Errors in construction specifications lead to lost time and money for all parties involved. Errors can occur due to references to outdated standards, contradictory or conflicting requirements throughout a specification, general omissions of important information, or a misunderstanding of what is present in masonry standards.

As part of CMDC’s goal to provide designers and our members with the tools and resources to design masonry structures, this new initiative is meant to provide a resource to anyone involved in a project where masonry work is being specified. The main specification page is now available under Resources, linked here: www.canadamasonrydesigncentre.com/resources/specifications

The following are examples of some of the typical issues that CMDC engineering staff have encountered over years of experience in the industry. The purpose of this initiative is to provide a general resource to help inform mason contractors, specification writers, architects, engineers, and masonry designers in general on what types of specifications might lead to issues on a masonry job.

The specification examples available today are:

1. Tying Veneer to a Structural Backing
2. Specifying Mortar for Nonloadbearing Masonry
3. Specifying Mortar for Loadbearing Masonry
4. Bond Beams in Partition Walls
5. Workmanship and Tolerances for Walls
6. Workmanship and Unit Appearance
7. Workmanship and Mortar Joints
8. Vertical Movement Joints
9. Acoustic Block in Reinforced Masonry
10. Masonry Grout

CMDC is available to answer any design or construction questions for designers or our contractor members. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you are looking at a specification that is raising some questions or you are looking to specify something in your design and want to ensure that the way it is written in a way that is clear and reflects the codes and standards that are being used for your next project.

A new report published by CSA Group and authored in partnership with CMDC has just been published and is available for viewing on their website press release, linked here.

Click here to view the Executive Summary (hosted on CSA’s Website)

The linked page includes the full executive summary with a link to download the full report on the left side of the page (at the top of the article if reading on mobile)

Authored by Adrien Sparling, Dan Palermo, Ph.D., P.Eng., and Usman T Khan, Ph.D., P.Eng. at York University, the report explores the various ways in which masonry related CSA Standards may be impacted by or could be improved to consider the effects of climate change.

Specifically, the report dives into how corrosion resistance is evaluated for masonry connectors, as well as how durability is evaluated against freeze-thaw cycling. It also makes recommendations regarding quantifying and reducing C0₂ emissions and energy usage.

Which standards were included in this study?

The following masonry standards were examined as part of this report:

• CSA A82:14 – Fired masonry brick made from clay or shale
• CSA A165 Series-14 – CSA Standards on concrete masonry units
• CAN/CSA-A179-14 – Mortar and grout for unit masonry
• CSA A370:14 – Connectors for masonry
• CSA-A371-14 – Masonry construction for buildings
• CSA S304-14 – Design of masonry structures

Read through the summary and download the full report today

The executive summary along with a download link can be found on CSA’s website:

Click here to view the Executive Summary (hosted on CSA’s Website)

To download the report, a link is available on the left side near the top of the page:

This report demonstrates just one way in which CMDC is active in the code and standards development process.

A new report authored by CMDC has been published by CSA Group as of February, 2021. This report represents the fruition of a joint effort between CMDC and the National Concrete Masonry Association to investigate and propose recommendations for future code development.

The full executive summary has been featured on an article hosted by CSA Group, available here.

Click here to download the report

The collaborative Canadian-American initiative is broken down into three parts with proposed recommendations at the end. These three key activities include:

1. Comparison of the Canadian limit states and the US strength design provisions, including load (NBCC/ASCE 7) and resistance (CSA S304-14/TMS 402-16) provisions;
2. Parametric studies of reinforced masonry beams and in-plane and out-of-plane bending of reinforced masonry walls; and
3. Comparison of preliminary archetype building designs.

Each part is summarized below and is further explained in the full report.

Comparing and Contracting Canadian and US Design Standards

The first part involved a comparison of the Canadian limit states and the US strength design provisions, including load (NBCC/ASCE 7) and resistance (CSA S304-14/TMS 402-16) provisions. This review revealed that, similar to the loading provisions, the methodologies used by both standards for computing reinforced masonry element resistances are generally similar in nature. Key nuances identified include:

• Lower CSA S304-14 masonry compressive strength, f’_m and flexural tensile strength, f_t which were noted to be approximately half of those specified by the TMS 402-16 standard;
• Use of a directionality factor, 𝛘, in CSA S304-14 which impacts the resistance of masonry elements where compressive stresses are applied normal to the head face;
• A lower CSA effective compressive width of 4t when computing out-of-plane resistance of masonry walls which is triggered much sooner compared to 6t used in TMS 402-16; and
• Differences in resistance (strength) reduction factors with impacts noted to be more prominent in compression-controlled responses.

