Award

June 2014

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insulation panel anchored to a sub- strate. A mortar gun or pump is then used to apply EnduraMa x mor t ar between the units. "It's a high-perfor- mance wall system we're introducing for the residential and commercial markets," says John Moroz, marketing manager at Expocrete. The insulation is fastened with its own screws flush against the substrate. "The foam does three things: It acts as a design guide; it includes channels to allow water to move through; and it provides good sound insulation," he says. Responding to market interest in lightweight and easy-to-install stone, Arriscraft now offers three thin-clad products for interior and ex terior applications. ARRIS · tile units can be adhered to a suitable substrate and may be site cut, trimmed and finished to cus- tom lengths, shapes or sizes. ARRIS · clip units are clipped into a pre-engineered channel system for very simple and fast installation. ARRIS · stack is a thin veneer that installs like tile. Like all Arriscraft stone, these thin products are manufactured using nat- ural materials, come with a lifetime warranty and support sustainability objectives (including contributing to LEED points). The expanding range of systems and designs is all grist for the mill at the Masonry Institute of British Columbia (MIBC). It assists architects and engi- neers with design and technical sup- port, says Bill McEwen, the institute's executive director. MIBC has an open-access design manual online to provide assistance. The manual is periodically updated with two new sections that have been added recently. "The newest thing is called Structural Details – it's on our home page – and it's mainly about rein- forced concrete and masonry. Also, a big focus of it is on roofs and f loor systems and where and how they con- nect to masonr y structural walls," McEwen says. The new section includes a generic model that has all the structural ele- ments and options a designer might encounter. For instance, by selecting, reinforced core at window opening, cast-in-place roof, a page with detailed drawings opens up. MIBC 's new St r uc t ura l Det ails section builds on the success of the earlier Veneer Details, which was added two years ago. For some types of remedial struc- tural work, like bridge deck and beam strengthening, carbon fibre wraps are gaining favour – and the trend should continue, if, as expected, carbon fibre prices continue to drop. Carbon fibre rods are now being applied to bolster damaged structural sections of build- ings. "They're being used in the way steel rods were used in the past," says Donovan Pauly, conservator at Clifford Masonry Ltd. Carbon fibre was first developed in 1958, and the combination of lower costs and better carbon fibre technol- ogy could result in more applications for carbon fibre-reinforcement in the construction sector. It is cer t ainly happening elsewhere. Commercial airliners like Boeing's 787 Dream- liner and the new Airbus A350 use substantial amounts of carbon fibre r ein forced poly mer. " Somet imes, carbon fibre-reinforced material is being used on the back of masonr y walls so the building can be moved," says Pauly. A s y s t e m f r o m C a r b o n C u r e Technologies Inc., in which carbon dioxide (CO2) is mixed into fresh con- crete, is attracting some interest, says Shelagh Wright, an architectural sales representative at Basalite Concrete Products. Proponents say it can reduce concrete's carbon footprint. Innovations like this, and potential results of current research at the U.S.- based Oak Ridge National Laboratory into cheaper carbon fibre technology, could foster future cycles of renewal in the masonry sector. n 47/ June 2014 Masonry I-XL Masonry Supplies.indd 1 14-05-15 12:53 PM p.44-47Masonry2.indd 47 14-06-03 9:49 AM

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