The Canadian Wood Council is pleased to introduce a new design tool: the Exposed Mass Timber Calculator.
Developed to support practitioners working with encapsulated mass timber construction (EMTC), this tool helps determine whether a compartment design aligns with the 2025 edition of the National Building Code of Canada (NBC).
By entering key information about your compartment layout—including size, wall configuration, mass timber elements, and encapsulation details—the calculator evaluates whether the design meets code requirements for exposed mass timber elements.
The tool allows users to:
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Evaluate permissible percentages of exposed mass timber elements (beams, columns, walls, and ceilings)
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Confirm compliance within suites or fire compartments
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Identify potential code issues through automated warnings
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Visualize compartment configurations with a generated 3-D model
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Review encapsulation requirements and supporting notes
This practical calculator helps architects, engineers, and code professionals explore compliant design options more efficiently when working with mass timber construction.
Try the Exposed Mass Timber Calculator
Photo © Tom Arban
