Mass Timber Construction in Canada
Industrialized Construction in Wood: The Role of Digital Tools and Automation
July 29, 2021We researched mass timber projects across Canada and delivered a database which underpinned a Natural Resources Canada report and interactive map which was published in 2021.
To understand the current state of mass timber construction capacity in Canada, a baseline set of data was been collected on mass timber projects and production capacity across the country. The database included 485 projects completed from 2007 onward or are under construction, representing over 1.5 million m2 (16 million sf) of gross floor area.
Projects in the database include public and private industrial, commercial, institutional and multi-family residential buildings, bridges, towers and agricultural structures that are at least 300m2 / 3,000sf in size and use large engineered and prefabricated wood members in structural applications for the interior and/or exterior walls, interstitial floors and roof either in “all-wood” designs or as an integral part of a hybrid (with steel, concrete and/or light wood frame) system.
Houses and small buildings that would be classified under Part 9 of the National Building Code are not included. The database also includes a list of 23 mass timber suppliers in Canada as well as a selection of 11 major international manufacturers and suppliers from the US and Europe. Ten Canadian suppliers provided data that suggests that, collectively, they are able to produce over 800,000m3 of mass timber material per year.
