The new National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 5000 Building Construction and Safety Code and NFPA 101 Life Safety Code have Allowances for larger and taller mass timber buildings.
“The addition of tall mass timber provisions to NFPA 5000 and NFPA 101 ensures compatibility with the International Building Code, thereby furthering the market opportunity for tall mass timber buildings,” said American Wood Council (AWC) Vice President of Codes & Regulations Kenneth Bland, P.E., in a news release. “NFPA’s recognition of tall mass timber furthers the availability of a low-embodied carbon alternative compared to traditional building materials.”
The new code is the result of a three-year process to review mass timber. Several NFPA Technical Committees with responsibility for building construction provisions developed new tall mass timber provisions.
The new provisions are intended to eliminate conflicts that can occur when compliance with both the IBC and NFPA 101 is required. The updated NFPA codes are expected to be available later this year.
Related Stories
AEC Tech | Jun 17, 2016
Driverless cars could soon start impacting commercial, retail project design
Offsite parking and more space for valet parking lines are among the foreseeable changes.
Codes and Standards | Jun 17, 2016
Bay State moves toward single BIM protocol on state projects
Massport’s guidelines a step forward for integrated BIM initiative.
Multifamily Housing | Jun 14, 2016
San Francisco voters approve tougher affordability requirement on new housing development
Critics charge that the measure may backfire and actually reduce new affordable units.
Concrete | Jun 13, 2016
American Concrete Institute releases new Guide to Shotcrete
Includes information on application procedures, testing.
Healthcare Facilities | Jun 10, 2016
Top 10 health technology hazards include some influenced by space design
ECRI Institute’s annual list includes operational and workflow issues.
Codes and Standards | Jun 9, 2016
Supreme Court ruling could aid developers on properties containing wetlands
Unanimous decision allows landowners to take regulatory decisions straight to court.
Green | Jun 8, 2016
TD Bank Group's renovated Toronto office is first WELL-Certified project under WELL v1
The newly renovated 25,000-sf space achieved gold-level status.
Concrete | Jun 7, 2016
Concrete Institute publishes document providing concrete curing guidance
New curing monitoring techniques included.
Energy | Jun 7, 2016
Energy modeling payback typically as short as one to two months
Energy modeling is a ‘no-brainer—like checking MPG on a car’
Green | Jun 2, 2016
USGBC offers new LEED pilot credit: Building Material Human Hazard and Exposure Assessment
For assessing human health-related exposure scenarios for construction products.