Updated Canadian Building Codes Allow for Mass Timber Construction up to 12 Stories

On Monday (3-28-22), Canada released an updated set of model construction codes that will make Canadian homes and buildings “safer and more accessible while responding to climate change.” This is according to Kevin Griffiths, Chair of the Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes (CCBFC). The update includes allowing mass timber construction up to 12-stories tall.

The new codes include the National Building Code of Canada 2020, the National Fire Code of Canada 2020, the National Plumbing Code of Canada 2020, and the National Energy Code of Canada for Buildings 2020.

Current provincial and territorial building, fire, plumbing, and energy regulations will remain in effect until the 2020 Codes are adopted, with or without modifications, by the provincial or territorial authorities having jurisdiction.

The National Model Codes are developed by the CCBFC on a five-year cycle and are published by the National Research Council of Canada (NRC). Discussions about the 2025 National Model Codes are already underway.

The 2020 codes are available through the NRC’s publications archive in a free electronic format for download. To purchase the publications in print format, an order can be placed online through the NRC’s virtual store.