Industrial Buildings – A case study
Over the past two decades, new engineered mass timber products and construction techniques have changed the way we think about wood as a building material. Historic perceptions about strength, durability and fire performance have been overturned by scientific evidence and full-scale testing of prototype structures. As a result, mass timber has begun to make its mark in the residential and commercial sectors, particularly on Canada’s West Coast. However, the market for industrial buildings continues to be dominated by tilt-up concrete and steel-frame construction, both of which have a significant environmental footprint. Tiltup concrete in particular has inherent disadvantages; concrete cannot be poured in the freezing conditions typical of Canadian winters, nor can it be easily insulated to reduce the operating energy requirements of the building. However, the National Building Code of Canada states that a roof assembly in a building of up to two storeys is permitted to be of heavy timber construction regardless of the building area or the type of construction required, provided the building is sprinklered. In addition, the structural members in the storey immediately below the roof assembly are also permitted to be of heavy timber construction. These requirements apply equally to industrial buildings, meaning that heavy timber is a viable alternative to the materials traditionally used, and single storey industrial buildings may be constructed entirely of heavy timber. This case study examines three recently completed industrial buildings in southern British Columbia, each of which uses engineered mass timber products and systems in a distinct and different way. Together, they offer insights into how industrial construction might evolve to offer greater environmental performance, speed and flexibility of construction, at little additional cost over traditional methods.
Design Example of Designing for Openings In Wood Diaphragm
The effects of a single opening size and location on diaphragm shear, chord forces and framing member forces were investigated for a typical wood diaphragm. In conclusion, the maximum shear in the diaphragm with opening is greater than that in the diaphragm without opening. Increasing the distance between the edges of opening and diaphragm can reduce this increase in maximum shear significantly. When the dimension of the opening is no greater than 15% of the corresponding dimension of the diaphragm in both directions, and the distance of opening edge from diaphragm edge is no less than 3 times the larger dimension of the opening and that the portion of diaphragm alongside the opening satisfies the maximum aspect ratio requirement, the increase in maximum shear is less than 10%.
IBS1 – Moisture and Wood-Frame Buildings
Throughout history, wherever wood has been available as a resource, it has found favor as a building material for its strength, economy, workability and beauty, and its ability to last has been demonstrated again and again. From the ancient temples of Japan and China and the great stave churches of Norway to the countless North American and European buildings built in the 1800s, wood construction has proven it can stand the test of time. The art and technology of wood building, however, has been changing through time. It’s a common misconception that water is wood’s enemy. That’s not necessarily true, since many wood buildings exist in rainy and humid places. It’s a matter of knowing how to manage water in buildings. Protection of buildings from water is the important design criterion, as important as protection from fire or structural collapse. Designers, builders and owners are gaining a deeper appreciation for the function of the building envelope (exterior walls and roof). This includes the performance of windows, doors, siding, sheathing membranes, air and vapour barriers, sheathing, and framing. The capabilities and characteristics of wood and other construction materials must be understood, and then articulated in the design of buildings, if proper and durable construction is to be assured. Wood and water are typically very compatible. Wood can absorb and release large quantities of moisture without problems, and it’s only when wood gets too wet for too long that there may be problems. If buildings are properly constructed to shed water, wood performs well as a building material in all types of climates. As an example, 90% of North American homes are built with wood. The primary focus of this publication is to address the control of rainwater penetration in exterior walls, which is the major source of moisture issues for all building materials, particularly in climates subject to high rainfall.
ONTARIO WOOD BRIDGE REFERENCE GUIDE
Timber bridges have a long history of construction and use throughout North America, including Ontario, for roadways, railways and logging roads. The Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code (CHBDC), together with the Canadian Wood Council publication Wood Highway Bridges from 1992 are typically referenced by designers of timber bridges in Ontario. This new reference is intended to provide updated background information for designers as they embark on proposing and designing timber highway bridges for primary and secondary roads. This reference is divided into three parts: Part 1 – Wood Bridges – Design and Use Part 2 – Opportunities & Current Limitations Part 3 – Design Examples Part 1 provides background information on topics including wood materials, bridge systems, prefabrication, durability and species availability. Details of costs, construction cycle and sustainability are also provided. Part 1 concludes with examples of a variety of completed highway bridges from North America and Europe. Part 2 of this reference is intended to provide designers and authorities with highlights of the current edition of the CHBDC on subjects related to the wood highway bridges, including areas that will require future development in the code. Additional references to other resources for advancing practitioner knowledge of and advancing the state of the art in wood bridge design are provided. Part 3 has two fully worked design examples of a two-lane 18-m span wood highway bridge designed in accordance with the latest provisions of the CHBDC and the best available information from current literature. Each example is based on a single-span, simply-supported glued-laminated girder bridge. One bridge has a glued-laminated deck and the other has a stress-laminated deck. These examples are intended to help designers understand the key issues as they undertake wood highway bridge design. Durability through detailing and choice of materials is discussed.
