# Architecture News > Buildings, materials, and how they stand up ## Articles - [Foundation Brickwork: How to Evaluate It](https://www.architecture-news.com/articles/foundation-brickwork): Adequacy depends on the complete load path, soil support, geometry, condition, drainage and local approval—not visible brick alone. - [3D Modeling Software: Choose by Workflow](https://www.architecture-news.com/articles/3d-modeling-software): Tinkercad fits simple browser projects, Blender a broad creative pipeline, Shapr3D precision CAD, Revit BIM, and Maya or 3ds Max entertainment. - [Cellar Dry Rot Causes: How to Trace the Damp](https://www.architecture-news.com/articles/cellar-dry-rot-causes): Trace leaks, groundwater, rainwater defects, condensation and damp-masonry connections, with a table showing where to check first. - [Lateran Basilica: Rome’s Cathedral Explained](https://www.architecture-news.com/articles/lateran-basilica): Its Constantinian foundation, medieval fabric, Borromini’s Baroque interior and Galilei’s façade show how centuries of rebuilding shaped the church. - [Precast Lintel: Types, Sizing and Installation](https://www.architecture-news.com/articles/precast-lintel): Screen options by wall construction, clear opening, bearing, supported width, loads and form—not stock length alone. - [Stone Masonry: Types, Materials and Wall Systems](https://www.architecture-news.com/articles/stone-masonry): Compare structural, dry-stone, adhered veneer and anchored cladding, with guidance on stone tests, mortar compatibility, drainage and historic repair. - [Type N vs Type S Mortar: Strength, Workability & Uses](https://www.architecture-news.com/articles/type-n-vs-type-s-mortar): Type N fits many moderate above-grade jobs; Type S is considered for heavier loads, soil pressure, below-grade work, or demanding exposure. - [Unreinforced Masonry: Signs, Risks, Retrofit Options](https://www.architecture-news.com/articles/unreinforced-masonry): Explains how records and structural evaluation confirm suspected URM, plus how local rules, performance objectives and documentation shape retrofit decisions. - [Masonry Veneer: Types, Loads and Drainage](https://www.architecture-news.com/articles/masonry-veneer): Compare anchored and adhered systems, trace gravity and lateral load paths, and understand how cavities, flashing, weeps and movement joints prevent failure. - [What Is Masonry? Definition, Materials and Uses](https://www.architecture-news.com/articles/what-is-masonry): Brick, stone and concrete block are assembled as individual units into work that may be structural or veneer, with distinct roles for mortar and grout. - [W18x35 Dimensions, Weight & Section Properties](https://www.architecture-news.com/articles/w18x35-dimensions): Tabulated values include 17.70 in depth, 6.00 in flange width, a 0.300 in web, 0.425 in flanges and 35 lb/ft; W460×52 is commonly listed as the metric designation. - [Metal Floor Joists: Types, Spans, Sizing and Cost](https://www.architecture-news.com/articles/metal-floor-joists): Start with the application and complete floor assembly, then evaluate loads, clear span, spacing, depth, serviceability, MEP routing and installed cost. - [Best Way to Insulate a Metal Building by Use & Climate](https://www.architecture-news.com/articles/best-way-to-insulate-a-metal-building): See how climate, humidity, occupancy, heating schedule, roof type, construction stage, access and budget determine the right assembly. - [Masonry Ties: Types and Selection](https://www.architecture-news.com/articles/masonry-ties): Match connectors to backup and cavity, then verify the exact fastener, spacing, embedment, enclosure details and locally adopted requirements. - [Lumber Prices Dropping in 2026 Despite Tariffs](https://www.architecture-news.com/articles/lumber-prices-dropping-2026): Lumber fell despite 2026 tariffs as housing starts slid. Compare Madison’s $558 benchmark with futures, forecasts, and your framing package. - [Rebar Tariffs 2026: Why Slab Costs Barely Move](https://www.architecture-news.com/articles/rebar-tariffs-2026): Commerce’s 2026 rebar duties reach 136.57%, but targeted imports are under 5% of supply. Test the slab-cost effect and check shipment caveats. - [Steel Tariff Impact on Construction Costs in 2026](https://www.architecture-news.com/articles/steel-tariff-impact-on-construction-costs): Trace steel price changes through material, fabrication, erection, and the total budget, then calculate the likely cost effect on your own project. - [Subfloor Types: Plywood, OSB, Concrete & Planks](https://www.architecture-news.com/articles/subfloor-types): See