Your client has proposed a building where the exterior steel beams and columns are painted and exposed but the portal space is filled with concrete masonry. Your first thought may be, “Wow, that is a lot of extra building mass to deal with!” Immediately after that thought might come a series of questions. “I wonder if there is a way to use that masonry, instead of it just being along for the ride? Where would I look for design guidance?” The short answers to those questions are yes, you can make use of the masonry and answers are available in the Building Code Requirements for Masonry Structures (TMS 402). This article expands on those answers and additional questions that might arise during the design process. …