As mentioned in our Activation Guide, the easiest way to activate MASS is online. If you have internet but the online activation is still not working, you can quickly solve this by following our online activation troubleshooting guide.

Offline activation starts the same way as online, simply enter your serial number and make sure that it appears in green text.

The “Computer ID” will appear once you select the “Offline activation” option. This is generated by MASS and is what differentiates computers based on hardware and software information. In Versions of MASS older than 2.2, it would change for users who upgraded their operation system but were still using the same computer. Versions 2.2 and newer have been changed so that fewer people would have to explain to us that they are using the same machine, despite MASS thinking the user was trying to use their license on a new computer. As per the end user license agreement (EULA), each MASS serial number can be activated on only one machine.

Step 1: Send MASS Support the required information

Once MASS has generated your Computer ID, you will need to contact MASS Support and provide all of:

1. Your name (ie. Brad Crumb)
2. Email address (ie. bcrumb@canadamasonrycentre.com)
3. Serial number (ie.BHHI0C0I00A1F1GC8F822M1JGWZSJ6C)
4. Computer ID (ie.5552YMSM/0A+)

Remember, Copy and Paste is your friend!

If possible, copying and pasting before sending is the best way to transfer the serial number and computer ID to reduce the odds of a typo during transfer. If any character is missing or slightly off, the activation code will not work. You can copy the Computer ID by selecting it and right clicking. It can be impossible to tell an O from a 0, or a l from an I or a 1!

Step 2: Receive Activation Code and Activate

Once you have sent all the required information, you will be given the “Activation Code” which you can enter below the computer ID to complete the activation process. If you look next to “License status”, you will know that MASS has been successfully activated if you see “MASS will expire ____” with a future date listed.

As always, feel free to contact us if you have any questions at all. CMDC is the authorized service provider for the MASS software which is a joint effort of between CCMPA and CMDC.

If you can read this article but MASS thinks you don’t have internet, there are two things you can do to get around this issue. While either one should work on their own, we’ve outlined 2 just in case.

October 2016 Update: Windows 10 users must jump straight to option 2. Since the initial publishing of this article, there have been many cases of users not having success after attempting option 1

First of all, this article is for those who have tried to activate online and gotten an error message about not having an internet connection. More general activation questions are answered here on our quick activation guide. If you can’t get an internet connection through other programs other than MASS, you may need to activate offline.

This page will help you if you have seen either of the 2 following error messages

MASS not being able to connect to the internet is a result of your computer trying to protect you from malicious software infecting your computer. We should say that there is absolutely nothing malicious within MASS that you need to be worried about. By default, Windows is suspicious of programs contacting servers outside of your own office which is why you need to take an extra step in allowing that connection. Option 1, outlined below, is the easiest and fastest way to restore that connection.

Note: You only have to follow this procedure once to activate. you will not have to do this each time you wish to use MASS

Option 1: Run MASS as an Administrator

Even if you are using your own personal computer where you have full access to all files and operations, you still need to manually do this for Windows to allow MASS to have internet access. To do this, simply find MASS in your Start menu, right click, and select Run as Administrator

This will launch MASS with full administrator rights which will allow it to reach our server to activate. You will not see anything different when MASS opens however, you will be able to activate online. Click here to return to the general activation guide for an online activation walk-through.

Option 2: Add a Windows Firewall exception

This option will target the root of the problem rather which is that the reason MASS is unable to connect to the internet is because Windows Firewall is blocking the application. Individual programs can be allowed through in the Control Panel which will be explained below. Note that administrator privileges are required so if you could not follow option 1 because of a lack of user permissions, you will not be able to follow option 2 either.

Click on the tabs from left to right to go through the steps required to add the exception.

As always, feel free to contact us if you have any questions at all. CMDC is the authorized service provider for the MASS software which is a joint effort of between CCMPA and CMDC.

This is one of the most common question we get having to do with masonry beam design so if this is something you are stuck on, know that you are not the first! We’ll first break down the reasons for this issue and then quickly outline what you can do about it.

