Buildings, materials, and how they stand up
ICF Walls: Insulating Concrete Form Anatomy and Details
How ICF walls combine reinforced concrete and continuous foam—and how to detail thickness, openings, attachments, waterproofing and placement.
By Clara Voss · 2026-09-27Latest
Insulated Concrete Forms Materials: What ICF Walls Contain
See what an ICF wall is made of, from EPS forms and webs to concrete, rebar, bucks, membranes and finishes, plus what drawings must specify.
Using Insulated Concrete Forms: Design and Construction Guide
How to coordinate ICF core size, reinforcement, openings, embeds, concrete placement, waterproofing, finishes and trade work.
Boulder Retaining Walls: Design, Drainage and Construction
How to size, drain, detail and inspect a boulder retaining wall—and when geotechnical and structural engineering should lead the process.
Concrete Lintel Types, Sizing, Bearing and Detailing
Learn how to choose a concrete lintel by system, loads, span and bearing, then coordinate reinforcement, installation, drainage and thermal details at openings.
Concrete Masonry Unit Wall: Design and Detailing Guide
How to lay out and detail a CMU wall for structure, movement, moisture, insulation, openings and construction coordination.
Window Lintel Types, Sizing, Bearing and Details
Learn how to choose and detail a window lintel by wall assembly, opening, bearing, loads, deflection, drainage, corrosion and thermal continuity.
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Cement Blocks for a Shed Foundation: What Works
How to detail a shed foundation on concrete blocks, including bearing area, support layout, drainage, frost movement, wood clearance and anchorage.
Concrete Brick: Standards, Sizes and Wall Details
Learn which ASTM standard applies to concrete brick, how dimensions affect coursing, and what anchored, adhered and structural assemblies require.
Manufactured Stone Veneer: Detail the Assembly, Not Just the Finish
How to detail manufactured stone veneer, from WRB and lath to mortar, flashing, clearances, movement joints and product verification.
Slab Piers for Settled Concrete Floors
Learn when slab piers suit a settled concrete floor, how push and helical systems differ, and what engineers should verify before installation.
Brick Veneer: Anchored and Thin-Brick Wall Details
How anchored and adhered brick veneer differ, with practical guidance on cavities, flashing, weeps, ties, support and movement joints.
Brick Wall Design: Choose the Assembly Before the Bond
Choose structural brick, anchored veneer or thin brick, then coordinate support, drainage, ties, openings, movement joints and coursing.
Subfloor Moisture Barrier: Choose the Layer by Assembly
Choose and locate subfloor moisture control for wood framing, crawl spaces, concrete slabs, floating floors, bonded finishes and wet rooms.
Stucco vs. Plaster: Specify by Exposure, Substrate and Binder
Compare stucco and plaster by exposure, binder, substrate, thickness and drainage—then translate the choice into a coordinated wall specification.
235 East 42nd Street Column Buckling: What We Know
Evidence supports a localized structural-stability incident and a possible reinforcement discrepancy, but no final cause by the August 28 reporting cutoff.
2027 IBC Salvaged Lumber: Structural Use Path and the 90% Cap
Reported 2027 IBC salvaged-lumber pathway explained: who may verify, what the 90% design-value cap means, and why local adoption still decides your project.
Mortar Cement vs Masonry Cement vs Portland-Lime
Frames selection and substitution around the binder route, finished-mortar requirements, governing editions, product documentation and field controls.
Polymer Modified Mortar: Which Type Fits Tile, Veneer or Masonry
Tile thinset, adhered-veneer, paving and ASTM C270 unit-masonry mortars are different categories. How to match ANSI and ASTM designations to the actual job.