Grantee: The Masonry Society
Principle Investigators: Phil Samblanet
Year: 2020
Project Number: 2020.026
Status: COMPLETED
As more designers look for digital tools, masonry design and construction resources need to evolve. This grant takes the first step to delivering enhanced resources to the design community.
Program Details:
This grand supports the development of an online platform offering greatly enhanced and augmented Commentary for TMS 402 (Building Code Requirements for Masonry Structures) and TMS 602 (Specification for Masonry Structures). The grant is a a pilot study in which a series of prototypes will be developed on how the system may work for the users, staff, and others.
Based on the results of that study, TMS can consider possible next steps to develop the full online platform. This online platform will allow subscribers to access the document’s provisions easily, jump via thousands of links and keywords to specific provisions, and then access significant added content (existing commentary, design examples, references, videos, etc.) while allowing notes/preferences to be added by the user, and or the user’s firm (office defaults, etc.).
This concept has been discussed with designers, specifiers, contractors and others, and interest in a complete platform has been very positive. The ability to link to design examples, videos, technical notes and references should increase the user’s ability to easily find information on specific code and specification provisions. This could include linking to, if amenable to the developers, NCMA technical resources available online, as well as resources from other industry stakeholders.