About the author ⁄ Richard M. Bennett, Ph.D., P.E.

Richard M. Bennett is a Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Tennessee. He is a Fellow of The Masonry Society. Dr. Bennett has been very active on the TMS 402/602 Code Committee, chairing the Flexural, Axial Loads, and Shear subcommittee and serving as the vice-chair of the 2013 MSJC Committee. Dr. Bennett was the chair of the main committee that developed the 2016 code and is currently 2nd vice-chair of the TMS 402/602 Code Committee.

TMS 402 Appendix D: GFRP- Reinforced Masonry

Updates to the Building Code Requirements for Masonry Structures.

The 2022 TMS 402 Building Code Requirements for Masonry Structures added Appendix D for glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) reinforced masonry. GFRP reinforcement is non-corrosive, non-conductive, and not thermally conductive, so there is no thermal bridging. Due to these properties, GFRP reinforcement is advantageous in the masonry near electromagnetic equipment, such as MRI rooms in hospitals and masonry walls near high-voltage cables and transformers in substations. Other applications include walls exposed to severe environments, such as in coastal construction, seawalls, and chemical plants. The lightweight nature of the GFRP bar, being one-fourth the steel weight, allows for production efficiencies for the contractor and health and safety benefits to workers.

…

May, 2023 By Richard M. Bennett, Ph.D., P.E. and Antonio Nanni, Ph.D., P.E. In Articles, Code Updates

Anchor Bolt Provisions in the Masonry Code

The phrase “the devil is in the details” applies to anchor bolt design in masonry structures. The anchorage of masonry members is essential both for load transfer into the member and for stability and support of the member. There are typically two types of anchors used in masonry. Cast-in-place anchors, or anchor bolts, are generally designed using TMS 402 Building Code Requirements for Masonry Structures. Post-installed anchors are generally designed based on manufacturers’ data, with the design capacities of the anchors determined through International Code Council (ICC) Evaluation Service reports. This article focuses on anchor bolt design and, particularly, several recent revisions in the 2016 version of TMS 402 that will help with the design of anchor bolts.

…

May, 2022 By Richard M. Bennett, Ph.D., P.E. and Luke A. Scoggins, S.E., P.E. In Guest Column Comments 0

Upcoming Change to TMS 402/602

The next edition of the Masonry Society’s TMS 402/602, Building Code Requirements and Specifications for Masonry Structures, is due to be published in 2022. Some of the anticipated changes are reviewed in this article, including some things that designers can use now. One of the most significant changes is not a technical change but a change in the length of the code cycle. The Masonry Society board approved a trial six-year cycle for updating the code in response to feedback from practicing engineers who are being overwhelmed by the constantly changing codes. The six-year cycle also enabled the committee to tackle larger issues.

…

May, 2021 By Richard M. Bennett, Ph.D., P.E. In Codes and Standards Comments 0

TMS 402/602-16

Changes to the Masonry Code

A new edition of Building Code Requirements for Masonry Structures and Specification for Masonry Structures was published in 2016 (Figure 1). In addition to technical updates, there were four non-technical changes. The first is that the code and specification are now solely sponsored by The Masonry Society (TMS) and are known as TMS 402 (formerly also designated as ACI 530 and ASCE 5) and TMS 602 (formerly also designated as ACI 530.1 and ASCE 6), respectively. …

May, 2018 By Richard M. Bennett, Ph.D., P.E. In Code Updates Comments 0

Coring of Concrete Masonry Walls: Is it Necessary?

The 1933 Long Beach earthquake showed that unreinforced double-wythe masonry brick walls did not perform well. Consequently, California regulators imposed a requirement that double-wythe brick masonry be reinforced and grouted, and that the newly constructed masonry be destructively tested by drilling a core specimen horizontally through the wall to test the bond between the clay masonry unit and grout for shear capacity. …

Mar, 2016 By Richard M. Bennett, Ph.D., P.E. In Articles, Structural Testing Comments 0

Current Issue	Resource Guide