Seminars and Workshops
Brick. Block. Stone. You’ve made a great choice. Now we want to help you get the most from these versatile building materials. Whether you’re choosing a wall system, detailing your building, or troubleshooting construction, RMMI has a class to meet your needs. And credit, too. As a registered AIA Continuing Education Provider, we offer AIA/CES learning units for most of our programs.
Want to train your whole team at once?
Our technical experts are happy to provide seminars – customized for your staff – in person or via video conference. This option is great if your team has specific questions or topics they would like us to address. All programs are 1-hour long and AIA-accredited. Just click here to request free training for your firm.
Want to get your hands dirty? We offer semi-annual plant and quarry tours, followed by experiential training in the art of laying brick, block and stone. Sign up here to receive invitations to these special events, or click here to request a special field trip for your office or class (min. 10 people).
Join us quarterly for our free masterclasses on all aspects of masonry design & construction. Taught live online by our architectural & engineering experts, these classes are all eligible for AIA and continuing education credit. See “Online Learning” to view previous masterclasses at your convenience.
Online Learning
In these times of social distancing, we’ve made some of our most popular seminars available on demand. Each class is 45-60 minutes long.
- Click on the free seminar of your choice.
- Register and let us know if you’d like continuing education credit.
- If you choose to earn credit, there is a button to take a short quiz at the conclusion of class.
- Submit your completed quiz, and RMMI will notify you within a few days of your score and your credit.
Masonry Masterclasses On Demand



You’ll learn how to:
- Design masonry using GFRP reinforcement.
- Use new code provisions to distinguish between three types of intersecting walls.
- Design masonry veneer anchors using new code tables.
- Specify mortar and grout using blended hydraulic cement provisions in ASTM C270 and C476.

You’ll learn how to:
- Critical lessons from the Marshall Fire
- Fire resistance testing and what it really means
- Masonry’s fire resistant properties
- Lower cost non-combustible construction options

You’ll learn how to:
- List agenda items for a masonry pre-construction conference.
- Specify the correct mortar to use for different types of masonry construction.
- Describe requirements for cavity wall construction.
- List masonry construction tolerances.

You’ll learn how to:
- Identify which level of inspection is required for different types of masonry construction.
- Demonstrate 3 methods to determine masonry compressive strength in the field.
- Apply building code requirements towards specific inspection items for unit placement, mortar joints, reinforcement, grouting, and preparation of test specimens.
- Analyze rebar placement to determine installation tolerance requirements.

You’ll learn:
- Design details to accommodate wood shrinkage and variable movement;
- Code requirements for podium-style construction;
- Impact of cost variations between wood and masonry in recent years; and,
- Life-safety issues related to the use of wood-frame construction in multi-family buildings.

You’ll learn:
- When to use mortar cement, masonry cement, and Portland cement mortars
- When to use Type M, S, N and O mortars
- Which building code and ASTM requirements apply
- What you need to specify for quality assurance in the field
- How critical it is to provide a “workable” mortar that is easiest for the mason to use (and clean)

You’ll learn:
- The three mortar pigment categories and when to use each type;
- How to specify mixing procedures for pigmented mortar;
- Special considerations when using black mortar; and,
- The five most important steps to successfully clean a wall with colored mortar.

You’ll learn how to:
- Identify the components and methods of clay brick manufacture and how these affect design.
- Describe brick units and features using the correct terminology.
- Understand the essential mechanical and physical properties of clay brick masonry.
- Explain which standards govern modern brick masonry that should be cited in project specifications.

You’ll learn how to:
- Identify the components and methods of concrete block manufacture and how these affect design.
- Describe concrete block units and features using the correct terminology.
- Understand the essential mechanical and physical properties of concrete block masonry.
- Explain which standards govern modern concrete masonry that should be cited in project specifications.

You’ll learn how to:
- Identify the various types of natural stone, and how these affect design.
- Understand the essential mechanical and physical properties of natural stone.
- Explain which codes and standards govern stone masonry that should be cited in project specifications.
- Describe how anchors and ties are used in various stone wall systems

You’ll learn how to:
- Describe the manufacture and properties of thin brick materials
- Recognize appropriate and inappropriate applications for thin brick
- Implement proper thin brick details using industry-standard guidelines
- Improve design & installation based on case studies in thin brick

You’ll learn how to:
- Identify the most important reasons why single-wythe walls leak
- Describe best practices for single-wythe wall construction
- Identify the best materials to prevent leaks in single-wythe walls
- Use the appropriate flashing and ventilation systems for this type of construction

Once you complete this short program, you’ll be able to:
- Understand brick masonry expansion and concrete block shrinkage, and the different types of movement joints for accommodating expansion and shrinkage
- List 3 causes of masonry cracks
- Specify common crack repair methods, and when to use each type of repair
- Develop different repair approach for moving and non-moving cracks

Once you complete this short program, you’ll be able to:
- List standardized methods for evaluating the moisture penetration resistance of masonry walls and how to determine if your drainage cavity is working properly;
- Determine the correct type of water repellent to use on different types of masonry construction;
- Review project designs for details that may lead to leaky masonry walls

Once you complete this short program, you’ll be able to:
- List standardized methods for evaluating the moisture penetration resistance of masonry walls and how to determine if your drainage cavity is working properly;
- Determine the correct type of water repellent to use on different types of masonry construction;
- Review project designs for details that may lead to leaky masonry walls

Once you complete this short program, you’ll be able to:
- Detail conditions at horizontal bands of clay and concrete masonry.
- Calculate brick masonry expansion.
- Calculate concrete masonry shrinkage using rules of thumb and alternative engineered approaches.
- Decide when movement joints are needed in residential construction.
Product Solutions Webinars On Demand

You’ll learn how to:
- Specify new technologies for attaching masonry products to building envelope substrates
- Protect substrates from water and air;
- Prevent cracking from differential movement;
- Ensure a good bond, especially. Under multiple freeze-thaw cycles

You’ll learn how to:
- Masonry contractors can perform more jobs with the same resources by leveraging new technology and materials;
- Laying 32” CMU with lift-assist MULE equipment allows masons to save time, save backs, and save money;
- The masonry labor pool can be expanded by changing the physical demands of the job;
- Our industry can reclaim markets we’ve lost – elevator/stair cores, anyone?!

You’ll learn how to:
- Identify areas within the building envelope where thermal transfer is likely to occur
- Evaluate masonry anchoring materials and systems for thermal bridging
- Recognize and specify thermally efficient materials while maintaining safe veneer-to-backup connections; and,
- Convey the importance of retaining the integrity of air barrier systems when fastening through them.

You’ll learn how to:
- How to select, inspect and maintain the best equipment & blades for the job;
- The proper techniques for cutting safely and quickly;
- How to eliminate the use of water-based cutting with iQ’s integrated dust-control technology (and still meet OSHA’s silica standard);
- Ways to increase jobsite efficiency with the portability, precision and speed of iQ’s newest masonry saws