First of all, this is not a bug in the code. This issue is a product of the way the 2004 S304 standard limits stirrup spacing. It has since been addressed in the 2014 edition and MASS Versions 3.0 and newer will allow two course designs with stirrups.

When does this happen?

This issue is specific to beams designs where:

1. The beam is 2 courses high or less, and
2. The beam is failing in shear design for having a shear resistance that is too low

You can see in the screenshot below that only the “none” option is selected for stirrup placement and if you try and click the single or double leg selections, nothing happens because the whole input area is greyed out or “disabled”.

The fix seems obvious, right? Just add some stirrups to boost my shear capacity! This is where we run into problems.

Why MASS won’t let you just add stirrups to your beam

The error message you are seeing reads: “Design fails: There is insufficient steel stirrup area and/or bar spacing according to CSA S304.1-04: 11.3.4.7.1,2 and/or 11.3.4.8”.

For reference, 11.3.4.7.1 and 11.3.4.7.2 each refer to stirrup placement and minimum area requirements. The issue we are running into comes from 11.3.4.8 which covers “Spacing limits for shear reinforcement”.

Click to see full reference

The issue here and the reason MASS will not let you place stirrups in your beam is that clause 11.3.4.8 is specifying a maximum spacing of d/2 which for 2 course beams is less than 200mm. MASS recognizes this and greys out the option to even place stirrups because the modular nature of masonry restricts you to multiples of 200mm (or the space between the centre of adjacent cells in concrete block construction).

Since you cannot physically place stirrups closer than 200mm within a masonry beam, MASS disable this option.

As you can see, there is no way to place stirrups any closer than one per cell. For those curious, these beams were built for university research supported by CMDC. You can read more about that here.

What you can do to get a successful design

You have a couple of options to get your design to pass. You can always send your MASS project file over to us in an email and we can walk through these options together over the phone as well. To do this, visit our contact page to get in touch.

1. Re-examine your loads

Oftentimes when going through a design, there are assumptions that are made along the way that can have a big impact on the final design. In the case of load distribution, are all of the loads being carried straight down to the beam or can arching be assumed as outlined on page 305 of our textbook? Did you manually add the self-weight of the beam in your dead load? If so, you might be double counting if you have the self-weight option selected in the loads window. Are there other loads applied that might not actually be resisted by the beam? All of these can mean the difference between a beam design passing and failing in shear design based on the loads applied.

2. Model an additional course of masonry within your beam

Many masonry beams are supporting more masonry above them so why not take advantage of this by considering a third course to be part of your beam? The real world difference could mean as little as simply grouting an additional course but the key difference is that the increase in height and in turn, d (depth of tension steel from compression face), moves the d/2 spacing restriction to being greater than 200mm. This might not be possible if the clear span is very small since the additional course might bump you into deep beam territory but for most designed masonry beams, adding the third course to your design does the trick!

3. Think about using a high lintel unit

If you can’t get your d/2 value below 200mm, you can approach the problem from the other direction and remove the 200mm restriction by changing to a high lintel beam design. High lintel beams have a continuous grouted area that can fit any reinforcement configuration. They can even be modeled in MASS for those of you who are feeling more ambitious! Give us a call if you are interested and we’ll be happy to walk you through it.

4. Consider using a stronger masonry unit

No, this does not mean you also need to increase your grout strength (See note 4 of Table 4 within the S304 masonry standard for reassurance). Using a unit with a higher f’m value increases the shear strength of the masonry itself, possibly giving you enough resistance as to no longer require stirrups in your beam. This is not always practical and is only effective if the failing masonry shear resistance is close to the required factored shear force.

One more thing…

Seeing as this whole issue is born not from a software bug but the way the CSA S304 standard was written, MASS Versions 3.0 and newer will not have this issue. CMDC currently maintains an active role in shaping and developing masonry standards and as a result, the 2014 edition of the S304 standard includes an addition to the “problem” clause, 11.3.4.8, which now includes a minimum value of 200mm for the maximum spacing of stirrups.

