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A building that is a good choice for the environment can often address broader social needs and offer higher economic value. People prefer to live, work, study and play in a well-designed and visually appealing building – and this is more likely to extend its life and make it a better investment. It also sends a signal that the building owner is environmentally responsible and cares about the well-being of occupants.
Individuals in the design and construction community are increasingly choosing materials, design techniques and construction procedures that improve a structure’s ability to withstand and recover from extreme events such as intense rain, snow and wind, hurricanes, earthquakes and wildfire. In addition, buildings are increasingly designed to be more adaptable in order to accommodate future occupancies and user needs. As a result, specifying robust materials and design details, and constructing flexible and easily repairable buildings are becoming important design criteria.
The intent of this document is to provide guidance on joist spans, built-up beam sizes, and supporting column sizes for exterior wood decks. The following items which are typically included in an exterior wood deck are not addressed and are beyond the scope of this document: deck footings; deck railings and guards; attachment of the deck to houses; lateral bracing of a deck. Design tables are provided for lumber which is not incised (Tables 2a, 2b, 4a, 4b, 6a and 6b) and lumber which is incised (Tables 3a, 3b, 5a, 5b, 7a and 7b). Tables are provided in both metric and imperial units.
This testing program was carried out by the Advanced Building Systems (ABS) Department of FPInnovations in response to a request made by Mrs. Julie Frappier of Nordic Engineered Wood and Mr. Étienne Lalonde of Canadian Wood Council (CWC) for the evaluation of the shear stress resistance of one hundred fifty two (152) cross-laminated timber (CLT) beams. All specimens were manufactured by Nordic Engineered Wood and delivered to FPInnovations’ testing facilities in Québec City. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the in-plane shear stress of CLT depending of its orientation and the number of plies. Specific Gravity and Moisture Content measurements were also determined for each specimen.
With a height of 29.5 metres, the Wood Innovation and Design Centre (WIDC) is the tallest contemporary wood building in North America. Located in the city of Prince George in northern British Columbia, the WIDC was conceived as a showcase for local wood products and as a demonstration of the province’s growing expertise in the design and construction of large wood buildings.
The building has eight levels (six storeys, plus a ground floor mezzanine and a rooftop mechanical penthouse). The lower levels will accommodate faculty and students enrolled in the new Master of Engineering in Integrated Wood Design (MEng), to be launched by the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) in January 2016 and the new Centre for Design Innovation and Entrepreneurship to be launched by Emily Carr University of Art and Design in fall 2016. Academic facilities include a research/teaching lab that will support the design, fabrication and testing of wood products; a 75-seat lecture theatre; classrooms; a student lounge; gathering and meeting areas; and a learning resource centre. The upper floors will provide office space for public and private sector organizations associated with the wood industry.
Over the long term, the WIDC will advance wood education and innovation in the province, enhance expertise in wood manufacturing, product development and engineering – all of which will help to expand opportunities for international exports of products and services. In addition, its striking presence in the heart of the city will assist in the revitalization of downtown Prince George.
This case study describes the most important innovations that were implemented to meet design and safety criteria in what is a new class of buildings for British Columbia. These innovations included:
A set of site-specific regulations to ensure life safety and structural integrity;
The use of vertical cross-laminated timber (CLT) elements (including mechanical, elevator and stair shafts) to provide lateral stability to the structure;
The use of double layer CLT floors to meet structural requirements and contribute to acoustic isolation and efficient services distribution;
The use of superimposed (end grain-to-end grain bearing) columns to control shrinkage over the height of the building; and,
The use of high strength proprietary connectors to speed construction and improve structural performance.
A testing program related to the evaluation of the mechanical properties of CLT diaphragms used in construction was carried out by the Advanced Building Systems (ABS) Department of FPInnovations in response to a request made by the Client, Nordic Engineered Wood Products. The main objective of this study was to determine the in-plane stiffness and potentially strength properties of CLT panels used in diaphragm applications. The test matrix consisted of three (3) series of two (2) specimens each. The CLT specimens were tested under third-point loading during the program. All specimens were manufactured by Nordic Engineered Wood Products and delivered to FPInnovations’ testing facilities in Québec City. The CLT panels were made of nominal 2×4 Black Spruce lumber (CLT Grade E1 – ANSI PRG 320).
A testing program was carried out by the Advanced Building Systems (ABS) Department of FPInnovations in response to a request made by Mrs. Julie Frappier of Nordic Engineered Wood Products for the evaluation of the effective shear modulus of eight (8) different Cross-laminated Timber (CLT) configurations or series. The test matrix consisted of a total seventy (70) specimens and each specimen was submitted to four (4) bending tests, resulting in a total two hundred and eighty (280) tests. All specimens were manufactured by Nordic Engineered Wood Products and delivered to FPInnovations’ testing facilities in Québec City.
This testing program was carried out by the Advanced Building Systems (ABS) Department of FPInnovations in response to a request from Mrs. Julie Frappier from Nordic Engineered Wood for the evaluation of the mechanical properties of three (3) different assemblies for attaching Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) panels. Each of the assemblies consisted of six (6) specimens for a total of eighteen (18) tests. All specimens were manufactured by Nordic Engineered Wood and delivered to FPInnovations’ laboratory in Québec City.
The key objective was to evaluate the mechanical properties pertinent for the design of CLT panel connections exposed to in-plane loading such as diaphragms or shear walls. The evaluation of the ultimate loading capacity (𝐏𝐮𝐥𝐭) and the stiffness (K) of the connections are thus the main focus of this study.
In a recent survey of building specifiers, the majority perceived wood to be the most environmentally friendly building material. Compared to other major building materials, this is due mainly to:
Lately, environmental considerations have acquired more importance in the specification of materials. Technical and economic aspects of building materials have always been primary considerations for specifiers. Increasingly, however, they are considering the environmental effects when selecting appropriate building materials for their designs.
Architects, engineers and designers require accurate information to assess the true environmental consequences of the materials they specify.
The environmental impacts of various building materials have been examined by a Canadian Research Alliance using the internationally accepted method called Life-Cycle Analysis (LCA). The Alliance consists of researchers from the wood, steel and concrete industries as well as university groups and consultants.
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