SCMA Concrete Masonry Academy
Southeast Concrete Masonry Association (SCMA) has created a Concrete Masonry Academy designed to provide monthly education webinars on a variety of topics for all industry professionals at no cost.
Simplifying Masonry Series
The New Simplifying Masonry Series is designed to provide the professional community as well as the concrete masonry community a more in-depth education of the various elements of concrete masonry. Please note that the webinars are indicated below if they are AIA-registered and a certificate of attendance will be provided upon request.
SCMA Events
Professional Audience Track
Member Webinars
Industry Partner Webinars
The Masonry Education Hub provides more than 60 on-demand courses and recorded webinars on a variety of masonry topics including design, materials, inspection, testing, and more. Most courses provide continuing education and many qualify for AIA Learning Units.
Browse Available Courses
Debunking the Myths of Single Wythe Construction (1 AIA LU/HSW)
Date: Wednesday, March 6, 2024
Time: 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm ET
Featured Speaker: Beth Suminski, PE Structural Engineer, Forse Consulting
Course Description
There are many myths about designing and constructing single-wythe masonry walls. Join us while we debunk these myths and examine single-wythe masonry wall systems. Get ideas on how you can design efficiently to reduce your project’s cost and carbon footprint. Explore how to specify block strength, mortar, and grout to create an efficient wall system. We’ll give you tips for handling construction issues that commonly arise from a single wythe of masonry. Other considerations that will be discussed are water mitigation and energy compliance.
Learning Objectives
- Explore why single wythe concrete masonry walls are an efficient way to design.
- Discover how tall you go with a single wythe wall.
- Identify single wythe energy code strategies.
- Investigate CMU wall reinforcement strategies that are essential for proper performance.
Lessons Learned from IMI’s Masonry Construction Document Reviews (1 AIA LU/HSW)
Date: Tuesday, March 12, 2024
Time: 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm ET
Featured Speaker: Pat Conway, Director of Industry Development and Technical Services, IMI
Course Description
Discover how masonry construction document reviews can help you identify specifications and detail redlines to create comprehensive masonry solutions. We’ll provide tips to enhance moisture control, accommodate material movement, benefit project cost and schedule, and address life safety and energy usage. Over the years, IMI has conducted thousands of masonry assembly drawing and specification reviews for architects, engineers, construction managers, general contractors, and mason contractors. Learn from real world examples of redline details to help create more functional, durable, constructible, aesthetically pleasing, and economical masonry details.
Learning Objectives
- Understand how masonry drawings and specifications work together to develop comprehensive masonry construction documents.
- Learn best practices for moisture control, accommodating material movement, and energy usage.
- Examine masonry details to help you create functional, durable, and constructible masonry wall assemblies.
- Learn how comprehensive masonry details and specifications can enhance masonry expectations and create efficiencies on your next project.
The Future of Masonry Lives Here (1 AIA LU/HSW)
Date: Tuesday, March 26, 2024
Time: 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm ET
Featured Speaker: Mark Swanson, AIA, CSI, Leed AP North Central Regional Director, IMI
Course Description
The AEC (Architecture, Engineering, and Construction) community is constantly seeking high-quality content to incorporate into their Revit models. HIVE, a cloud-based content management system, offers a seamless solution for ensuring content accessibility and discoverability among all project participants, even when working remotely. Within HIVE, IMI’s Masonry Content Library boasts a wealth of top-tier masonry resources. This repository encompasses individual masonry units, virtual mockups, and valuable masonry information links. Utilizing this tool will empower you to effectively convey constructible masonry designs to essential stakeholders and skilled craftworkers.
Learning Objectives
- Describe how new technology influences design decisions and how it can impact building design.
- Identify BIM for masonry (BIM-M) workflows that improve production, quality, safety, and communication with the project team.
- Explore how to plan, design, and construct masonry wall systems to reduce remodeling time as well as material waste on construction sites.
- Review the latest masonry building codes and critical updates in recent versions.
Structural Fundamentals: Sustainable Masonry Strategies (1 AIA LU/HSW)
Date: Wednesday, April 3, 2024
Time: 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm ET
Featured Speaker: Mike Manor, PE, MLSE Structural Engineer, Forse Consulting
Course Description
Join us as we discuss how to design with structural masonry to address energy efficiency, carbon neutrality, resiliency strategies, and more. We’ll review the Structural Engineers 2050 (SE 2050) Challenge along with the resources and tools that can help structural engineers reduce the embodied carbon of masonry. Construction methods that reduce waste and manage the supply chain can significantly impact the embodied carbon of a masonry building. We’ll discuss the resources and strategies available to you to assist with your next masonry project.
Learning Objectives
- Discuss the SE2050 Challenge and the resources and tools that can help structural engineers reduce the embodied carbon of masonry buildings.
- Explore adaptive reuse as a sustainable way to repurpose existing masonry buildings.
- Learn how low carbon concrete masonry mixes can improve building efficiencies as we design toward net zero energy and net zero carbon.
- Investigate how efficiently designed masonry wall systems can lower embodied carbon.
Transparency in Materials: The Key to Unlocking a Carbon-Neutral Future (1 AIA LU/HSW)
Date: Tuesday, April 9, 2024
Time: 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm ET
Featured Speaker: Phil Northcott, Founder & CEO, C-Change Labs
Course Description
Material transparency is essential for making informed product selections that meet sustainability and carbon reduction goals on projects. One of the latest carbon calculators on the market is tallyCAT, a free Revit sustainability plug-in. Join us to learn how to use new technology to analyze and minimize the climate impact of your building designs. Walk away with a better understanding of how to quantify Embodied Carbon (EC), find impact-reduction strategies, and make procurement decisions to reduce EC.
Learning Objectives
- Discover how to analyze and reduce the embodied carbon of a Revit design.
- Compare the climate impact of assembly options.
- Identify how to generate reports for corporate, LEED, and more.
- Discuss sharing and reusing sustainably designed building components.
Looking for more educational opportunities? Check out the Education Section: Education – NCMA