Over the course of building history, solid masonry construction became a well understood and finely tuned art. Many of these buildings are still in use hundreds, even thousands, of years later, standing as monuments to the skill and experience of their creators.
While contemporary building designers have skills that are technically more sophisticated than those of their predecessors, they are, by comparison, still lacking in experience.
This is partially because the fast pace of technical change in the construction industry does not allow much time for new technologies to be evaluated. Rather, many new technologies are incorporated into buildings before their behavior is fully understood. Transitional masonry, an example of technology outpacing experience, demonstrated that problems can go undiscovered for decades.
While solid masonry construction techniques evolved over thousands of years, today's designers have just over 100 years of experience in applying cladding over a structural steel frame. Cooperation in sharing knowledge and experience between architects, engineers, and manufacturers, is essential.