First Seismic Guide for Masonry now available free from CCMPA
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 13, 2009
First Seismic Guide for Masonry now available free from CCMPA
TORONTO — The Canadian construction industry now has ready access to a comprehensive guide on masonry seismic design and construction. The first edition of The Seismic Design Guide for Masonry Buildings is now available online and free of charge, the result of several years of work spearheaded by the Canadian Concrete Masonry Producers Association (CCMPA).
“New seismic design provisions in Canada have changed masonry design and construction,” said Gary Sturgeon, Director of Technical Services with CCMPA and one of the guide’s technical editors. “CCMPA is responding to this change by ensuring industry professionals have access to the information they need to meet all building code seismic requirements.”
The new guide serves as a single source of information on seismic design for masonry according to provisions set down in the 2005 edition of the National Building Code of Canada (NBCC-05, Part 4, Structural Design) and the Canadian Standards Association (CSA S304.1-04, Design of Masonry Structures).
The authors are Dr. Svetlana Brzev of the Department of Civil Engineering at the British Columbia Institute of Technology, and Dr. Donald Anderson of the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of B.C. They have formatted and written the guide specifically to address the needs of practicing structural engineers designing concrete masonry buildings such as warehousing and industrial buildings, schools, commercial buildings, and residential structures.
The guide’s more than 300 pages:
- explain the basis of the seismic design requirements within the NBCC-05 and S304.1-04
- describe the behaviour of concrete masonry under seismic loading
- detail the appropriate methods for seismic design and analysis
- contrast current and past code requirements
- provide guidance to masonry designers on interpretation and use
- demonstrate application using 12 detailed design examples and hundreds of illustrations
“This is a first in Canadian building design and will prove to be a valuable resource for structural engineers working with concrete masonry,” said Paul Hargest, President of CCMPA. “There is no comparable guide in Canada, and no more comprehensive guide internationally.”
The Seismic Design Guide for Masonry Buildings is now available in a digital format and can be downloaded free of charge from the CCMPA website: ccmpa.ca
For more information, contact:
Marina de Souza
Managing Director
Canadian Concrete Masonry Producers Association
416-495-7497
1-888-495-7497
Info@ccmpa.com
About CCMPA
The Canadian Concrete Masonry Producers Association, operating as Region 6 of the National Concrete Masonry Association, is the representative voice for the Canadian concrete block manufacturing industry. The Association serves concrete masonry producers and suppliers through support in areas such as standards, training, technological research, government relations, and marketing and communications. Through these areas, CCMPA works to ensure the highest standards of quality and to maintain the industry’s strong market presence.
