Canadas design and construction community will now have free access to detailed expert advice available in the Nail-Laminated Timber (NLT) Canadian Design and Construction Guide released today. Co-edited by architecture and design firm Perkins&Will and structural engineering firm Fast + Epp, this same team produced a similar guide for the U.S. building industry earlier this year.
Available for free download at naturallywood.com, the guide provides inspiration and direction to ensure safe, predictable, and economical use of NLT, including practical strategies and guidance with lessons learned from real-life projects.
While Canada is a leader in NLT use and home to an array of innovative real-life projects ranging from schools and health facilities to commercial buildings and transportation infrastructure, available informational resources are dated and scarce, said Rebecca Holt, sustainable building advisor at Perkins&Will. This guide serves as a supplement to best practices and standards in wood design and construction, and is meant to offer guidance specific to the application of NLT for the range of disciplines engaged in both design and construction. This is the only comprehensive NLT resource available that combines design, construction, and fabrication expertise from built projects into an easy to use reference. We hope the guide will act not only as a knowledge resource, but will inspire new projects and ideas.
Unlike other mass timber products, NLT does not require a unique manufacturing facility and can be fabricated with local dimension lumber for use in applications across sectors and building types. It is a cost-effective solution allowing projects to leverage the economic and environmental benefits of mass timber construction.
Consistent with current codes and standards, the guide focuses on design and construction considerations for floor and roof systems pertaining to Canadian construction practice and standards. Included in the code through provisions for combustible construction and heavy timber, NLT can be incorporated into a project without the need for an alternative solution application. NLT offers design flexibility and is readily accessible across the country thanks to the availability of raw materials and ease of fabrication.
Mass timber technologies like NLT signify an exciting shift in the way we think about building, said Tanya Luthi of Fast + Epp. There is an eagerness among architects and building owners that we haven’t seen for a number of years, and structural engineers like myself can use a resource like this to help bring the designers vision to life in a safe, economical way.
A first-of-its-kind manual for the Canadian design and construction community, the guide was authored by a team of skilled practitioners dedicated to advancing high-quality timber construction across industries, typologies, and geographies. The guide was made possible by leadership and support from Forestry Innovation Investment and the Binational Softwood Lumber Council, as well as expertise from Perkins&Will, Fast + Epp, StructureCraft, Seagate Structures Ltd., RDH Building Science, GHL Consultants Ltd., Holmes Fire, RWDI Consulting Engineers and Scientists, the Canadian Wood Council and FPInnovations.
Additional mass timber and wood building resources are available at naturallywood.com and reThinkWood.com.
About Perkins&Will
Perkins&Will is an interdisciplinary, research-based architecture and design firm established in 1935, with offices spanning several award-winning practices across Canada. Founded on the belief that design has the power to transform lives and enhance communities, Perkins&Will collaborates with clients all over the world to create healthy, sustainable places in which to live, learn, work, play, and heal. As empresas Research Labs catalisam tecnologias de design inovadoras e soluções que resultam em ambientes construídos melhores, mais inteligentes e mais competitivos. Reconhecendo o valor da madeira, Perkins e Will tem uma extensa carteira de madeira abrangendo mais de 20 anos no Canadá, incluindo projetos de madeira maciça, pesquisa, e design e guias técnicos.
Sobre o Fast + EPP
Fast + EPP é uma empresa de consultoria de engenharia estrutural com uma reputação estabelecida para o pensamento fresco. Fundada em 1985 e agora mais de 50 pessoas em escritórios em toda a América do Norte e na Europa, somos fluentes em todos os materiais estruturais primários e se tornaram hábeis em combinar materiais para formar estruturas arquitetonicamente expressivas. Nossa perícia no projeto e na construção maciços da madeira foi demonstrada o mais recentemente com a casa de TallWood no Commons de Brock, um edifício híbrido de madeira de massa de 18 andares inovador que está mudando a conversação em torno das estruturas de madeira altas.
Para obter mais informações, visite www.fastepp.com
