Things Are Looking Up In Hardscaping
December 2015

If you were to visit the site of a new building project and were asked to examine the hardscaping design, your natural inclination would be to look down at the ground. In most instances, you wouldn’t be wrong in making that choice. But if you were to vis

Cal Poly Students’ ‘FlipBlock’ Wins Award
August 2015

Cal Poly State University students Alex Kiefer and Jacob vanDerRoovaart won the 2015 Student Unit

Engineer Challenges Historical Theories on Building of Egypt’s Pyramids
March 2015

Engineer Challenges Historical Theories on Building of Egypt’s Pyramids

Belgard® Hardscapes Introduces Mega-Tandem™ Wall Block
July 2013

Belgard® Hardscapes Introduces Mega-Tandem™ Wall Block

Designer-Led Design-Build
June 2008

Design-Build is by far the fastest growing method of project delivery in the country. Its popularity is owner-driven, primarily because of shortened project delivery times and the single point of responsibility for project design and construction.

USGBC: Savings in LEED and Energy Star Buildings
April 2008

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) recently publicized the results of two studies that confirm that certified LEED and Energy Star buildings outperform other buildings in energy efficiency, and in sale, rental and occupancy rates.

Survey: BIM Use Increasing, IT Investment Lacking
January 2008

According to the FMI/CMAA Eighth Annual Survey of Owners, there is a continued lack of investment in information technology (IT) in the construction industry, despite the expanding use of Building Information Modeling (BIM).

JanFeb 2008: Minimizing Masonry Litigation – Avoiding Lawsuits
January 2008

Whether innocent or guilty, anyone who is designing, constructing, buying, owning or selling can be sued.

MayJun 2008: Minimizing Masonry Litigation – Part 3 - Foundations
January 2008

Previous articles in this series covered general principles and drainage. The first article states that lawsuits can be minimized by good ethics, well-written contracts, clear communication, and by following directions (e.g., building codes). The second

Mason Contractor Certification
January 2008

When the Mason Contractors Association of America (MCAA) considered the idea of certifying mason contractors, there were many who were very skeptical of the idea. However, after careful thought and consideration, the Board decided that not only was certi