Getting ready for EMTC part 1

Veronica Madonna, Studio VMA and Patrick Crabbe from Bird Construction, present to the Ontario Association of Architects on Tall Timber, Encapsulated Mass Timber Construction (EMTC).

Part 1: Getting Ready for Encapsulated Mass Timber Construction (EMTC) up to 12 Storeys: An Introduction to the Changes in the Ontario Building Code will present a mass timber overview, key considerations in developing mass timber buildings and strategies for optimizing success. Secondly, it will introduce the anticipated Ontario Building Code Changes allowing for Encapsulated Mass Timber Construction up to 12 Storeys.

The shift to industrialized construction processes and advancements in mass timber construction has opened greater possibilities in wood building design, including changing regulations to allow for Encapsulated Mass Timber Construction up to 12 storeys. 

In March 2022, the National Building Code made significant changes to allow for the construction of Encapsulated Mass Timber Construction (EMTC) up to 12 storeys. Now, provincial regulators across Canada are preparing for similar changes, including the Ontario Building Code, which is anticipated to be released in July 2022. 

To prepare for the changes to allow EMTC up to 12 Storeys in the Ontario Building Code, this two-part presentation series will provide a detailed analysis of the changes. It will review the events that led to the changes and the current state of affairs in Canada for tall-wood buildings. Lastly, it will provide a detailed overview of the opportunities presented with the new code regulations and critical considerations to optimize success for designing and constructing mass timber buildings.