It is for this reason that the issue you are dealing with now will no longer be a problem when you start designing with the 2014 S304 standard.

Still have questions? Feel free to call or send us an email! (Including your MASS file is very helpful)

While the majority of our users are using MASS trouble-free, we get calls and emails from time to time about crashes that usually have a simple fix. These steps will get you back up and running as quickly as possible.

1. Uninstall MASS (including old versions you may still have) then reinstall

You can view installed programs and select MASS to uninstall through the Control Panel. Once you have MASS uninstalled, you can then reinstall the newest version which will hopefully solve your issue. Note that uninstalling and reinstalling MASS will not affect your activation so you do not need to worry about having to reactivate.

Click here for help uninstalling programs

Image source: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/17421/windows-free-up-drive-space

2. Try running MASS as an administrator or with administrator rights.

While this might not be an option for someone working within a large company who may have to go through their IT department, users using MASS on their own computers can run MASS as an administrator to see if that solves their issue. If the problem is solved then you know that user permissions were causing the problem.

3. Contact MASS Support

Unlike many companies who will try and divert you to their self-directed online support, we actually encourage everyone to just call or email when something comes up. We don’t want you wasting time when someone can get you on your way in no time at all!

Click here to visit the CMDC contact page (CMDC is the authorized support provider of the MASS software)

Click here to visit the MASS website contact support page

There are different types of crashes that can happen when using MASS. An important detail to note or pass along to myself or Luisa is what you were doing immediately before MASS crashed on you. Were you just opening the software for the first time? Were you trying to print? Did you open your 101st shear wall in the same project file? These details are very helpful in getting you back up and running as quickly as possible.

Bonus: Specific MASS crash you might be dealing with

Does this look familiar? It appears when first clicking to launch the MASS software.

This is an error that some users experienced after using MASS Version 2.2 having to do with the “Recent Projects” pane added to the left hand side of the welcome screen. What is happening here is MASS is trying (unsuccessfully) to load up the list of most recently worked on projects. The fix is fairly simple: Go to the location of the Recent Projects file and delete it, resetting the reference and solving the crash. The one downside of this fix is that your list of projects will be cleared, as if you were running MASS for the first time.

To find the file, go to your user folder (bcrumb in my screenshot below) and open the MASS folder where you can find and delete Recent.txt.

Once that folder is deleted, you should be good to go!

For all other inquiries, please to not hesitate to contact us!

Each year around this time, hundreds of calls and emails come through our office asking about the MASS software renewal process. [callout title=”First of all, please don’t hesitate to call or email if you have questions!” button=”Contact Us” link=”http://www.canadamasonrydesigncentre.com/contact-us/” buttoncolor=”white, yellow, orange, red, blue, green, gray, black, alternative-1, alternative-2, alternative-3″ target=”_blank or _self”]These articles are meant to supplement our support, not replace it![/callout]

That being said, if you are looking for answers for your questions having to do with the MASS software and how licensing is handled, you will find the answers you are looking for here. If there is anything that we left out, please tell us and we’ll make an effort to add to what we have here today.

Didn’t answer your question?

Please let us know what else we should add to improve this resource for others. While we do not want this to become a substitute for the personal and knowledgeable technical support that we provide, our goal is to make it as easy as possible to quickly find answers and be on your way with your actual design work.

This post is part of a quick FAQ series Brad and I have put together to make it easier to find answers to the questions you are looking for. To find more posts about the MASS (Masonry Analysis Structural Systems) design software, visit our blog.

In order to use the MASS software, you first purchase a license and then renew it each year at the reduced renewal price. So, what’s the difference between a purchase and a renewal?

Renewals – only available to existing MASS users

The most cost effective way to keep a MASS license is by renewing every year. Each renewal extends your license to the July 15^th of the following year, regardless of when you renew your license. This was done to concentrate renewals around the same date each year, keeping more money allocated to technical support and software development (read more on this here). If you have a masonry project even once every 3 years, it is cheaper to renew each July for $200 than to wait until you need it and buy a new license again for S750. Not only are our renewals much cheaper than purchases at $200/year but if you take also advantage of our early-bird and multi-user discounts to save even more! To renew, simply follow the link included in your renewal notification email or click here to visit our online store.

