Product/Material Library
- Concrete
- Masonry
- Metals
- Wood/plastic/Composites
- Thermal & Moisture Protection
- Doors/Window/Openings
- Finishes
- Equipment
- Vertical Circulation
- Fire Suspension
- Plumbing
1. CONCRETE
CONCRETE INDUSTRY RESOURCES
A list of concrete industry Resources and like to technical information available on their websites.
STEEL REINFORCING IN CONCRETE
Steel reinforcement helps make concrete stronger and more durable. The article covers steel reinforcing bars, welded wires reinforcement and the nomenclature used in describing reinforcing.
CONCRETE COMPOSITION
The composition and main ingredients of this ancient building material are coverd: water, cement, aggregates and admixtures.
CONCRETE ADMIXTURES
Concrete admixtures allow architects and engineers to alter the concrete recipe for various circumstances. This article covers a number of common concrete addititives including superplasticizers, fly ash, corrosion inhibitors and many others.
CONCRETE FINISHING TECHNIQUES
There are many ways to finish concrete to provide a desire aesthetic. This article covers many options for finishing concrete.
CONCRETE TESTING
Concrete tests are critical to the safety of buildings and other structures. This article covers field and laboratory test including slump tests and compressive tests.
2. MASONRY
MASONRY INDUSTRY RESOURCES
A list of masonry industry associations that provide free technical information on their websites.
BRICK SIZES
Brick dimensions for standards brick types-including both nominal and actual dimensions.
BRICK ORIENTATIONS
Shows the different ways that a brick is laid how those ways are described based on what surface of the brick is exposed.
TYPICAL BRICK BONDS
Provides descriptions and diagrams of the different types of brick bonds that are typically used in construction.
CONCRETE BLOCK SIZES AND CMU DIMENSIONS
Concrete masonry unit (CNU) sizes for standards CMUs includes both nominal and actual dimensions Covers
Concrete block sizes from 4 CMU through 12 CMU.
MORTAR VS. GROUT
Describes the difference between mortar and grout.
MASONRY MORTAR TYPES
Description of the various types of mortar including characteristics and when to use each type.
MASONRY MORTAR JOINTS
Describes and depicts masonry mortar joints and how well they stand up to water.
3. WOOD/PLASTIC/COMPOSITES
WOOD INDUSTRY RESOURCES
A list of wood and lumber industry associations that provide free technical information on their websites.
FASTENERS SCREWS
Descriptions and diagrams of screw types, including the shapes and types of screw heads.
FASTENERS-NAILS
Overview and characteristics of different types of lumber cuts including plain sawn, quarter sawn and rift sawn.
WOOD VENEER SLICES
Diagrams and descriptions of the different methods of slicing a log into thin veneers.
WOOD VENEER MATCHING ADJACENT LEAVES
Descriptions and diagrams of the various ways of arranging wood veeners, including slip matching, book matching and random matching.
WOOD VENEER MATCHING- END MATCHING
Large wood veneers panels require that multiple rows of veneers be combined. This article covers the various ways the ends of panels can be arranged. This includes architectural, continous and panel end matching.
WOOD VENEER MATCHING BALANCING
Wood veneers look best when they are property balanced. This article describes the options so you can properly specify the type of balance you preter.
4. DOOR /WINDOWS/OPENINGS
DOOR AND HARDWARE INDUSTRY RESOURCES
This article links to door and hardware industry groups and associations that provide helpful information for design professionals.
DOOR COMPONENTS AND DOOR TYPES
Identifies door and frame components, include the different types of door leaf construction
DOOR HARDWARE FUNCTION
Covers different types of door locksets and how they operate. Descriptions of storage, classroom, office and passage locksets (and many others) are including.
DOOR LOCKSET TYPES
Descriptions and diagrams of the four main types of lockset: cylinder lockset, Mortise lockset, Unit lockset and rim lockset.