Technical Guide for the Design and Construction of Tall Wood Buildings in Canada (FPInnovations Special Publications)

Canada is a forest nation with a strong culture of building with wood. Although heavy timber buildings as high as 9 storeys were constructed in Canada around the turn of the 20th century, that trend came to an end by the 1950s. Advancements in reinforced concrete and steel resulted in designers and builders shifting their attention away from building in timber, which meant there was little or no interest in improving heavy timber products/systems and modernizing building codes with respect to wood construction. Consequently, while advancements continued to be made in the construction and performance of light-wood-frame buildings (such as energy efficiency), it was no longer permissible to build in wood to the heights that were possible up to the mid-20th century. This second edition (2021) of the Technical Guide for the Design and Construction of Tall Wood Buildings in Canada replaces the first edition (2014), which was developed to support the Natural Resources Canada Tall Wood Building Demonstration Initiative. This multi-disciplinary, peer-reviewed guide has gained national and worldwide recognition as one of the most credible documents that has introduced the terms "mass timber construction" and "hybrid tall wood buildings" (e.g., wood gravity with steel/concrete lateral load-resisting systems) to the design and construction community, and to authorities having jurisdiction. Since the publication of the first edition of this guide, substantial regulatory changes have been implemented in the 2020 edition of the National Building Code of Canada: the addition of encapsulated mass timber construction up to 12 storeys, and the early adoption of the related provisions by several provinces are the most notable ones. The 2021 edition of this guide brings together, under one cover, the experience gained from recently built tall wood projects, highlights from the most recent building codes and standards, and research findings to help achieve the best environmental, structural, fire, and durability performance of mass timber products and systems, including their health benefits. The approaches to maximizing the benefits of prefabrication and building information modelling, which collectively result in fast, clean, and quiet project delivery, are discussed. Methods for addressing limitations controlled by fire requirements (through an Alternative Solution) or seismic requirements (through a hybrid solution using an Acceptable Solution in steel or concrete) are included. How best to build with mass timber to meet the higher performance requirements of the Energy Step Codes is also discussed. What makes building in wood a positive contribution toward tackling climate change is discussed so that design teams, in collaboration with building owners, can take the steps necessary to meet either regulatory or market requirements.