Until now, encapsulated mass timber construction was limited to 12 storeys in Ontario. In a move towards sustainability, the 2024 Ontario Building Code will expand the use of engineered wood construction by permitting encapsulated mass timber construction up to 18 storeys in height. On April 8th, 2024, Ontario’s Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing announced the province’s intention to make this amendment in the 2024 Building Code. This update to Ontario’s Building Code is part of the provinces effort to build more housing and will support the province’s forestry sector. This marks a significant stride towards a greener and more sustainable future for the province. The 2024 BC Building Code will also include this revision to allow up to 18 storeys.
Mass timber, primarily consisting of engineered wood product such as cross-laminated timber (CLT), laminated veneer lumber (LVL), and glued-laminated timber (glulam), allows construction of larger and taller buildings compared to traditional wood frame construction, while generating fewer greenhouse gas emissions than conventional building materials like concrete and steel. Encapsulated mass timber construction has many other benefits such as construction efficiency and structural performance. Ontario has numerous mass timber building projects in the works, including some that required special approvals due to the current height limitation in the Ontario Building Code. New tall wood buildings in Toronto, for example, are already under construction with many more being designed. For example, Limberlost Place at George Brown College is anticipated to be the province’s first net-zero mass timber institutional building at 10 storeys. The University of Toronto Academic Tower will be a hybrid mass timber and concrete building with 14 storeys. Hines T3 buildings on Stirling and Bayside are 8 and 10 storey office buildings.
Moses Structural Engineers designs many mass timber buildings in Ontario and beyond. We are the authors of the Ontario Tall Wood Reference for architects, engineers and developers and co-authors of Chapter 13 of the CLT Design Guide, a working example for practitioners of a tall wood building. We were also part of many firsts including the first use of CLT panels in Canada, first commercial use of CLT in Ontario and the first retail store made of CLT in Ontario. We help our clients through the design process through a variety of materials and their effects on aesthetics, the environment, and constructability. Ontario’s decision to incorporate 18-storey mass timber structures into the 2024 Building Code marks a significant milestone in the construction industry. Contact us to see how this will benefit your projects. [email protected]
