Large-Scale Fire Tests of A Mass Timber Building Structure
The Canadian Wood Council partnered with federal and provincial governments and organizations, as well as key experts, to conduct a series of five fire research burns on a full-scale mass timber structure in Ottawa. The primary purpose of the project was to support market acceptance of tall and large mass timber buildings in Canada and to encourage the construction of buildings that include mass timber.
Four-Storey Wood School Design in British Columbia: Life Cycle Analysis Comparisons
Climate change is one of the largest threats facing the planet today. The construction industry accounts for 11% of global carbon emissions, playing a significant part in the climate crisis. To determine the best solution for future school buildings, not only does practicability, economy and constructability play a part, so does sustainability. In order to better understand the embodied carbon emissions associated with the construction of new school buildings in British Columbia, the embodied carbon content associated with the four framing systems examples in the companion report, An Analysis of Structural System Cost Comparisons (costing study), was assessed. The purpose of this study is to allow the embodied carbon associated with these systems to become an important factor when choosing a viable scheme. Embodied carbon is the carbon footprint of a material or product. To determine the embodied carbon of a building you must consider the quantity of greenhouse gases associated with the building. The most effective way to measure this is through Life Cycle Analysis (LCA), a study which determines the embodied carbon from cradle to grave (material extraction to building demolition). Consequently, an LCA was conducted for each of the four schemes presented in the costing study. Additionally, for wood frame Options A and B, WoodWorks online carbon calculator was used to determine the potential carbon savings associated with carbon sequestering.
Four-Storey Wood School Design in British Columbia: An Analysis of Structural System Cost Comparisons
As land values continue to rise, particularly in higher-density urban environments, schools with smaller footprints will become increasingly necessary to satisfy enrollment demands. There are currently several planned new school projects throughout British Columbia that anticipate requiring either three-or four storey buildings, and it is forecast that demand for school buildings of this size will continue to rise. Though timber construction would offer a viable structural material option for these buildings, the British Columbia Building Code (BCBC 2018) currently limits schools comprised of timber construction to a maximum of two storeys, while also imposing limits on the overall floor area. Given these constraints, the development of viable structural options that would accommodate larger and taller schools constructed primarily with timber materials has not been a key focus. With the above factors in mind, the purpose of this report is to build upon the findings of the previously published Design Options for Three- and Four-Storey Wood School Buildings in British Columbia prepared by Fast + Epp and Thinkspace dated November 2019. Specifically, this report supplements the previous one by providing guidance in assessing and comparing the various framing options considered in the previous report primarily on a cost basis.
Design Options for Three- and Four Storey Wood School Buildings in British Columbia
As land values continue to rise, particularly in higher-density urban environments, schools with smaller footprints will become increasingly more necessary to satisfy enrollment demands. There are currently a number of planned new school projects throughout British Columbia that anticipate requiring either three-or four-storey buildings, and it is forecasted that the demand for school buildings of this size will continue to rise. Though timber construction would offer a viable structural material option for these buildings, the British Columbia Building Code (BCBC 2018) currently limits schools comprised of timber construction to a maximum of two storeys, while also imposing limits on the overall floor area. Given these constraints, to date there has not been much effort put into the development of viable structural options that would accommodate larger and taller schools constructed primarily with timber materials. With the above factors in mind, the purpose of this study is to illustrate the range of possible timber construction approaches for school buildings that are up to four storeys in height. Given this emphasis on four-storey construction, this study focuses on the main classroom blocks within a school building, as these portions of the building are the ones that are the most likely to take advantage of an increased number of storeys. While other portions of school buildings, such as gymnasiums, shops, and multi-purpose areas are also strong candidates for wood construction systems, since there are already numerous examples of this type of construction these areas are not emphasized in this report.
Shane Homes YMCA At Rocky Ridge CALGARY, AB
Ontario Wood Bridge Reference Guide
Fire Fighting in Canada Article – Timber Tower
Article by Len Garis and Karin Mark.
When assistant deputy fire chief Ray Bryant heard about construction of the tallest wood building in the world in Vancouver, his reaction was predictable. “I thought it was an insane idea,” Bryant said. But once Bryant learned about the compartment-style construction of the student residence at the University of British Columbia, his opinion changed. “I couldn’t believe how safe it is,” he said. Read the article.