how supporting structure, spacing, loads, moisture exposure, finished flooring and installation method determine the right choice. - [Basement Crack Guide: Warning Signs, Causes and Repairs](https://www.architecture-news.com/articles/basement-crack): A basement crack is evidence, not a diagnosis. Its direction can provide an initial clue, but visual inspection cannot establish structural safety or identify… - [Flying Buttress vs Buttress: Key Structural Differences](https://www.architecture-news.com/articles/flying-buttress-vs-buttress): Every flying buttress is a buttress, but not every buttress is a flying buttress. - [Expansion Joints in Brickwork: Spacing, Placement & Details](https://www.architecture-news.com/articles/expansion-joints-in-brickwork): Brick looks rigid, but a brick wall is not dimensionally fixed. Temperature and moisture conditions change its dimensions, clay brick develops long-term… - [Can Synthetic Fiber Replace Rebar in Slab on Grade?](https://www.architecture-news.com/articles/can-synthetic-fiber-replace-rebar-in-slab-on-grade): Learn when macro-synthetic fiber can replace distributed slab steel, which bars must stay, and how to compare project quotes per square foot. - [Can You Build Mass Timber in Florida? 2026 Code Guide](https://www.architecture-news.com/articles/can-you-build-mass-timber-in-florida): Florida permits some mass-timber projects, but its 2026 code omits tall-timber Types IV-A/B/C. Check story limits and local approval routes. - [Canadian Plywood Tariff Cost per Sheet Calculator](https://www.architecture-news.com/articles/canadian-plywood-tariff-cost-per-sheet): Estimate the conditional 50% Canadian plywood duty per sheet, compare plywood and OSB project costs, and see which classifications need verification. - [Standard Concrete Masonry Unit Dimensions: Nominal vs. Actual CMU Sizes](https://www.architecture-news.com/articles/standard-concrete-masonry-unit-dimensions): The most frequently encountered full-size concrete masonry unit in U.S. construction is nominally 8 × 8 × 16 inches. That designation does not mean the block… - [Masonry Construction: Materials, Wall Systems, Benefits & Uses](https://www.architecture-news.com/articles/masonry-construction): Masonry construction is not a single material or wall type. It is a family of assemblies built from individual units such as brick, natural stone, concrete… - [Steel Beam Span Tables: How to Read and Use Them Safely](https://www.architecture-news.com/articles/steel-beam-span-tables): No steel beam can be selected safely from span alone. Span matters, but so do loads, tributary width or beam spacing, support arrangement, continuity, steel… - [Concrete With Rebar: How Reinforced Concrete Works](https://www.architecture-news.com/articles/concrete-with-rebar): Concrete containing reinforcing bars is reinforced concrete: a composite material in which concrete, steel, and the bond between them work together. Concrete… - [Roof Plywood Thickness by Framing Spacing and Rating](https://www.architecture-news.com/articles/roof-plywood-thickness): Rated 1/2-inch plywood at 16-inch centers and 5/8-inch plywood at 24-inch centers are reasonable starting points, but neither is a complete specification. - [What Changes With Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer Rebar](https://www.architecture-news.com/articles/glass-fiber-reinforced-polymer-rebar): Cured GFRP bars generally should not be bent on site. Required hooks, stirrups, ties and other shapes should be factory-fabricated from an approved schedule. - [Floor Trusses vs Floor Joists: Span, Services and Cost](https://www.architecture-news.com/articles/floor-trusses-vs-floor-joists): Joists split into solid-sawn and I-joist systems. Truss webs create useful service zones, but their openings and obstructions are fixed once fabricated. - [Rebar Cage Anatomy, Options and Constraints](https://www.architecture-news.com/articles/rebar-cage): It must provide the reinforcement required by the design, remain stable during handling and leave enough room for concrete to surround the steel. - [Carbon Fiber Modulus Varies by Form and Direction](https://www.architecture-news.com/articles/modulus-of-elasticity-carbon-fiber): The applicable value depends on material level: filament, ply, laminate or finished product. It must also match load direction and test basis. - [K Truss Has Two Distinct Meanings](https://www.architecture-news.com/articles/k-truss): In structures, it is a K-shaped web that creates physical load paths. In graph theory, each retained edge needs at least k−2 triangles under NetworkX. - [Box Beams