Mass timber at 18 storeys will drive housing up: advocates

The Ontario government’s decision to take steps to permit mass timber buildings of up to 18 storeys is being praised by stakeholders as a boost to the mass timber manufacturing sector and a step forward in the province’s drive to build more housing.

The current limit in Ontario’s Building Code is 12 storeys. Ontario Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Paul Calandra announced April 8 the government will move to amend the building code to permit encapsulated mass timber construction up to 18 storeys after reviewing analysis and feedback from a multi-province joint task force that includes Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec.

Mike Yorke, a consultant with the Carpenters’ Regional Council who co-ordinated three seminars exploring the future of mass timber construction this past winter, said the sector is coming into alignment, with the building code announcement an important step.

Finding the sweet spot

“I just love the decision,” he said. “It’ll drive forward housing opportunities, and the other piece that’s really interesting is that that area from eight to 18 storeys is really the sweet spot for mass timber. Mass timber may not be at the current time competitive for 50 or 60 storeys, but if you can really focus in on that sweet spot it will be fantastic for Ontario’s housing needs.”

Until recently Ontario’s building code permitted a maximum of six-storey wood residences but the most recent changes to the code effective July 1, 2022 topped the permitted use up to 12 storeys.

Mass timber advocate David Moses, principal of Moses Structural Engineers, observed during a recent presentation that the mass timber industry is gaining momentum as stakeholders realize it enables accelerated construction of affordable housing.

“Eighteen storeys in Ontario is great news,” said Moses. “This puts Ontario on par with the United States and it will hopefully be implemented very soon in B.C. and Quebec.

“I expect the majority of tall timber buildings to be in the eight- to 12-storey range, but an increase to 18 storeys will incentivize the industry to look for more standardization in structural systems and accelerate the development of go-to acoustic and fire code systems.

“Figure it out for 18 storeys and then 12 storeys doesn’t look so difficult.”

A statement from Canadian Wood Council said it applauds Ontario’s code leadership: “These expanded provisions for mass timber will enhance the innovation already happening in the province, offering designers, developers and municipalities the opportunity to pursue high-performance, low-carbon wood construction in a greater number of buildings.”

Michael Collins-Williams, the CEO of the West End Home Builders’ Association, said in a post on X the move finally brings Ontario on par with many European jurisdictions.

“Mass timber is a huge opportunity for fast, low-carbon, human-scaled communities,” he tweeted.

Element5 expands

Ontario’s only mass timber manufacturing plant is currently being expanded at its home base in St. Thomas, Ont.

The original Element5 facility opened in 2021 at 130,000 square feet; the expansion will take it to over 350,000 square feet, doubling its current output.

Element5’s new glulam line is scheduled to go into full operation in the first half of 2025 with total workforce also expected to at least double to over 200 staff.

And in February, Element5 announced that Austria-based Hasslacher, one of Europe’s largest timber companies, had acquired an interest in Element5.

Element5 president Patrick Poulin commented in a statement that the firm welcomed the Ontario government’s announcement.

“Significant announcements like this help advance our business even more. It’s an exciting time to be in the mass timber space,” he said.

Yorke noted the Carpenters’ Regional Council has been training workers for mass timber construction at its College of Carpenters and Allied Trades training centre for several seasons.  

“It’s just remarkable,” he said. “Everything came into this perfect alignment right now. We’ve been doing the training for a number of years, we’ve been advocating for this sector.”

But Yorke said Ontario needs another mass timber manufacturer.

“We’ve got to raise the capacity in the province. I think with 18 storeys, we’re going to see increased demand.”

Follow the author on X/Twitter @DonWall_DCN.