PROMOTIONAL SUCCESSES

Codes & Standards
The 2006 International Residential Code Anchor Bolts for Wall Bracing Issue 404.1 --- Legislation to delete the section of the 2006 Code and revert to the 2003 version pass the Senate unanimously and moved on to the House, where it passed as well. As of July 1, 2007, Act 9 was signed into law effective immediately by Governor Ed Rendell.

We worked with the PA Builders Association with advice from the Portland Cement Association and the National Concrete Masonry Association on this


Hardscape
The PCMA developed “Planning and Design Considerations for Segmental Retaining Wall” Seminars were held at three locations - Pittsburgh, Harrisburg and Philadelphia – in January and February 2007. They were each well attended by engineers, landscape professionals and even the PA Department of Transportation sent representatives. Follow up seminars were requested from the Construction Specifiers Institute and AIA for this generic program which is the only one of its kind addressing segmental retaining wall in generic manner.

PCMA, through the efforts of the Hardscape Committee, sponsored the NCMA Segmental Retaining Wall Installer Training Program on November 6 in Harrisburg. Producer members received 40 invitations for their landscape contractors and others to assure that they are properly trained to install our products. PCMA sent the invitation to AIA architects and civil engineers as well as including it on our website and providing a digital file for the invitation to be used to encourage attendance as well.38 persons attended the training presented by Jon Calle, Advanced Hardscape Solutions, who volunteered his time at no cost to PCMA. All attendees passed the course and will receive certificates from NCMA. During the seminar, they viewed samples of the various retaining wall block, reinforcement, etc… representing our member products which were gathered by committee member, Joe Gydosh, Grace Masonry Products. Due to the success of this training, we are planning to hold seminars again in 2008.


Workforce Development
Attended the PA Vocational Technical Administrators Association Symposium and made contact with the Dean from Harrisburg Area Community College who is interested in developing a post secondary program in masonry to begin with the August 2008 school year. PCMA will assist in the development of this program.

Following the start of a new masonry program at the Lebanon County Career & Tech Center in 2005, we have now gotten interest in a new program dedicated to masonry at the Northumberland County Career & Tech Center. We will assist in the development of this program. We have been encouraging schools to consider a masonry program for the last few years and it is paying off.

The Second Annual Masonry Instructors Workshop will be held September 25, 2007. This is the next installment of the very successful workshop held last year which was attended by 75% of the masonry instructors at the secondary and post secondary level. We were able to get sponsorship again from the PA Department of Education who will provide Act 48 Credit hours to the instructors attending the full day event. Interest is high already for this year from the instructors.

A new Masonry Instructors Association of Pennsylvania has been approved by the PCMA Board to run as a committee of PCMA. The purpose of this association is to give the instructors an easy communication tool to network with each other throughout the year for issues of concern and make each of their programs the best that they can be for their students.


Education
After trying to make inroads at Carnegie Mellon University, the architecture department recently completed a masonry design competition. This was granted funding by the NCMA Foundation through endorsement by PCMA and producer member Rennekamp Supply. It is anticipated that this success will help us to make future inroads into the department for a larger instructional focus on our products.

Penn State University and Penn College of Technology are working on a design/build competition. The architecture students went to Penn College for a “hands on” lesson in building masonry walls by the instructors and students at the College. The Penn State Students design a masonry wall which is then judged. The winners will be announced late April.

A “Masonry Design and Construction” was developed by Dr. Ahmad Hamid & Dr. Frank Moon from Drexel University and was sponsored by PCMA. We handled the AIA CES learning units for the architects as well as providing marketing assistance for the seminars held April 10 & 11 in King of Prussia, PA. Nearly 20 engineers and architects attended this detailed masonry course which will be available in the future throughout the US.