Course Overview

In Canada, we are fortunate to have both structural engineers and architects who, because of the numerous benefits, would like to work with wood whenever they can. While many are comfortable using wood in traditional applications and in buildings that are relatively small in scale, not all have the requisite experience working with wood (whether traditional light wood-frame, heavy timber, or new engineered mass timber systems) in larger, non-traditional applications. In this context, the main purpose of this presentation is to demonstrate how a variety of structural wood systems can be successfully applied to a range of large-scale, low-rise building types – ones more typically constructed of steel. We believe that providing sound examples of structural wood systems for non-traditional applications can be a powerful tool to encourage developers, builders, architects, and engineers to use wood as the primary structural material in these types of buildings.

Learning Objectives

1. Importance of the Low-Rise Market.
2. Scope and Content of the Low-Rise Guide.
3. Review of Mass Timber and Hybrid Structural Systems Applicable to Low-rise Buildings.
4. Review of Light Framing Structural Systems Applicable to Low-rise Buildings.

Course Video

Speaker Bio

Claude Lamothe
President
Intra-Bois Inc.

Claude Lamothe, President Intra-Bois Inc. Claude graduated from McGill University in 1985 with a Civil Engineering Bachelor Degree. He worked four years in the lumber truss and steel industries before joining Trus Joist. After five years as a Technical Sales Representative and three years as Eastern Canada Regional Sales Manager, Claude joined Domtar Lumber Division as Marketing Manager and then worked for Goodfellow as Manager Engineered Wood Products. From 2002 to 2012, Claude was Sales Manager Structural & Industrial Segments for the Lumber Division of Resolute Forest Products. In 2012, Claude founded its own consulting firm Intra-Bois Inc. Intra-Bois offers structural engineering services and has performed several market studies for major North American forest products companies.

Course Overview

Learning Objectives

Course Video

Speaker Bio

John Paone
Director / Sr. Vice President
Alfred Horie Construction Co. Ltd., Burnaby, BC

Mark Porter, P.Eng.
Struct. Eng.
FIStructE, Associated Engineering, Burnaby, BC

Course Overview

Mass timber has garnered a lot of interest in Ontario in recent years and with the recent adoption of the encapsulated mass timber construction requirements into the Ontario Building Code, the path to approvals for these buildings has become less onerous. Building with mass timber has many benefits vs. conventional concrete or steel construction from sustainability to construction time to occupant health. However, cost is often a deterring factor, particularly for developers. There are many considerations that need to be made to make tall mass timber buildings a competitive option and we will share some with you in this presentation using the recently completed Tallwood 1 building in Langford, BC. Tallwood 1 is the first 12-story mass timber-steel hybrid building in Canada and located in one of the highest seismic zones in the country. In addition to sharing lessons learned from this project, we will also discuss how this building may be different if it were to be built in Ontario.

Learning Objectives

1. Understand the design and construction advantages of using mass timber in tall building projects like Tallwood 1 – structural benefits, aesthetic possibilities, and environmental impact.
2. Analyze the engineering challenges and solutions involved in the project, focusing on mass timber integration with other construction materials.
3. Evaluate the implications of prefabrication and modular construction techniques used in the Tallwood 1 project – to enhance construction efficiency, reduce waste, and potentially lower project costs.
4. Discuss the impact of innovative structural systems like point-supported CLT and hybrid seismic systems on the architectural design and functionality of tall buildings.

Course Video

Speaker Bio

Mehrdad Jahangri, P.Eng., Dipl. Ing.(Germany)
Principal
ASPECT Structural Engineers

Mehrdad is a principal at ASPECT and has more than three decades of international experience on notable, architecturally oriented commercial, educational, recreational, and residential projects. He is internationally recognized for his innovative approach and consulting with North American and international architects. He has a sound knowledge of building physics and sustainable design concepts that allow him to actively engage in sustainable design challenges and decisions. Mehrdad understands the challenge of creating carefully detailed yet efficient structural designs and provides an unparalleled level of service to all his clients.

Eva Chau, P.Eng., M.Eng.
Associate
ASPECT Structural Engineers

Eva is an Associate at ASPECT and holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Toronto and a master’s degree in Structural and Earthquake Engineering from the University of British Columbia. Over the course of her career, she has worked on a wide range of residential, institutional, civic, and transit projects. Eva is proficient with all major building materials but has been strongly focused on mass timber building for the past 4 years. Eva is passionate about structural engineering and always strives to help clients realize their unique visions and achieve their project goals.

