This article compares the American, Canadian, British, and Australian masonry code philosophies and test methods for determining the compressive strength of masonry. Compressive strength tests of concrete and brick masonry prisms were conducted using each country’s test methods. The test values are compared to tabulated code values to demonstrate the need for further research to improve the estimate of masonry compressive strength based on unit strength and type of mortar

College courses cover fire resistance requirements briefly, if at all, leaving new engineers with little knowledge of methods used to calculate the fire endurance of structures. This article in the Practical Design series provides an introduction to the effects of fire on reinforced concrete. Two of the most common methods of calculating fire resistance to satisfy code requirements are also discussed

Between the Fall 2004 ACI Convention in San Francisco and the Spring 2005 ACI Convention in New York City, the Technical Activities Committee (TAC) selected 50 Chairs for ACI technical committees and TAC subcommittees. The majority of the actions became effective after the recent convention. Fifteen Chairs assumed new posts