A.W. Page¹

1. CBPI Professor in Structural Clay Brickwork, Faculty of Engineering & Built Environment, The University of Newcastle, NSW, 2308, Australia, Adrian.Page@newcastle.edu.au

ABSTRACT

Masonry in its various forms is widely used because of its aesthetic qualities, its strength and its physical characteristics related to thermal efficiency, sound transmission and fire resistance. However, in recent years, it has lost market share to alternative materials and systems in a number of areas. Despite having leading edge technology for unit manufacture, the Australian masonry industry is very traditional and conservative, and to some extent complacent.

To remain competitive, the masonry industry must be able to adapt to change and be receptive to innovation. This applies not only to advances in materials technology and the development of new products and building systems, but also to changes in the regulatory framework to meet the demands of increased emphasis on thermal and acoustic performance, seismic resistance and sustainability. This is in a climate of decreasing support for, and activity in, pure and applied masonry research by universities and government research organisations such as CSIRO.

These issues are discussed in the Australian context and in particular, the need for the industry to be pro-active and address these challenges. Many of the issues raised will also relate to the Canadian scene.

KEYWORDS: industry, challenges

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