Purchase – New to MASS? There is no time like the present to jump in!

If you have never used MASS before, purchasing a MASS license is the way to get started. In addition to the software tool itself, MASS purchases also include comprehensive technical support, as well as access new version releases free of charge. A physical copy of the software is automatically included in your purchase ($25 value). License purchases come with a license that is valid for at least one year, bringing you to July 15^th when all licenses are renewed. For example, if you purchased a license on August 10^th, 2015, this license will have an expiry date of July 15^th, 2017. If you are interested in purchasing a MASS license, please visit our online store or contact the CMDC directly for assistance.

If you haven’t used MASS and would like to try it before purchasing, please do not hesitate to contact us and request your free trial. We are confident that you will find MASS to be a worthwhile purchase, joining over 450 engineers across Canada who use MASS for their masonry designs.

This post is part of a quick FAQ series Brad and I have put together to make it easier to find answers to the questions you are looking for. To find more posts about the MASS (Masonry Analysis Structural Systems) design software, visit our blog.

There are two types of discounts that are offered each year: early bird discounts and multi-site office discounts for larger companies.

Early Bird Discounts

These are sent out to all users along with a friendly reminder that their license is about to expire. Every year, we have sent out 15% off promo codes that can be applied at checkout when you renew your MASS license. We send them to everyone so there’s no excuse to miss out! The catch? You have to renew by August 15th to avoid paying full price.

Note: If you did not receive an email with a renewal discount, please contact MASS support by calling or emailing us.

Multi-Office Discounts

These are sent out some of our larger customers who have licenses spread over many offices across Canada. Since our Small, Medium, and Large Office packages only can be used for multiple engineers within one physical location, these discounts are meant to make it easier to give MASS to as many of your engineers as possible and also to thank you for continuing to support us. These discounts are even larger than the early bird promo codes. If you are considering outfitting computers in more of your office locations with MASS, feel free to contact us and see if you qualify for additional discounts.

This post is part of a quick FAQ series Luisa and I are putting together to make it easier to find answers to the questions you are looking for. To find more posts about the MASS (Masonry Analysis Structural Systems) design software, visit our blog.

Every license has an expiry date

Every MASS serial number has an expiry date hard coded into it that is recognized by MASS even without internet access. This is why each time your renew and extend your MASS license another year, you also receive a new serial number.

For example, the serial number BWPP0N0Q005MFNBN8V8W2A1D94PYYPW is hard coded to have expired on May 15th, 2011

While some software packages offer a perpetual license that only needs to be activated once with updates serving as a premium extra that comes at extra charge, MASS licenses include so much more than just a software tool. Read more about that here.

Where can I find my expiry date?

With the release of MASS Version 2.2, all of that information has been added to the welcome screen for quick reference. You can find it at the bottom left corner of the welcome screen:

You can also view your activation anytime from within MASS by selecting “Activate Product” under the “Help” drop down menu:

The expiry date will appear in the bottom text field directly above the “Activate” button.

What if my license has expired?

If your MASS license has expired and you are unable to activate, feel free to contact the CMDC to quickly get it sorted out. It is possible that you are attempting to activate with an older serial number when there is a newer one that you have already purchased and not yet activated.

It may be that you need to renew your license. You can do this online on the MASS website or simply contact us for support. We are more than happy to get your sorted out as quickly and hassle free as possible!

With the hundreds of calls that come through our office each year, at least a few go along the lines of “I bought MASS a year and now it’s not working. Why do I have to renew my license each year?“. Hopefully these points help you understand that your renewals help support your software experience beyond just the moment you purchase and install MASS.

