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MASONRY IN BC
Industry challenges: Attracting young people
and developing complex industry's potential
B.C.'s Tristar Brick and Block leads in structural masonry innovation
Canadian Design and Construction Report special feature
Tristar Brick and Block Ltd. began in 1983 as a block
manufacturing plant. Over the years its expertise has
evolved to include architectural structural masonry,
ground face, scored and precast concrete.
President Severin Samulski trained as a bricklayer in
Ontario and on moving to B.C. discovered structural ma-
sonry's potential. Since then that has been one of his key
interests. “I saw what you could achieve with structural
masonry, all the efficiencies of having electrical, mechan-
ical and reinforcing elements built right in.”
From its 7,000 sq. ft. Abbotsford plant, Tristar has
supplied projects in Vancouver, Northern B.C. and Van-
couver Island. The company has provided product to
several local federal and provincial prisons which Samul-
ski calls the epitome of a project with structural masonry
as the main component.
“We did our first project recently using steel blocks
which were installed strategically within the concrete
construction,” he said. “The placement of the steel
blocks created a unique look and allowed elements like
bunks and hardware to be welded directly to the wall.’
Tristar is also producing new products, using tech-
niques like burnishing (ground face) to create unique
looks and interest for architects.
22 – Summer 2014 — The Canadian Design and Construction Report
Samulski calls masonry a craft that is neither high
tech, nor sexy. He says the job's physical demands can
make it hard to attract young people. “It’s an old skill and
an old product that, when done right, is so durable it can
create buildings that will last a lifetime.”
He says quality and skill in craftsmanship is critical to
ensuring the industry maintains high standards. He also
says the low-bid process can impact the industry's rep-
utation because it can tend toward lesser skill sets.
“Once masonry is constructed it hides any mistakes that
may lie within. The industry needs to find ways to certify
the quality of the wall system to give the design com-
munity the confidence in the masonry system.”
Samulski has noticed a decline in the volume of ma-
sonry projects combined with increasing complexity.
“Tilt-up is gaining popularity as a technique because it
gives the illusion that volumes can be put up quickly,” he
said. “What people don’t see is the extra time and work
it then takes to set masonry walls with all of the electrical
and mechanical components that can’t be added to the
tilt-up walls.”
To meet the demands of a more complex and more
competitive industry, Samulski has aligned his efforts
with national associations working collectively to market
to and educate the community about masonry's value.