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2013 South of 40 Conference wrap-up

Words: Mason Contractors, Tim Toole
The first South of 40 Conference was held Monday, May 6, 2013 in Washington, D.C.

The South of 40 Conference kicked off with three education programs held at the National Cathedral. Joe Alonzo, head mason at the National Cathedral, discussed the history and construction of the National Cathedral, including the damage sustained from the 2011 earthquake and the restoration process to repair the damaged sections of the Cathedral.

Dr. Javier Irizarry, Assistant Professor in the School of Building Construction at the Georgia Institute of Technology, presented current trends in information mobility and visualization. His presentation highlighted future efforts in areas such as Building Information Modeling (BIM), mobile augmented reality, 3D printing, and unmanned aerial vehicle sensing in construction sites.

The final presentation of the morning was a discussion on Building Information Modeling, led by David Biggs, P.E. Attendees learned about what BIM is, how it affects their companies, and what it means for the masonry industry.

Following the education programs, attendees received a special behind-the-scenes tour of the National Cathedral with Joe Alonzo. Attendees were given access to areas not open to the public, and were able to explore amazing parts of the cathedral, including a view from the roof of the Cathedral to inspect the earthquake damage first-hand.

The Conference concluded with a tour of the U.S. Capitol and an evening reception at the Keelen Group offices, where Representative Reid Ribble from Wisconsin was presented the 2013 MCAA Freedom and Prosperity Award.

Visit www.masoncontractors.org/southof40 for information on future South of 40 events.
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