Examining how these differences affect the design of masonry beams and walls

The second part, a parametric study, was carried out to investigate the nuances identified during the standard comparison. The studies illustrated the following:

• Lower axial resistance in CSA S304-14 under combined axial load for out-of-plane bending response due to lower masonry compressive strength values and lower masonry material resistance factors;
• Lower CSA S304-14 squat wall resistances due to reduced moment arm;
• The CSA S304-14 reduced moment arm provision was shown to overestimate the actual moment for wall aspect ratios near 1.0;
• Reduction in CSA S304-14 resistance in tension-controlled regions of combined axial and out-of-plane bending response due to smaller effective compression width of 4t versus the TMS 402-16 provision of 6t;
• Reduced CSA S304-14 beam resistances, nuances attributed mainly to the directionality factor, 𝛘, and to greater compression stress block depth as a consequence of the smaller masonry resistance factor and lower masonry compressive strength; and
• Overall reduced seismic capacity of shear walls inhibiting their use in regions of high seismicity in Canada

Look at the overall effect on building design on each side of the border

The third activity involved performing eight structural designs, where a warehouse-office structure and multi-unit residential structure were designed on each side of the Canada-US border at two locations. The British Columbia location illustrates designs governed by earthquake loads, whereas the Niagara Falls designs illustrate the design differences with lower seismic hazard risk, governed by the combination of wind and vertical loading such as deal, live, and snow loads.

Preliminary designs of two building archetypes were carried out at two locations along the Canada-US border to identify nuances in location-specific design. In general, the two-storey mixed-use archetype design in the US was achievable with either smaller masonry block units or units of the same size but with significantly less reinforcement. Several differences were noted in the beam designs and highlighted how restrictive the Canadian design provisions are in comparison to the US. On the other hand, the multi-storey residential archetype exercise revealed that designs with a greater number of storeys can be achieved using the Canadian provisions. The number of storeys was restricted in the US due to the maximum reinforcement limit, a provision which is not included in the CSA S304-14 design standard.

The summarized findings are listed below with the full list and discussion items available within the report:

Click here to download the report

Note that the linked report available for download is a condensed version from the original document available to CSA S304 committee members. The full report goes into further detail and also contains calculations for the referenced designs and is not publicly accessible.

As discussed in the report, these two sets of design standards were developed by the same collection of research and knowledge, yet they yield very different results. This report represents the culmination or significant effort to harmonize these approaches and improve the way engineering design is done on both sides of the border.

It’s real, and it’s spectacular! We are very excited to announce this new release, available immediately and for free to all current, active license holders.

This post originally appeared on the new MASS documentation website. Click here to view the original release notice.

If you are currently using Version 3, you can upgrade to Version 4.0 at any time (download and installation instructions are available at the end of this post).

What’s New in Version 4.0?

A 3 minute preview can be seen below with the longer 11 minute outline available here.

Those videos not enough for you? Click here for the full change log to see what else is new and exciting about the release of Version 4.0.

New Seismic Design Options

MASS has a new seismic design tab for shear walls that allows users to choose between the newer simplified approach added to the 2015 NBCC or the good old equivalent static force procedure. Ductility is now a parameter that can be specified and used for design.

Dealing with a Post-Disaster importance category? You can now specify “moderately ductile” or “ductile” in the seismic tab and let MASS handle the rest – including drift and the ductility verification!

Multi-Storey Shear Walls

Ever found yourself working through a building’s design and asked yourself “What if I could do all this work, but in fewer steps?“. Don’t let your dreams be dreams!

MASS Version 4 adds a new multi-storey module that coordinates the design of several elements to give you a result that matches unit properties and vertically aligns your reinforcement. Worried about your self-weight loads not being up to date as the design changes? Read up on our detailed design strategy and cry tears of joy because we’ve got you covered!

How to Upgrade

Anyone with a current, activated MASS license can upgrade to MASS Version 4.0 at no extra charge. New releases are included as part of keeping an active license, in addition to other benefits such as comprehensive technical support and course notifications.

To begin downloading MASS Version 4.0, click here to visit the upgrades page

Questions about the download, extraction, or installation process? Click here to view the two and a half minute video walk through that will show you how you can install MASS on your computer. There is also a full installation guide available here.

Still have Questions?

Please do not hesitate to contact myself or anyone else in CMDC with any questions or concerns regarding this upgrade.

Canada Masonry Design Centre (CMDC) is the authorized technical service provider for the MASS Software.

Version 4,0 was made possible by the support of our masonry contractor members through CMDC as well as the joint venture partnership through NMDP with CCMPA Canadian Concrete Masonry Producer’s Association – see ccmpa.ca for more information).

