The Canadian Wood Council/Wood WORKS! BC are pleased to announce the release of two technical reports relating to the future use of mass timber and/or wood-frame construction and taller schools than currently permitted under the building code. The Vancouver School Board has identified the need for larger 3- and 4-storey schools, and mass timber/light wood-frame provides a sustainable cost-effective option for meeting this need, but this option is not currently included as an acceptable solution in the building code. It is important to recognize that solutions which are not included in the building code can be viable solutions but have not yet been explored or put forward to the national and provincial building code committees. While two-storey wood schools are included in the BC Building Code, three- and four-storey schools require an Alternative Solution for an approved building permit.
Titled Design Options for Three-and Four-Storey Wood School Buildings in BC, and Risk Analysis and Alternative Solution for 3- and 4-Storey Schools, the reports illustrate viable timber construction approaches that offer the same level of performance relative to fire safety as currently required by the Building Code. It is hoped that these studies will inspire school boards to use wood in taller schools in urban areas.
Download your copies of the reports below:
Design Options for Three- and Four-Storey Wood School Buildings in BC Final