BP6 – Managing Moisture and Wood
Wood, a long-lasting, economical, and renewable resource, is the building material of choice in North American housing. This is largely due to the proven performance of properly designed and built wood frame buildings that have provided strong and lasting housing for a multitude of people. Although wood can withstand much abuse, it needs to be stored and handled properly to perform according to expectations. Managing moisture in structural wood products is essential in order to control swelling and shrinkage and prevent problems associated with mold or decay.
Surrey Memorial Hospital Critical Care Tower – Surrey, BC
Just as our definition of green building has expanded with time so has our understanding of human health expanded to include not only our physical condition but also our psychological well-being. We have known intuitively for a long time that humans have an affinity for nature, and being in a natural environment—a forest, a park or simply our own garden—can make us feel more relaxed. The term ‘biophilia’ has been coined to refer to this phenomenon. Scientists have now confirmed that this sensation of relaxation in the presence of nature is the result of a physiological change, a reduction in the level of stress-related hormones produced by our body’s sympathetic nervous system (SNS). Using an approach known as ‘evidence-based design’ (in which detailed analyses of occupant responses to a building’s physical characteristics are used to inform the design of future projects), healthcare architects have begun to explore the physiological benefits of biophilia in the design of indoor environments. This has led to the greater use of natural daylight, access to views of nature, and the introduction of wood and other natural materials into healthcare facilities. Wood in particular is visually warm and contributes to a socially positive experience for building occupants. People respond emotionally to wood and are attracted to its visual variety and natural expressiveness. A study carried out by the University of British Columbia and FPInnovations1 confirms the value of these attributes. The joint research project found that the visual presence of wood in a room lowers SNS activation in occupants, further establishing the positive link between wood and human health.
Timmins Library & Judy A. Shank Integrated Services Building
The City of Timmins has a population of 45,000 but due to its location in northeastern Ontario, is a regional service centre for 100,000 people. It had become obvious that two major community services were in drastic need of improvement. The existing library, built in 1921, had served long and well but needed more space to provide a stimulating learning environment and more room for new technology so vital for engaging young people. The Canadian Mental Health Coalition, providing a range of social services for the community, needed more space to adequately provide assistance in the region. The forest products sector is a vital part of the heritage, culture and economy of Timmins. For this reason, the City of Timmins wished, wherever economically justifiable, to incorporate wood products into the structure and appearance of the Library. In addition, there were obvious benefits to combining the library with the needs of the Coalition Centre offices of the Canadian Mental Health Coalition, funded by the Province of Ontario, and agreement was reached on combining these two buildings. The Coalition Centre has been named the Judy A. Shanks Integrated Services Building. The resulting landmark facility (Figure 1) is centrally located in Timmins, and with ample parking and barrier-free access, welcomes all the city’s and region’s residents.
UBCO Fitness and Wellness Centre – University of British Columbia Okanagan Campus
The University of British Columbia – Okanagan (UBCO) is located in the south-central community of Kelowna in BC’s interior. UBCO’s student community numbers just over 8,300 undergraduate and graduate students, 20 per cent of whom currently live on campus. UBCO strives to provide a vibrant campus life for its students. This is particularly important for resident students as the campus is located at a significant distance from activities in downtown Kelowna. UBCO’s Athletics and Recreation Department manages recreational needs on campus. It has been operating out of facilities initially built in 1994 to accommodate less than half of the current student population. The athletic competition venues on campus still meet a very high standard, but fitness and recreation facilities were lacking. A storage area in the existing gymnasium complex was converted into a weight room and cardio workout area in an effort to provide added services but a permanent solution was needed for the ever increasing number of memberships to the facility. Following the receipt of a substantial private donation for the express purpose of building a new fitness centre on the UBCO campus, UBC Properties Trust held a design-build competition for the new building. The donor stipulated two conditions for the facility: it needed to have an aviation theme, and it had to demonstrate innovative wood construction.
