Quebec government releases technical guide on construction of 12-storey wooden buildings

The Government of Quebec has released a technical guide on the construction of wooden buildings up to 12 storeys using mass timber.

On Monday, the provincial government announced the publication of the French-language guide, entitled Bâtiments de construction massive en bois d’au plus 12 étages (Construction of Mass Timber Buildings up to 12 Storeys), said a press release from FPInnovations, a research organization acting as scientific advisors.

The guide outlines the technical principles required to design and construct wooden buildings up to 12 storeys using mass timber. The announcement was made by Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard in the presence of Sam Hamad, Minister of Labour, Employment and Social Solidarity and Pierre Lapointe, president and CEO of FPInnovations.

“Research in Canada and internationally has shown that it is possible to construct safe and secure wooden buildings greater than six storeys in height and that, at those heights, rather than light wood framing, mass timber construction materials must be used, such as cross-laminated timber,” FPInnovations said in the press release. In 2013, testing performed at the National Research Council in Ottawa confirmed that this type of construction met the required safety specifications. [click image below to enlarge]

The Government of Quebec is following in the footsteps of countries in Europe, where similar wood-based construction methods are permitted. FPInnovations reported that Québec has recently seen an increase in wooden construction, with a local consortium announcing the development of a 13-storey wooden residential building in the Pointe-aux-Lièvres eco-district of Quebec City. Last year, FPInnovations published the Technical Guide for the Design and Construction of Tall Wood Buildings in Canada, providing the guiding principles for the design of wooden buildings greater than 12 storeys.

“We are very proud to have contributed the scientific expertise necessary to enable the Government of Québec to develop this manual,” Lapointe said in the press release. “The Quebec construction industry now has the knowledge necessary to design and construct buildings to the highest possible standards of safety using wood, an abundant and renewable natural resource and a cornerstone of the Quebec economy.”