Course Overview

The Sara Cultural Centre broadens the application of a full timber construction and proves that timber is a viable solution for virtually any building type. This project has become a showcase guiding others in our collective transition toward carbon neutrality. Located in Skellefteå, Sweden, just below the Artic Circle, Sara Culture Center is home to a regional theatre, a museum, an art gallery, a hotel, and a public library. Together the institutions benefit from each other and empower the local community. Since the opening last year, the development has helped attract green energy companies resulting in 3000 + new jobs in the region. Time Magazine named Skellefteå one of the world´s greatest places 2022.

The cultural center is constructed of over 13 000 m3 of locally sourced timber. The diverse areas of use employ a range of innovative solutions in mass timber and steel construction to handle spans, flexibility, acoustics, and overall statics. At 20 storeys tall, the hotel section was constructed with premanufactured 3D-modules in cross-laminated timber, stacked between two elevator cores entirely made of CLT in each corner. The low-rise portion of the project is built with columns and beams of GLT and cores and shear walls in CLT. The prefabricated elements of the building are produced in a local off-site factory and assembled and screwed together on site. The integrated structural design has eliminated the need for concrete entirely from the load bearing structure, speeding up construction and drastically reducing the carbon footprint. LCA shows that Sara Cultural centre is carbon negative over a period of 50 years.

Learning Objectives

Coming Soon

Course Video

Speaker Bio

Robert Schmitz
Partner
White Arkitekter, Sweden

Robert Schmitz is an architect and partner at White Arkitekter. He has a long history of experience in complex design projects with an emphasis on commercial office projects, cultural buildings, hotels, and urban planning. Robert is the Stockholm Office’s Director of Competitions and is part of the Office Management Team. Robert has won many prestigious architectural competitions including Täby City Hall, for which he received an IDEA gold medal award in Los Angeles 2017 and, most recently, the internationally acclaimed competition about Skellefteå Cultural Centre, which at 73m is one of the tallest timber high rises in the world. Robert Schmitz was the project architect, together with Oskar Norelius, for the Sara Kulturhus.

Course Overview

This 2-hour technical webinar will begin with an overview of ongoing fire research at the National Research Council of Canada into various performance aspects of mass timber construction and tall wood buildings. From there, code experts from Morrison Hershfield will discuss the new building code provisions related to Encapsulated Mass Timber Construction (EMTC), which is a new construction type in the code, that permit mass timber structures up to twelve storeys in building height. Participants will receive a complimentary electronic copy of the CWC’s recently published “Guide to Encapsulated Mass Timber Construction in the Ontario Building Code” authored by Morrison Hershfield.

Learning Objectives

1. An overview of the Ottawa Mass Timber Demonstration Fire Tests:
   The presentation will provide an overview of the Mass Timber Demonstration Fire Test Project which were conducted during the summer and fall of 2022. Past research on the fire performance of mass timber construction will be reviewed briefly to provide the background necessary to understand how the latest tests support the design of taller and larger mass timber buildings. Each of the five tests performed will be reviewed along with what it means for future mass timber building design.
2. Guide to Encapsulated Mass Timber Construction in the Ontario Building Code:
   Encapsulated mass timber construction (EMTC) showcases recent advancements in fire safety engineering. These advancements are reflected in recent adoptions of EMTC as a new construction type across various jurisdictions and specifically in Ontario, through O.Reg. 451/22, which became applicable as of July 1, 2022. This presentation introduces designers and authorities to the “Guide to Encapsulated Mass Timber Construction in the Ontario Building Code.”
   The purpose of the guide, and this presentation, is to introduce users to the new provisions governing EMTC in Ontario, so that readers are aware of the content, intent, and application of the new provisions. The guide introduces the new provisions and highlights where new EMTC features align with similar well-known provisions of the OBC for noncombustible construction and where the new provisions differ or are unique. Through highlighting these differences, this guide seeks to broaden awareness of OBC application to the design of this new building type.

Course Video

Speaker Bio

Marc Alam
Senior Manager, Codes & Standards – Fire & Acoustics
Canadian Wood Council

As Senior Manager of Codes and Standards in fire and acoustics, Marc participates in CWC’s building code and standards fire and acoustics related initiatives and the development of CWC’s fire design tools, as well as code‐related fire and acoustics research projects. He is finalising a PhD in Fire Engineering from Carleton and has a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering with a concentration in Management.

