DES609 Mass Timber Structures: Codes and Adoptions

With encouragement from the U.S. wood products industry, in 2016, the International Code Council (ICC) formally began to explore the feasibility of adding provisions for tall mass timber buildings in the U.S. model building codes. Since that time, the ICC Tall Wood Building (TWB) Ad Hoc Committee has reviewed voluminous materials regarding tall mass timber buildings, including domestic and international research. The TWB developed a comprehensive set of technically-substantiated code changes, supported by a number of unique fire testing scenarios and designer input. In January 2019, most of these code changes were approved by the ICC membership, including provisions for permissible building heights and areas, number of stories, and fire requirements. Three remaining changes, addressing construction inspections and fire resistance design of connections were recommended for approval in May 2019 and will be considered in final voting in the Fall of 2019. This presentation will provide a brief oversight of the new U.S. model code provisions for Tall Wood Buildings.

OBJECTIVES:

1) Identify applicable standards used in qualification and performance evaluation of mass timber products.

2) Recognize US model building code provisions for mass timber construction.

3) Differentiate which design standards and material standards are referenced within US model building codes for the purpose of mass timber design.

4) Examine the various processes by which code provisions are adopted and the current status of adoption of mass timber code provisions throughout the US.

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