Mass timber includes wood panels, beams and columns used for constructing floors, walls and roofs in large buildings.
A technical resource for tall wood building construction aims to help applicants, reviewers and designers meet Ontario Building Code requirements for wood structures above six storeys.
It includes two sections: fire safety and structural design. Users can learn about the types of wood products, challenges of wood construction, fire prevention and an overview of Alternative Solutions provisions under the Ontario Building Code.
Each section offers information on methods of analysis, methods of design and expected performance requirements. Other topics include thermal performance, acoustic performance and constructability.
According to the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, the reference aligns with its objectives to improve opportunities for designers and builders to create new structures and maintain high fire safety standards, as per the Ontario Building Code.
The 18-storey Brock Commons student residence at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver is now the world’s tallest wood building. Photo UBC
Programs to encourage mass timber, tall wood or wood bridge construction, in an effort to lower greenhouse gas emissions, are part of Ontario’s Five-Year Climate Change Action Plan. Other provinces, including British Columbia and Quebec, have also invested in tall wood building projects.
The Mass Timber Program offers funding to post-secondary education institutions to teach technical training or create tools to use in wood construction. Ontario also offers funding for the construction of mass timber buildings. Eligible costs include those related to design, approval and construction.
E-mail masstimber@ontario.ca to request the reference. www.ontario.ca
