IMI Webinar Series - Strength in Systems: Structural Masonry Field Insights
Behind every durable masonry structure is the collaboration between design intent and craftsmanship. This session brings together real-world perspectives from a mason and a masonry contractor, highlighting how design details perform once they reach the jobsite.
Through case studies of recent structural masonry projects, you’ll see how field-tested practices, anchorage placement, reinforcement layout, control joint execution, flashing installation, and sequencing impact wall performance, constructability, and long-term durability. Learn how skilled craftworkers interpret drawings, resolve detailing challenges in real time, and apply lessons from past projects to create resilient, code-compliant masonry systems that meet today’s performance and aesthetic expectations.
Learning Objectives:
- Explore how reinforcement, anchorage, and load path design influence structural performance, crack control, and wall stability.
- Evaluate how field-proven construction practices, detailing strategies, and team coordination improve constructability and enhance building durability.
- Identify best practices for integrating flashing, insulation, and control joints in structural masonry systems.
- Recognize the role of trained craftworkers in delivering safe, resilient, and consistent masonry assemblies.
About the Speaker:
Joe Alberts
Director of Industry Development and Technical Services, IMI
Joseph is a graduate of the Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers Local 4 Indiana/Kentucky Apprenticeship program and holds an associate degree from Ivy Tech Community College. He has been a guest lecturer at the University of Notre Dame, Purdue University, Ball State University, and Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis.
Previously, Joseph held the position of Masonry Superintendent for over a decade, where he managed and constructed countless masonry projects in the state of Indiana. He was also a State Instructor for the Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers Local 4 Indiana/Kentucky Apprenticeship Program, where he trained hundreds of craftworkers in masonry basics, blueprint reading, arches, serpentine wall construction, grout and reinforcement, flashing best practices, and much more.
Joseph is a member of the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI). He is also the director of the Indiana/Kentucky Structural Masonry Coalition.