Denver, CO 80204.

The seminars for architects continue to be presented on the second Wednesday of every month (third Wednesday in January). AIA self-report credit still will be available for these 90-minute sessions. The engineering courses will be offered on the first Wednesday of every month (second Wednesday in January).

The first eight engineering seminars will be presented by Mike Schuller, P.E., president of Atkinson-Noland. The series will constitute a course in “Masonry Engineering Basics” aimed at practicing engineers who have never had a college-level masonry design course. RMMI says those who attend all of the lunchtime seminars will have the basic information they need to design reinforced masonry following current building codes.

The 2008 Lunch-n-Learn schedules are as follows:

Architectural Lunch-n-Learns:

Jan. 16  —  Top 10 Worst Details & How to Fix Them
Feb. 13  —  Proposed Changes to the LEED System
March 12  —  Manufactured Stone: Best Practices
April 9  —  Masonry in the Landscape
May 14  —  How to Make Your Single Wythe Wall Perform Better
June 11  —  TBA
July 9  —  TBA
Aug. 13  —  TBA
Sept. 10  —  A Masonry Tour of Prague and Budapest
Oct. 8  —  So You Bought a Historic Masonry Building... Now What
Nov. 12  —  Review of Documented Green Research on Masonry
Dec. 10  —  Flashing – The Most Important Masonry Detail


Engineering Lunch-n-Learns:

Jan. 9  —  Specifying Engineered Masonry
Feb. 6  —  Setting Up a Jobsite Quality Assurance Program
March 5  —  Designing for Flexure: Beams and Lintels
April 2  —  Axial Loads
May 7  —  Combined Flexure and Axial Loads
June 4  —  Designing for Shear (Beams and Walls)
July 2  —  Distributing Loads to Shear Walls
Aug. 6  —  Detailing Reinforcement and Anchorage
Sept. 3  —  Highlighting Masonry in Your Design
Oct. 1  —  TBA
Nov. 5  —  Web-based System for Learning How to Test and Evaluate Masonry
Dec. 3  —  TBA


For the most up-to-date schedule information please visit www.rmmi.org. MD

Hot This Time of Year
July 2026

Yes, summer is hot; that is just how it is. Summer heat can have effects on many things, and as I get older, I realize there is usually something I can do to tolerate the hot days. We all know the obvious, and I am sure every one of us has that person who

The Walls We Build
July 2026

As masons, we spend our careers building walls. We build them with brick, block, stone, and mortar, and we take pride in making them straight, strong, and built to last. But over the years, I’ve learned there is another kind of wall we build—the walls we

Owen Heimbach
July 2026

This month, the MCAA had the pleasure of speaking with SkillsUSA First Place Winner Owen Heimbach, a young mason just starting out whose enthusiasm for bricklaying is truly contagious. His passion for the craft was evident throughout our interview.

Backfill Your Foundation
July 2026

I’ve been noticing an uptick in a very specific kind of application lately, and once you see the pattern, you can’t unsee it. The résumé usually reads like a family photo album. “Started helping my dad when I was 15.” “Worked summers, then full time.” “R