New Engineering Book Tackles Masonry Structural Design

Masonry Structural Design, a new book for engineers from the International Code Council and McGraw-Hill Professional, discusses basic structural behavior and the design of low-rise, bearing wall buildings.

The 592 page, hardcover publication ($112.50 ICC member price; $125 nonmember price) is based on the 2009 International Building Code and 2008 Masonry Standards Joint Committee (MSJC) Code and Specifications. It includes real-world examples of masonry buildings, and talks about strength design and allowable stress design as well as innovative products, including autoclaved aerated concrete masonry. The book is available from the ICC Bookstore, www.iccsafe.org/MasonryStructuralDesign.

Authored by masonry design expert Richard E. Klingner, Ph.D., a University of Texas professor of structural engineering and associate chair of architectural engineering, the publication also provides guidance on:

• Materials used in masonry construction
• Code basis for structural design of masonry buildings, including seismic design
• Introduction of MSJC treatment of structural design
• Strength design of reinforced and unreinforced masonry elements
• Allowable-stress design of reinforced and unreinforced masonry elements
• Comparison of design by the allowable-stress approach versus the strength approach
• Lateral load analysis of shear wall structure
• Design and detailing of floor and roof diaphragms

“In this book, Dr. Klingner focuses squarely on state-of-the-art design procedures for masonry and kept an eye on innovative products,” said ICC-ES President Mark Johnson. “We are excited to get this outstanding book into the hands of practitioners, professors and students, and that it is the first in a series we are doing in a partnership called the McGraw-Hill Professional ICC Press series.”

The next two books in the series—Reinforced Concrete Design by David Fanella and Structural Steel Design by Alan Williams—are scheduled for release in the fall.

The International Code Council, a membership association dedicated to building safety, fire prevention and energy efficiency, develops the codes used to construct residential and commercial buildings, including homes and schools. Most U.S. cities, counties and states choose the International Codes, building safety codes developed by the International Code Council. The International Codes also serve as the basis for construction of federal properties around the world, and as a reference for many nations outside the United States.