Why do we have a Levy for Concrete Masonry Units?
CCMPA collects and administers an environmental levy on behalf of Canada’s concrete masonry industry. The levy is essential to funding vital industry initiatives that support and promote masonry products and ensure their continued healthy market share.
View the Levy Fund reports here. Download the Levy Brochure.
The levy allows concrete masonry producers and suppliers to have a strong industry voice and collective impact they would not have on an individual basis. Through the levy, industry members are able to:
- Depend on a reliable revenue stream that enables industry-wide education, promotion and representation
- Gain consensus that helps achieve common goals
- Increase market share
- Promote masonry as the building material of choice
- Ensure positive industry representation in the eyes of consumers, and respect among professionals and peers
- Support education and training of future industry professionals
- Have a voice specific to NCMA’s Region 6
Accomplishments to date
- Funding for CSA Standards
- Funding for NCMA Membership
- National Research Council (NRC) Fire Study
- NRC sound study
- $1.5 million in research sponsorships at 15 universities and colleges across Canada
- National marketing campaign including television and billboard promotion
- Several industry initiatives
- Partnership with the Canada Masonry Design Centre to develop MASS design software
- Lead sponsor of all Canadian masonry symposiums
- Major sponsorship supporting development of the new masonry training textbook
- Funding for McMaster University’s mini-block machine
- Monitoring/advocacy around codes and standards affecting the masonry industry
- Research and development of innovative masonry foundation systems
Research
By sponsoring valuable masonry research at Canadian post-secondary institutions, we’re able to document the performance of masonry structures and advocate for future design and build projects.
Education
We fund over 15 colleges and universities student education programs and hands-on masonry training across Canada, helping to maintain high levels of professionalism and product quality as well as ensure continued practical use of our products.
Promotion
We increase awareness of the value of concrete masonry construction, focusing on the following advantages:
- Durability, sustainability and long life-cycles
- Energy efficiency
- Termite resistance
- Design versatility
- Enhanced security and strength during catastrophic events (fire, earthquakes) and severe weather (tornadoes, hurricanes, floods)
What our Partners say
CCMPA’s support enables high level training of young engineers who promote masonry use in their work places. For example, one of my students spent a 3-month internship at Stantec Consulting developing a complete set of nation-wide specifications for structural masonry.
– Yasser Korany, Ph.D., P.Eng., LEED AP Associate Professor & MCAA Chair in Masonry Systems Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta
Thanks to CCMPA’s vision and leadership, the masonry industry is able to move forward with funding from the levy. Sponsorship by CCMPA of apprenticeship training, masonry text book, masonry design software, CSA Codes & Standards, masonry design awards and other related endeavours is advancing our industry in a major way.
– Tony De Marinis Vice President DE MARINIS (DMA) INC.
The block levy has been a great success! It is a system that allows reinvestment into masonry programs, so that all of us in the masonry industry, can benefit in the future.
– Bill George VP Contracts GA Masonry
With more than 25 Masters and Ph.D. students graduating in the last five years, and our current group of 15 students, the CCMPA-McMaster partnership has created the largest concrete masonry research group in North America.
– Wael W. El-Dakhakhni, Ph.D., P.E., P.Eng. Martini, Mascarin and George Chair in Masonry Design Co-director, Center for Effective Design of Structures Department of Civil Engineering, McMaster University
Download the Levy Brochure
