Recent Changes to California Building Codes Allow for Mass Timber Buildings Up to 18-Stories Tall
California building codes now allow high-rise mass-timber buildings
Recently enacted new building codes in California now allow for high-rise mass-timber buildings of up to 18-stories to be constructed throughout the state and increased allowable square footage of such buildings. Mass timber structures are built with engineered wood products that are composed of large, solid wood panels, columns, or beams manufactured off-site and used for load-bearing walls, floors, and roofs.
California’s adoption of the mass-timber provision is timely and comes just as new construction and applications for mass-timber buildings are continuing to grow across the US. One such example is Milwaukee Wisconsin’s Ascent, a $125 million, 25-story structure features a hybrid timber and concrete frame. The Ascent currently holds the title of the world’s tallest mass-timber hybrid building.
The International Code Council (ICC) latest code includes provisions for up to 18 stories of a Type IV-A construction for Business and Residential Occupancies.
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