Mid-Rise Construction In British Columbia – A Case Study Based on The Remy Project In Richmond, BC
Modern six-storey light-frame wood construction in British Columbia (BC) incorporates highly-detailed, researched and safe solutions. the engineering technology being adapted in the province is positioning BC at the forefront of the north American wood-frame construction industry. Mid-rise building solutions currently being developed and refined in BC will lead to more sustainable communities and affordable housing solutions that will positively change the face of north American cities.
Mountain Equipment Co-op Head Office – Vancouver, BC
Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) is one of Canada’s most progressive retailers, having embraced a philosophy of corporate, social and environmental responsibility since its creation in 1971. Not simply a retailer, MEC engages in its own research and product development to ensure that it remains on the leading edge of sustainable practice. As early as 1994, MEC began manufacturing clothing using polyester fleece made from recycled pop bottles. In the same year, anticipating a period of rapid expansion, MEC began to look seriously at the environmental impacts of its building program. Its board of directors endorsed a policy requiring environmental consultation for the construction and renovation of new and existing facilities. From modest beginnings, the outdoor retail cooperative now has over four million members and annual sales of more than $300 million. With each new building project, MEC has endeavoured to advance its own sustainability agenda, and in this respect wood has played an important role. In 2002, the MEC Ottawa store was constructed largely from heavy timber salvaged from an existing building on the site; in 2008, the Burlington store was designed with a completely demountable heavy timber structure that earned it a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) credit for innovation; and in 2013, the North Vancouver store, another building in which wood features prominently, received a Canadian Green Building Award for its comprehensive approach to sustainability.
Operations Centre – Gulf Islands National Park Reserve
Canada’s newest nationally-protected area, Parks Canada’s Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, includes 15 islands and inter-tidal areas flanked by the large urban centres of Victoria and Vancouver, British Columbia. After the formation of the National Park Reserve in 2003, a site was acquired in Sidney (20 kilometres (12 miles) north of Victoria) for its Operations Centre. Completed in September 2005, the new Operations Centre provides an administrative and operations hub for the National Park Reserve, and became Canada’s first LEED® Platinum certified building. The LEED Green Building Rating SystemTM is an industry-recognized, voluntary standard that rates buildings based on their environmental performance. To obtain the Platinum level, a building needs to obtain at least 52 points of a maximum possible 70 points. Several innovations were employed to allow the Operations Centre to obtain LEED® Platinum. For example, all of the building’s space and domestic hot water heating needs are extracted from ocean water. Other features include rainwater storage for use in the building’s low-flow toilets, roof-mounted solar panels supplying 20 percent of the building’s energy needs, use of natural light and ventilation, landscape plantings that do not require irrigation, energy efficient lighting fixtures, and exterior sunshades to keep the building from overheating. Energy consumption for the building is 75 percent less than that of the Model National Energy Code reference building. This LEED® Platinum building relies on glulam beams and columns for the main structural support. In addition to its ease of installation and local availability, the glulam provides interior ambience for the exposed structure. Wood-frame walls are used for a large proportion of the exterior walls and western red cedar is used extensively for both interior and exterior finishes.
Rock Community Church – Planned for Growth
Rock Community Church is located in Woodbridge, Ontario, directly north of Toronto. Several years ago, the congregation bought a large, wooded property and used an existing residence and outbuildings for their needs while funding was acquired and design was developed for a permanent facility. Designed to incorporate a detailed list of user requirements, the new building was ready for occupancy in October 2007. There are two particularly noteworthy features of this building. One is the way it was designed to suit the site and second is the modular design that will allow the building to expand as the size of the congregation grows. The Rock Community Church design carefully uses structural and decorative wood products to blend with a beautiful natural setting and to provide architectural appeal and acoustical performance inside. The 2.2-hectare (5.4 acre) site (Figure 1) falls within the Woodbridge conservation area. To respect the natural setting, the design focused on creating an environmentally-friendly building site that would harmonize with its surroundings. All site elements, including the building and the parking lot, were carefully located to save existing trees and fit the site topography. The neighbouring deciduous trees provide shading from summer sun and allow the entry of winter solar heat through the floor-to-ceiling glazing in the altar area of the sanctuary.
