B.C. building code to allow mass timber in buildings up to 18 storeys, up from 12
The use of mass timber in British Columbia is moving up and expanding to schools, libraries and other construction.
The province says it's making building-code changes allowing for the use of mass timber in buildings up to 18 storeys, an increase from the previous 12-storey limit.
The expansion also includes building with mass timber for housing, retail, light and medium industrial construction and care facilities, as part of government efforts to streamline provincial housing permits and authorizations.
Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon says in a statement the changes will help reduce carbon pollution, support forestry, create jobs and build more homes.
Mass timber, also known as engineered wood, can be used in place of steel or concrete, and is made of smaller wood connected with adhesives, dowels, nails or screws to create larger structural components.
Jagrup Brar, minister of state for trade and chair of the Mass Timber Advisory Council, says the expansion helps diversify both the forestry and the construction industries.
“This is another step forward for British Columbia's world-class mass-timber sector as we continue to accelerate the adoption of this strong, clean building technology,” Brar says in a news release.
Betsy Agar, director of buildings at the clean energy think tank Pembina Institute, says the expansion to mass timber is a tangible solution to the twin challenges of housing affordability and the climate crisis being delivered through the B.C. Building Code.
“Embracing the expansion of mass timber in taller buildings highlights the critical role of embodied carbon awareness, while ensuring all Canadians live in safe, healthy, climate-resilient homes that are affordable to heat and cool,” Agar says in a statement.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 10, 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Some structural damage' from wildfire near Fort Nelson, B.C., mayor confirms
More than one home has been damaged or lost due to a massive wildfire outside of the B.C. community of Fort Nelson, the mayor confirmed Wednesday.
'Very expensive lunch': Sask. driver says he got a cellphone ticket for using his points app in the drive-thru
A warning from a Saskatoon driver about using your fast-food app while in the drive-thru line — a trip to get some free lunch cost him a lot more than he bargained for.
B.C. YouTuber ordered to pay $350K for 'relentless' online defamation campaign
An 'unrepentant' YouTuber has been ordered to pay $350,000 in damages as compensation for a 'relentless' campaign of defamation waged online against a business owner and his company, the B.C. Supreme Court has ruled.
Chief says grave search at B.C. residential school brings things 'full circle'
Chief Robert Michell says relief isn't the right word to describe his reaction as the search begins for unmarked graves at the site of a former residential school he attended in northern British Columbia.
'Endless Shrimp' just one misstep for Red Lobster as it eyes bankruptcy protection
While it's unclear what these closures might mean for the 27 restaurants in Canada, Red Lobster is expected to file for bankruptcy protection in the U.S. this month.
B.C. man shot sex worker in the back during drug-fuelled birthday, court hears
A man from B.C.'s Lower Mainland has been sentenced to four years behind bars after shooting a sex worker in the back during a drug-fuelled 43rd birthday.
'Inhumane conditions': 68 dogs pulled from Winnipeg home
Nearly six dozen dogs were seized from a home Wednesday morning by the Winnipeg Humane Society. It is the largest known seizure of animals in the city’s history.
Ontario's 'Crypto King' Aiden Pleterski arrested
Of the $40-million Aiden Pleterski was handed over two years, documents show he invested just over one per cent and instead spent $15.9 million on "his personal lifestyle." The 25-year-old Oshawa, Ont. man was arrested and charged with fraud and money laundering on Tuesday.
Driver said he smoked pot oil, took medication before Florida crash that killed 8 Mexican workers
A man with a long record of dangerous driving told investigators he smoked marijuana oil and took prescription drugs hours before he sideswiped a bus, killing eight Mexican farmworkers and injuring dozens more, according to an arrest report unsealed Wednesday.