Your renewal gives you access to new version releases and keeps your software up to date

Rather than simply charge a one time fee and leave you with a software package that will never change, we are working continuously on improving MASS. There are several bugs that have been found since launch and they have been addressed with each release, making sure that MASS is a reliable tool for your masonry designs. Just as a quick summary, here is a list of updates we have done in the past and what each one has added to your user experience.

The final release of MASS that designs using the 2004 edition of the CSA S304 masonry standard. The most notable changes include an in-plane shear design overhaul which addresses the M_f/V_fd_v ratio bug which can be found on our “Known Bugs” page. The welcome screen has also been updated to a more modern interface with direct access to recent projects as well as other helpful information. For a full outline detailing what is new in Version 2.2 click above to download the List of Changes PDF or refer to section 1.6 of the Help files within the software.

MASS Version 3.0 takes everything from previous software versions and adapts it to the latest editions of the CSA Standards, including the S304-14: Design of Masonry Structures which is referenced in the 2015 National Building Code of Canada. For a full outline detailing what is new in Version 3.0 refer to section 1.6 of the Help files within the software. A news release post can also be found here.

Annual renewals help support the very high development costs associated with developing and maintaining a reliable design software.

Your renewals each year also cover technical support from qualified engineering professionals

While there are several things that set MASS apart from any other masonry design software, the biggest is the technical support that comes along with it. While is there thorough help documentation that can be accessed by pressing F1 inside the software, it can be frustrating to encounter a problem and then waste time scrolling through pages of information to find the part that addresses your issue.

As the authorized support provider for MASS, you can contact the CMDC with any software related question and get a simple, straightforward, and informed response right away.

It’s that simple and not something that you get with every software. Scroll down our staff page and you’ll see that CMDC is well equipped to help you with your next masonry design.

We do not make money by selling license renewals each year.

In fact, we spend a lot more on support and development than what comes in – in the neighbourhood of hundreds of thousands of dollars each year

As much as some people like to think that we are these tech-oriented, Silicon Valley, billionaire, hipsters, milking you for every last penny we can get, the reality is that the Canadian design community is so small relative to the US that no private company would spend the money required to develop a software specifically tailored to using Canadian design standards. MASS has been made possible by the generous contributions from the partnership between block producers through the CCMPA and our masonry contractor members. In fact, only 25% of the software’s maintenance and development costs are covered by sales and renewal revenue. The remainder is covered by the CCMPA and CMDC.

NMDP is the software company that develops and maintains MASS. It is a partnership with the CCMPA and CMDC

For those curious, here is the clip in question referenced from the 1987 movie Predator.

The issue here is that for some reason, Firefox really enjoys adding “.txt” to the end of your installer file, replacing the original “.msi” file extension.

There are 2 ways to fix this

   1. Remove the “.txt” from the filename in windows explorer

Simply remove the “.txt” by right clicking, selecting “rename” and then press enter to save your changes. To start, go to the folder where MASS was downloaded.

Right click and select “rename”

Remove the “.txt” that appears at the end

File extensions not appearing for you? Go here to find out how to display them.

You will be asked about changing the file extension. Click “Yes” to continue.

Once you’ve changed the file type, you should notice that the icon will have changed. You can now double click to run the MASS installer.

   2. Download MASS using a different Web browser

You can get Chrome here. There are lots of other browsers out there so you can take your pick. Give Internet Explorer a try if you have it installed as it comes by default on most computers.

edit: some users still have this issue with chrome. You may have to go with option 1 where you delete the .txt file extension.

So why is this even an issue?

I can’t say for sure but if I had to guess, I would say that it is their way of adding another layer of security to keep you from accidentally downloading a virus or some other form of malware onto your machine. After all, you might know that National Masonry Design Programs is a trustworthy software provider (It definitely is!) but Firefox lacks the same outstanding judgement and intelligence so it adds the “.txt” to help keep you safe.

edit: It has come to my attention that some users are having the same issue with Chrome so you may need to get rid of that .txt regardless.

Credit: http://shoze.blogspot.ca/2011/06/brorwser-wars.html