Must Be Chosen by Function and Fit](https://www.architecture-news.com/articles/box-beams): First determine whether the member is structural or decorative, then document its sides, material, exterior dimensions, usable cavity and joints. - [What Is #6 Rebar? Specs for Ordering](https://www.architecture-news.com/articles/6-rebar): For ordering, list size, diameter and length separately, for example: #6, 3/4-inch nominal diameter, 20 feet long. - [Check an AISC Connection Example for Gaps](https://www.architecture-news.com/articles/aisc-connection-example): The legacy extract ends during flange-plate block shear, omitting its completed result and the final column-stiffening determination. - [Rafters vs Trusses: Space, Spans and Site Constraints](https://www.architecture-news.com/articles/rafter-vs-truss): Scissor trusses can create a vaulted ceiling, while attic and storage trusses can preserve a defined open area for a specified use. - [Masonry Sand Is a Category, Not a Specification](https://www.architecture-news.com/articles/masonry-sand): The name alone does not establish source rock, particle-size distribution, cleanliness, moisture, color or compliance with a project requirement. - [Concrete Slab Thickness by Use and Load](https://www.architecture-news.com/articles/concrete-slab-thickness): A 4-inch patio assumes light use and suitable support. Driveways start thicker, while lifts, hot tubs and suspended slabs require different checks. - [Hearst Tower New York: Preserved but Transformed](https://www.architecture-news.com/articles/hearst-tower-new-york): Behind the retained landmark exterior, the old interior was substantially remade as a headquarters atrium beneath a structurally expressive steel diagrid. - [Weigh the Trade-Offs of a Monolithic Slab Foundation](https://www.architecture-news.com/articles/monolithic-concrete-slab-foundation): Relocating a bathroom, repairing a concealed drain, or adding a floor outlet may require cutting and restoring concrete. - [Cantilever Retaining Walls Depend on the Whole System](https://www.architecture-news.com/articles/cantilever-retaining-wall): The wall and footing can satisfy local sliding, overturning, and bearing checks while the wider slope remains unstable. All six checks interact. - [Cedar Thermal Conductivity in W/mK by Species and Moisture](https://www.architecture-news.com/articles/cedar-thermal-conductivity-in-w-mk): The six-species table spans 0.094-0.14 W/(m·K) at the same nominal 12% moisture condition, so species matters when selecting an input. - [4 Cantilever Beam Shear and Moment Diagram Examples](https://www.architecture-news.com/articles/shear-moment-diagram-cantilever-beam): The signed area under the shear diagram equals the bending-moment change. Apply region equations, jump rules and free-end checks to each loading case. - [Flat Roof Deck: Exposed vs Protected Waterproofing](https://www.architecture-news.com/articles/flat-roof-deck): With an exposed system, furniture, foot traffic and dropped objects act directly on the membrane. Finish repairs are waterproofing repairs. - [Continuous Insulation Requires Whole-Wall Design](https://www.architecture-news.com/articles/continuous-insulation): Screws, nails, clips, girts, shelf angles, masonry ties, balconies, canopies, penetrations, and service openings can conduct heat through or around it. - [What Defines Hagia Sophia's Architecture Over Time?](https://www.architecture-news.com/articles/hagia-sophia-architecture): The replacement dome was rebuilt higher to reduce outward thrust. Byzantine repairs, Ottoman buttresses and metal reinforcement helped the building endure. - [Modular Brick Uses a 4-Inch Module](https://www.architecture-news.com/articles/modular-brick): Its 3⅝ × 2¼ × 7⅝-inch actual size becomes a 4 × 2⅔ × 8-inch nominal box when a ⅜-inch mortar joint is included. - [Polyurethane vs Urethane: Product Names vs Chemistry](https://www.architecture-news.com/articles/polyurethane-vs-urethane): Product labels often use the terms interchangeably. In chemistry or regulatory writing, urethane can mean a structural linkage or ethyl carbamate. ## Pages - [About Architecture News](https://www.architecture-news.com/about): - [New Homes Are Getting Smaller Again](https://www.architecture-news.com/new-home-sizes): Move through 27 years of Census data to see how the size of new American homes has changed, with the floor-area groups and source figures behind the trend. - [Get in Touch](https://www.architecture-news.com/contact): - [Privacy Policy](https://www.architecture-news.com/privacy): - [Terms of Use](https://www.architecture-news.com/terms):