Building codes and standards have a significant impact on the how concrete masonry products are used.
Research is needed to document the performance of concrete masonry to support code changes that will open additional markets, reduce unnecessary conservatism, and make concrete masonry more market competitive.
Research needs for concrete masonry abound in areas related to sustainability, fire-resistance, structural performance in seismic and wind events, recycled materials, manufacturing improvements, energy, and more.
Supporting research at the university level provides additional benefits. Faculty researchers become more familiar with concrete masonry as a building material. This in turn has the ability to result in increased masonry classroom education and hands-on exposure for students of engineering, architecture, construction management and materials science.