Provisions that came into effect on Jan. 1 with Ontario’s new Building Code allow for mass timber construction up to 18 storeys tall, a change the province says will help build more homes faster, reduce costs — and support jobs in the forestry and technology sectors.

Ontario’s Building Code had allowed mass timber buildings up to 12-storeys.

“The use of mass timber can help keep the cost of construction down and boost our northern economy,” Paul Calandra, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, said in a statement. “As we work to cut red tape in order to increase housing supply, we’re taking an innovative approach to help our partners get shovels in the ground.”

Mass timber construction offers quieter and faster construction with the same fire and structural protection as other building methods, the statement said, allowing housing construction to shift offsite and into factories.

Ontario participated in a national consultation on proposed Building Code amendments that would allow for expanded use of mass timber in the province.

Mass timber buildings use solid or manufactured wood products as the primary load-bearing structure, with wood components covered with fire-rated material such as drywall. Mass timber construction is considered less carbon intensive, quieter and faster than traditional methods that rely on concrete and steel.

Source: ontarioconstructionnews.com