limits on building area to 25 per cent of that of non-combustible buildings.Limits on building height to top floor (18m from first floor, 20m from fire access route).Armstrong said most wood construction fires are caused by arson, so site security takes on additional importance. Other provisions will require enhanced construction fire safety measures. “The behaviour of buildings under lateral load is very different when you have concrete stairwells.” This will require the mixing of wood and other building materials, resulting in higher costs and engineering/structural issues. As well, there is a requirement for “non-combustable stairwells with a fire resistance rating of at least 1.5 hours,” he said. The proposed building code changes, however, have some challenges including fire safety/prevention measures that will make it harder to use the wood option effectively, he said.įor example, there is a requirement for a significant open perimeter – meaning that it will not be possible to build to the lot line in urban areas, if the revisions are approved as proposed.
“Savings are $20 to 25 per square foot, or 10 to 15 per cent less than concrete,” he said. Cost savings are significant, making infill wood structures feasible. Jeff Armstrong, general manager of the DAC Division at Kott Group in Ottawa said the mid-rise wood structures are most economically built with prefabricated panels. as a case study, Ontario builders are presented with a viable code compliant construction option that meets safety, health, accessibility, as well as fire and structural requirements in the code,” the CWC news release says. The CWC says changes to the Ontario Building Code would be similar to changes made to the British Columbia Building Code in 2009, which had an immediate impact on the local economy. Our goal is to ensure that wood products and building systems are fairly represented in the Ontario Building Code and ensure a level playing field for all structural products.” “We look forward to supporting this review process with the knowledge and expertise gained from years of designing and constructing these types of buildings in British Columbia and elsewhere in North America.
“We welcome Ontario’s announcement that it will undertake a regulatory review of the implications of adopting wood-frame construction in five- and six-storey applications,” said CWC president and CEO Michael Giroux.
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