Structurlam manufactures mass timber, a sustainable category of building construction featuring structural laminated wood components for walls, roofs, floors, beams and columns.
Structurlam Mass Timber Corporation, the Penticton-based manufacturer, is celebrating the new “Terminus at District 56” commercial building in partnership with Design Build Services and Aspect Structural Engineers, now open in Langford.
A key economic benefit of mass timber is the ability to design, model and prefabricate the structural elements of a project offsite, accelerating on-site production schedules by up to 25% compared to traditional on-site building with steel and concrete.
The five-storey mass timber post-and-beam building contains the first buckling-restrained braces housed within a timber frame. Located on Vancouver Island, the building site of Terminus is one of the highest seismic regions of North America, requiring its lateral system to be highly ductile while allowing the wood to be exposed.
The first-of-its-kind construction is one of two projects from Structurlam, Design Build Services and Aspect Structural Engineers in Langford.
“Tallwood 1 at District 56”, located adjacent to Terminus, is slated to open this year as the first 12-storey mass timber tower built under the revised 2018 B.C. building code, allowing for provisions for mass timber structures up to 12 storeys for interested communities.
“The Terminus project sets a high precedent for mass timber construction and meets a variety of structural considerations, including fire ratings, seismic benchmarks and structural performance, all while providing the desired aesthetic,” said Structurlam CEO Hardy Wentzel in a statement, Wednesday.
“The completion of the building is a big win for all involved and we’re looking forward to continuing to work with Design Building Services and Aspect Structural Engineers on Tallwood 1 in the coming months.”
Structurlam previously built the west-wing addition to the Penticton Lakeside Resort which opened in 2017. Courtesy: www.pentictonherald.ca