For full details, please visit the course page, hosted on the CMDC learning platform, LearnMasonry.ca

In-class Session Schedule

Friday, January 24th

8:00am to 6:30pm (breakfast, lunch, and dinner provided)

Saturday January 25th

8:00am to 12:30pm (breakfast and lunch provided)

Friday, February 7th

8:00am to 6:30pm (breakfast, lunch, and dinner provided)

Saturday February 8th

8:00am to 12:30pm (breakfast and lunch provided)

Friday, January 28th

8:00am to 6:30pm (breakfast, lunch, and dinner provided)

Saturday January 29th

8:00am to 12:30pm (breakfast and lunch provided)

Topics covered

Click the weekend heading to expand the topics for each.

Please refer to the official course information page for current and up-to-date course details.

Online – Supplemental eLearning

In addition to the in-class component a number of lessons will be made available through our online learning platform. These additional topics are included in your fee and can be taken at anytime during the course. These added lessons will provide designers with a deeper and more nuanced understanding of masonry design and will cover topics such as:

• MASS Design Software:
  • Design of Masonry Beams
  • Design of Out-of-Plane Walls
  • Design of Masonry Shear Walls
  • Shear Wall Load Distribution with Openings and Movement Joints
• General Overview of Changes from 2004 to 2014 CSA Masonry Materials, Construction and Design Standards
• Masonry Materials:
  • Specialty Mortars, Clay Brick, Connectors and Stone Products
  • Case Studies and Diagnostics of Masonry Veneers
• Masonry Beams:
  • Design of Brick Beams, Deep Beams and Prestressed Beams
  • Modified Compression Field Theory and Shear Design of Masonry Beams using the 2014 Standard
  • Support of Masonry and Bearing Design, Using Movement Joints for Structural Applications and Arching of Masonry over Openings
• Masonry Shear Walls:
  • Unreinforced Masonry, Floor Connections and Intersecting Walls
  • Multi-Storey Shear Walls and Introduction to Seismic Design
• Masonry Out-of-Plane Walls:
  • Unreinforced Masonry
  • Intersecting Walls and Stack Pattern Masonry
  • Design Assumptions: Smeared versus Discrete Partially-Grouted Masonry

Full details can be found on the course website on CMDC’s online learning platform: LearnMasonry.ca

We are pleased to announce that the Canada Masonry Design Centre (CMDC) is offering two seminars at the Canadian Concrete Expo. The seminar content includes Locating and Detailing Movement Joints In Masonry Systems and Improved Earthquake Design For New Resilient Masonry Post-Disaster Buildings. These seminars offer an opportunity to network and discuss technical issues directly with CMDC staff. The two seminars will take place at the Canadian Concrete Expo on Wednesday Feb. 6, 2019. To register online for the expo please click here.

Located right across the water from Halifax, the new office location is now up and running! In partnership with AMI, CMDC Atlantic is now available for building designers and AMI contractor members to reach out for technical solutions. For more information on the types of services that can be provided by CMDC, click here to read more.

As part of opening the new location, CMDC is proud to announce the newest team member, Andrew Smith, who recently completed his Masters in Applied Science at Dalhousie and is now working with CMDC as an Engineering Intern (EIT). For a full bio and more information about AMI, click here to view the staff page and scroll through CMDC’s full list of offices.

By contacting CMDC for technical assistance, contractors and designers in Atlantic Canada now have a new resource to contact if any design or construction questions arise having to do with masonry.

The new AMI/CMDC Atlantic office is located in downtown Dartmouth. Full info can be found on our contact page.

Starting in 2010, Masonry Analysis, Structural Systems (MASS) has been available as a design tool to engineers across Canada. From day one, our mission has been to provide an effective design resource that saves significant time in the engineering design process without compromising the reliability and integrity of your design calculations. We have received a lot of feedback and always make a sincere effort to keep development costs low by only spending on areas that directly improve MASS.

As of May 15th, 2018, the price of all software renewals and purchases can be seen in the table below:

Compared to prices offered starting in 2013, this is equivalent to only a 1.9% annualized increase.

Full pricing can be found on the MASS website. With these new pricing options, there are a number of other items to keep in mind.

License revenue goes straight to improving MASS

Just to list a few examples, a new in-plane lateral load distribution module, Shearline, was created for Version 2.0 to save time on simple, single storey elevations that generally are not allocated much engineering design time. The most recent major update came in Version 3.0 where the entire scope of MASS was shifted to using the updated editions of CSA Standards for designers working in areas where the 2015 National Building Code of Canada has already been adopted. Between these major releases, minor updates have been made and released to add smaller items like fire resistance ratings, more reliable printing, and an improved launch screen. Throughout the entire process, bugs have been diagnosed, tested, and patched within each minor update to ensure that you can be confident when using MASS. The most recent example of this can be seen in Version 2.2.1 which was released after Version 3.0 which you can read more about here.

