FIND A CONTRACTOR BUYER'S GUIDE
BECOME AN INDUSTRY PARTNER
MCAA Logo
MEMBER LOGIN JOIN
NEWS
World of Concrete 2026 Registration Is Open ↗

IMI develops new Internal Bracing Guide

Masonry under construction must be temporarily braced until the final lateral support system is in place. The importance of this bracing is paramount to the safety of both the general public and those involved with the project under construction. The Standard Practice for Bracing Masonry Walls Under Construction provides engineering principles and properties for rationally design bracing systems for masonry walls under construction. Internal bracing, or using the developing strength of the masonry assembly, can provide significant benefits to a project team. To support the engineering community in the use of structural masonry, including effective and efficient temporary bracing, the International Masonry Institute has funded the Internal Bracing Design Guide for Masonry Walls Under Construction guide.

Bracing masonry walls under construction is a life safety necessity that is mandated by each state’s legally adopted building code through the referenced masonry standards. The 2011 ‘Specification for Masonry Structures’ (TMS 602/ACI 530.1/ASCE 6) was adopted by the 2012 International Building Code for masonry construction and contains requirements for the mason contractor to ‘Design, provide, and install bracing that will assure stability of masonry during construction.’ Bracing is also part of federal occupational safety requirements including national regulations – OSHA Safety and Health Regulations for Construction (CFR 29) Part 1926.706 and locally adopted regulations – Michigan’s MiOSHA Construction Standard Part 2, as an example. Bracing protects project workers as well as the general public who may access the site, be passing by, or even occupying adjacent facilities or spaces.

Masonry bracing is typically designed by an engineer retained by the project’s mason contractor, although there is some movement in the industry to incorporate Internal Bracing capacity into the project’s construction documents prepared by the Engineer of Record. There is an industry standard for bracing masonry walls: ‘Standard Practice for Bracing Masonry Walls Under Construction’, 2012, sponsored by IMI and the Mason Contractors Association of America (MCAA) and published by MCAA. There also are compiled examples and technical literature available through industry sources as well as proprietary information for external bracing systems. This Guide applies the content of the Standard and other documents along with knowledge gained through experience to provide users with one approach to designing internally braced masonry walls.

Download a free copy at www.imiweb.org/ftp/Blogs/National/IMIInternalBracingGuide.pdf
 0
Hultafors Group Continues Gold Partnership in the 2026 Masonry Alliance Program
November 2025

The Mason Contractors Association of America (MCAA) is pleased to announce that Hultafors Group will continue its Gold partnership in the 2026 Masonry Alliance Program.

Industry News
Read More
Are you in the Insulated Concrete Block business? Then FTC Rule 460 applies to you…
November 2025

If you supply, sell, or use any of these… Pre-insulated concrete block... Loose-Fill Insulation... Injectable Foam-in-Place Insulation... Foam Plastic Inserts... Then you must abide by FTC Rule 460, 16 CFR 460, which governs R-value testing and claims

Bob Sullivan Richard Porter
Technical Talks
Read More
MASONRY STRONG Podcast, Episode 33 Recap: Dawn Rogers, Executive Director at Arizona Masonry Council
November 2025

On this episode of the MASONRY STRONG Podcast, we're happy to be joined by Dawn Rogers from the Arizona Masonry Council to talk about her journey in the masonry industry, as well as give her insight as to what the future of the industry looks like.

Justin Stengel
The MASONRY STRONG Podcast
Read More
HangTite Blended Cement Products Joins the 2026 Masonry Alliance Program as a Gold Partner
November 2025

The Mason Contractors Association of America (MCAA) is excited to announce that HangTite Blended Cement Products has joined the 2026 Masonry Alliance Program (MAP) at the Gold Level.

Industry News
Read More