The Masonry Society

Existing Masonry Standards Committee - Mini Summit
2026-04-20
Join the Existing Masonry Standards Committee (EMSC) for a focused, high-productivity “Mini-Summit” dedicated to the advancement of TMS 405: Code Requirements for Existing Masonry Structures. This session is designed as a deep-dive, working meeting to finalize cross-chapter coordination and resolve complex technical hurdles that require intensive, in-person collaboration.
Meeting Objectives
The primary goal of this summit is to transition TMS 405 toward formatting and balloting. Our agenda focuses on:

Cross-Chapter Coordination: Streamlining requirements between all chapters:

Preface – Preface
Chapter 1 – General Requirements
Chapter 2 – Notations and Definitions
Chapter 3 – Materials, Components, and Systems
Chapter 4 – Loads, Load Combinations, Strength Reduction Factors, and Allowable Stress Factors
Chapter 5 – Assessment and Evaluation
Chapter 6 – Durability
Chapter 7 – Rehabilitation Design
Chapter 8 – Construction & Quality Assurance
Chapter 9 – References for the Code Commentary
Annex Materials

Task Resolution: Dividing and conquering outstanding writing assignments and technical “bottlenecks” that have proven difficult to resolve in virtual settings.
Final Preparation: Identifying and tasking authorship for any remaining items to ensure the document is ready for formatting soon after this session.

Attendance & Participation
While this session is open to the public, please note that it is a formal working session conducted under the TMS Technical Committee Manual (TCOM) guidelines.

Floor Rights: Only voting and corresponding members have the right of the floor. Those interested in serving on the EMSC are welcome to apply for membership here (be careful to select “EMSC”).
Session Scope: To ensure we meet our deadlines, discussion will remain strictly focused on addressing specific coordination items and existing document content. This is a “boots-on-the-ground” drafting session rather than a global or big-picture conceptual meeting.

Contact Information
If you have questions regarding the agenda, participation, or require additional information about the committee’s progress, please reach out to the EMSC leadership:

Heather Sustersic, Chair, EMSC hsustersic@colbycoengineering.com
Gary Ogden, Secretary, EMSC gogden@ana-usa.com

We look forward to this collaborative effort as we bring this essential new standard closer to completion.
Registration
You can register for the mini-summit as part of the TMS Spring Meeting or as a standalone event.
Register Today