Currently, work is being done to expand the scope of MASS to include Chapter 16 seismic design requirements added in the 2014 edition of the CSA S304. This will include shear wall deflections, ductility seismic force reduction factors, ductility verification, and plastic hinge requirements. In addition to the seismic work, a new multi-storey shear wall module is under development to save time for many multi-storey structures.

Licensing revenue goes directly to improving MASS and improving it on a continuing basis.

MASS is well supported and maintained

If you have ever had any issues getting MASS running or have had technical questions about the software’s calculations and overall design approach, you have contacted MASS support. Unlike many software packages that operate using a ticketing system and involve waiting periods and escalations, anyone with a MASS license has immediate, direct access to engineering support through the Canada Masonry Design Centre. We take pride in offering excellent customer support that is knowledgeable and available for when you need it.

MASS Licenses include more than just access to the MASS Software

While the biggest part of the decision to renew MASS is based on getting access to the software, once you have a valid license, other benefits are included at no extra cost. While some programs like to nickel and dime for add-ons and features, every MASS user has access to the complete version with no fine print. When updates are released and the software is improved, you don’t have to pay an upgrade fee. Simply maintaining and renewing your MASS license entitles you to the most up to date version that is available.

MASS license holders also get notified first when a new course or seminar has been made available. The most recent iteration of the CMDC’s Engineered Masonry Design Course was announced and filled within 48 hours by MASS users who had the advantage of being the first to know about it.

Discounts are available for everyone

Everyone likes getting a deal and just because individual renewals go for $220 per person doesn’t mean that’s what you have to pay! There are many types of discounts available that you should not hesitate to take advantage of:

Early-bird Renewal Discount

Chances are, you’ve been linked here from one of our email notifications and if that is the case, you will also see that you can save 15% if you don’t put off your renewal to when your next masonry project comes along. This is available to everyone with a MASS license that needs renewing so act quickly to take advantage.

Multi-User Discount

Have more than one engineer working in your office? We have special office packages for groups of 5, 10, or more engineers that make it cheaper and more cost effective compared to purchasing individual licenses. Click here to see all of the available packages along with pricing. Note that these cannot be spread across multiple locations, which leads us to…

Discounts for Companies spread over multiple locations

If you fit this category and have at least four offices with at least one small office package, you have already been proactively contacted with a special discount offer. These are offered to try and help make up for the fact that the larger offices packages cannot be divided between engineers working from different locations.

Creating software is expensive. Period.

Everything in the software creation process takes a lot of time, energy, and money. From specifications and documentation to programming and quality assurance testing, engineering software cannot be done without significant investment both initially and on an ongoing basis. This is all before factoring in support, website maintenance, license management, and distribution.

You may have also noticed that promotion and advertising hasn’t been mentioned. The MASS software is a tool that is growing in popularity thanks to reputation and word-of-mouth alone! None of the revenue from license sales is used for anything that doesn’t go straight back in to the software you are using today.

Putting the “Not” in “Not-for-Profit”

The MASS software represents a joint venture between masonry contractors (through the not-for profit contractor association: CMDC) and masonry block producers (through the not-for-profit industry association: CCMPA). Together, the masonry industry covers over 75% of software related costs, leaving less than 25% which comes from licensing purchase and renewal fees. There is a good reason why there isn’t another masonry design software package for Canadian designers offered by a private company.

Still have questions?

Feel free to reach out to MASS support with any comments, suggestions, or other feedback regarding this change. While we understand that for many designers, masonry is a component that only comes up on projects here and there. We work very hard to make sure MASS is a product that is cost effective and pays for itself after even just one job. MASS licenses are deliberately priced and subsidized in such as way that it can be accessible to any designer in Canada using masonry in their projects.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call or email the Canada Masonry Design Centre. We are here to help!

The MASS software is a product of a joint partnership between CMDC and CCMPA. CMDC is the authorized provider for MASS Technical Support.

The spots went much more quickly than anticipated but just two days after the course notification was sent out, all of the available seats for the Engineered Masonry Design Course (EMDC) have been filled. There have been quite a few calls that have come in since the last seat was taken and we regretfully cannot accommodate a larger class size. This is a function of our training centre classroom (hosted with OMTC) which can only seat 30 engineers at full capacity.

Classroom ready for the start of the 2018 Mississauga edition of the greatly anticipated EMDC

To be notified when the next course is announced, feel free to contact us and request to be placed on the waiting list. Alternatively, all current MASS users are notified when any new course or seminar is announced. New courses can also be requested on our Course and Seminars pages.