ICC and AWC launch mass timber education programs

As you may have heard, mass timber has received incredible attention in the last year. With interest in mass timber and its use spreading throughout the United States construction industry, the American Wood Council (AWC) and International Code Council (ICC) are working together to educate building and fire officials, designers, and engineers on all facets of building with this new and innovative product. This Fall, AWC and ICC launched a six-part educational series covering different components of mass timber, its qualities and uses, including requirements from the upcoming 2021 International Building Code that will allow up to 18-story mass timber buildings. Registration for the webinars and seminars is available on the ICC website Learning Center webpage (learn.iccsafe.org), search “mass timber.” The full series of webinars is offered monthly through June 2020. While the first webinar series began in November 2019, the entire series will be repeated over a six-week period beginning in May 2020. Full-day physical classroom and virtual courses are also scheduled for 2020. Descriptions, dates, and locations for each webinar and full-day offering are provided below.

Module 1 – Mass Timber Construction: Intro to Mass Timber

Webinar: May 11, 2020 – 1.5 hours

Mass timber products include any products that are currently allowed for use in Type IV construction, such as cross-laminated timber (CLT), structural composite lumber (SCL), glued laminated timber (glulam), mechanically laminated decking (aka nail-laminated timber or NLT), and large section sawn timbers. This module will afford discussion of the sustainable qualities that mass timber products possess, along with their structural and fire protection characteristics. Attendees will be able to identify code acceptance of mass timber products, describe advances in technology and standards, and recognize the unique fire resistive characteristics that these products possess.

Module 2 – Mass Timber Construction: What’s New in 2015-2018 for Mass Timber Construction

Webinars: December 16, 2019; May 18, 2020 – 1.5 hours

Get an overview of changes to the 2015 and 2018 International Building Code (IBC) related to mass timber construction. Participants will be able to identify Type IV construction, recognize new mass timber products, describe new provisions in the 2015 IBC as it relates to mass timber, and summarize new provisions regarding Type IV construction as specified in the 2018 IBC.

Module 3 – New Mass Timber Construction: Background and Overview

Webinars: January 13, 2020; June 1, 2020 – 1.5 hours

This is the first of four modules that will look at the 2021 IBC as it relates to tall mass timber construction. It will provide a background and overview of Tall Mass Timber code change proposals, including creation of ICC’s Tall Wood Building Ad Hoc Committee, the process used to reach consensus on the code change proposals, inherent differences between the new types of construction as compared to existing wood building types in the IBC, and evaluation of fire resistance requirements for tall mass timber building elements.

Module 4 – New Mass Timber Construction: Heights and Areas and Construction Fire Safety

Webinars: February 24, 2020; June 8, 2020 – 1.5 hours

Part two of the four-part look at the 2021 IBC approved provisions for tall mass timber will cover the new allowable heights and areas, along with construction fire safety. Participants will be able to describe the development process for allowable heights, areas, and stories permitted for tall mass timber types of construction, evaluate new fire barrier requirements, recognize provisions for construction site fire prevention, and understand owner responsibilities for fire resistance elements.

Module 5 – New Mass Timber Construction: Fire Safety

Webinars: March 23, 2020; June 15, 2020 – 1.5 hours

Part three dives into fire safety as related to the 2021 IBC. This section will cover fire safety provisions, including sealants at abutting edges and intersections, fire blocking material, and water supply. It will also discuss new provisions for concealed spaces, membrane structures, and fire districts for existing Type IV construction. Participants will be able to identify fire safety provisions for new Type IV-A, Type IV-B, and Type IV-C construction.

Module 6 – New Mass Timber Construction: Fire and Connection Design and Special Inspection

Webinars: April 8, 2020; June 22, 2020 – 1.5 hours

The final module will take a deep dive into the fire design of mass timber building elements and assemblies, and protection of connections. Participants will be able to understand the principles of fire design provisions for mass timber and assemblies for Types IV-A, IV-B, and IV-C, learn how to design fire protection for mass timber connections, and recognize new code provisions for special inspection of tall mass timber structures.

Full-day physical classroom and virtual courses

 Mass Timber Building and the IBC– six hours

• March 24 | Country Club Hills, IL
• May 26 | Virtual
• June 23 | Brea, CA
• August 25 | Virtual
• November 10 | Virtual

This full-day course includes Modules 1-6 as described above. It will provide an overview of mass timber which includes any product currently permitted for use in Type IV (heavy timber) construction such as CLT, SCL, glulam, NLT, and large section sawn timbers. Learn what’s new in 2015/2018 IBC for Mass Timber Construction as well as an overview of new Tall Mass Timber Construction per the 2021 IBC. Topics including heights and areas, construction fire safety, fire and connection design and special inspection for Tall Mass Timber Construction in accordance with the 2021 IBC will be discussed.