Dana Scherf, P.Eng.
Senior Code Consultant, Director of Code and Life Safety Group
Morrison Hershfield

Dana has been applying Building and Fire Codes across Canada since 1997 and has been with Morrison Hershfield since 2001. She has extensive experience in interpretation and application of the Codes to new and existing buildings, development and negotiation of Alternative Solutions, resolution of unusual fire protection construction issues, fire hazards analysis, and application of fire and smoke modelling to support design solutions. She started her career as a plans examiner with the City of Hamilton. Dana supports clients in applying the Building Code to achieve their project vision while providing the level of safety required by the Code.

Trisha Ashworth, P.Eng., M.Eng.
Senior Code Consultant, Department Manager of Code within the Code and Life Safety Group
Morrison Hershfield

Trisha has been working in the building consulting industry since 2007 and has been with Morrison Hershfield since 2017. Trisha actively applies her knowledge of Building and Fire Codes across various Canadian jurisdictions for both new building designs and existing building retrofits across a range of occupancy types. Trisha’s fundamental knowledge of fire dynamics and fire protection design, inherent in the formation of the Building Codes, allows her to apply judgment in the application of prescriptive requirements of the Codes and develop alternative solutions to meet the areas of performance required by the Codes.

Course Overview

Unlock construction innovation with our webinar, Guidance for Using Alternative Solutions. Navigate the unique pathway outside of traditional building solutions with a focus on the process in BC. Learn who to engage and when. Our experts provide insights into effective communication, the right information to include, and crafting compelling rationales for both designers and municipalities. Revolutionize your approach to construction compliance and embrace a new era of building possibilities!

Learning Objectives

1. Understand the process and benefits of using alternative solutions for mass timber construction within the framework of current building codes – how can alternative solutions be proposed to incorporate mass timber effectively.
2. Analyze the integration of mass timber with traditional building systems and materials to achieve compliance and enhance building performance – achieve code compliance and optimal structural, fire safety, and environmental performance.
3. Evaluate the challenges and strategic approaches involved in navigating the approval process for mass timber alternative solutions – procedural, technical, and regulatory challenges and strategies to address them.
4. Discuss the future implications and potential regulatory changes for mass timber construction as alternative solutions become more mainstream.

Course Video

Speaker Bio

Derek Newby
Managing Director
Perkins & Will – Vancouver and Calgary

Joe Krevs, P.L. Eng.
Code Consultant
Ratio Code Consultants Ltd.

Jeff Mitchell, M Eng, P Eng, CP
Principal
GHL Consultants

Kevin To, M Eng, P Eng, ing, CP
Code Consultant
GHL Consultants

Henning White, P.L. Eng, CFPS
Code Consultant
Ratio Code Consultants Ltd.

Course Overview

Join Melissa Kindratsky, a seasoned engineering expert and Head of Engineering at Kalesnikoff, as she shares insights and strategies on leveraging Design Assist to achieve optimal outcomes in mass timber construction projects. This presentation will delve into the key principles and methodologies essential for employing Design Assist to drive excellence in project execution, with a focus on enhancing collaboration between designers, suppliers/manufacturers, builders, and stakeholders. Melissa will draw from her extensive experience in the industry, providing practical guidance and real-world examples to highlight the advantages and best practices of Design Assist, ultimately showcasing its potential for elevating project efficiency, innovation, and overall success.

Learning Objectives

1. Understand how the development of a mass timber project differs from that of buildings designed in concrete or steel.
2. Understand the enhanced role the material supplier / manufacturer plays in the successful delivery of mass timber projects.
3. Explore how engaging the mass timber manufacturer early on for design assistance can help optimize the structural design of the project for maximum structural and material efficiency.
4. Learn how design assist collaboration with the fabricator can also facilitate cost certainty, faster and more accurate building completion, shorter construction timelines, and less labor for installation.

Course Video

Speaker Bio

Melissa Kindratsky P.Eng., LEED AP BD+C
Head of Engineering
Kalesnikoff

Melissa has over 20 years of experience practicing as a structural engineer with a focus on timber structures. She has a particular expertise and passion for connection design and structural concept development and has played a key role in the design and detailing of several notable mass timber projects, including: 2150 Keith Drive, Humber College Student Residence, New Westminster Aquatic and Community Center, and many more.