There’s no doubt mass timber is growing exponentially as a primary material used in the construction of tall buildings. Recently the ICC (International Code Council) Committee Action Hearings concluded the IBC (International Building Code) must be updated to include the use of mass timber (CLT, NLT, glued-laminated timber and SCL or structural composite lumber) in the construction of buildings as tall as 18 stories.
Whether constructed of concrete, mass timber or steel, under the IBC all buildings must meet the fire performance standards in the code. The ICC Committee Action Hearing passed 14 code provisions that establish mass timber procedures and fire resistance standards more demanding than those for concrete and steel structures. While there have been tall mass timber structures built under local codes, updates to the IBC will allow countless building officials have access to model code provisions.
Engineers, building officials, fire services professionals and others comprised the Ad Hoc Committee on Tall Wood Buildings which conducted the ICC deliberations. Architect and ICC committee member Susan Jones said the Ad Hoc Committee had worked for two years to investigate the science of mass timber, evaluate the code and advance consensus proposals to make certain tall mass timber buildings satisfy the highest standards.
Clark County (NV) Dept. of Building and Fire Prevention protection engineer and Chair of the ICC’s Ad Hoc Committee Stephen DiGiovanni, P.E. said that “The strength and fire resistance performance of mass timber structures is well understood and supported by substantial testing and data.” DiGiovanni went on to say that it is critical the IBC and entire family of I-Codes stay at the front of unfolding construction technologies as taller mass timber buildings become more common, and continues to provide the tools fire code and building officials need to assure the safety of first responders and the public.
News reports state the adoption of the codes into the IBC is pending votes in an October 2018 ICC Public Comment Hearing in Richmond, VA along with a November online vote by code officials nationwide. The U.S. government’s ATF Fire Research lab aided the committee in fire resistance testing.
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