As advanced hybrid-timber building systems continue to grow in popularity—and in height—structural engineers, such as Tobias Fast of Fast + Epp, foresee a future of no-damage resilient buildings that not only save lives during an earthquake but can remain safe to occupy afterwards. And that future may not be too far off.
Fast’s firm incorporated such a system into their newly completed head office, a four-story hybrid mass timber structure located in the heart of Vancouver’s Cambie-City Hall neighbourhood.
The technology is a no-damage system (external link) born out of the Christchurch earthquakes in New Zealand. The device self-centres following a seismic event, allowing a structure to withstand an earthquake and any following aftershocks.
Fast + Epp Home Office | Photo credit: Michael Elkan Photography courtesy of Fast + Epp
The technology can be applied to new or existing structures, requires no post-event maintenance, and is cost-effective and compact. And as Fast points out, it’s ideally suited to the lightweight advantages of mass timber buildings.
“A mass timber building is typically quite light. The inertial forces that you get are proportionately lower. That means less demand on your shear walls, less demand on braces, on these shock-absorbing devices.”
Fast + Epp Home Office | Photo credit: Michael Elkan Photography courtesy of Fast + Epp
We’ve really just taken some risks and tried some new things and tested them out, in the spirit of being innovative. Using our own offices as a living laboratory, we’re going to share the data with the whole building community. We want others to benefit from our lessons learned and contribute to the broader knowledge of the industry. Toby Fast, Associate, P.ENG., FAST+EPP
When it comes to resilience and seismic design, Fast explains concrete is subject to degradation and corrosion. “There’s absolutely a need for concrete in most structures but certainly mass timber can replace a significant portion. And when combined with technologies like these specially-designed shock-absorbing connectors these sustainable renewable building systems can be made resilient, saving lives and virtually eliminating damage to allow for re-entry after an earthquake.”
Fast + Epp’s use of the technology extends to a tall wood project, The Hive (2150 Keith Drive), that uses a timber braced frame and CLT shearwall systems.
And Fast’s firm isn’t alone in its use of this technology with mass timber. Merely blocks from Fast + Epp’s office, Robert Malczyk, principal at Timber Engineering Inc. is also making use of Tectonus in their mass timber commercial office building oN5.
oN5 | Photo credit: KK Law
Cutting-edge technologies and mass timber design offers exceptional seismic resilience
A four-storey office building in the heart of Vancouver’s Cambie and Broadway urban hub showcases cutting technologies and demonstrates just how resilient a mass timber structure can be in the unfortunate event of a major earthquake. Specially-designed connectors have been installed at the base of the CLT shear walls to act as shock absorbers, ‘snapping’ the building back into position without damage after a significant earthquake and allowing for an immediate return to occupancy. The connectors are left uncovered, along with exposed timber as the interior finish, as part of Fast + Epp’s concept lab initiative for ongoing research and testing.
Photo courtesy of Tectonus Resilient Seismic Solutions
Fast + Epp is going one step further and has turned its own offices into a living concept lab (external site), supported by software and digital apps. This gives them the ability to test and demonstrate advancements in mass timber engineering, with the ultimate goal of sharing their findings with the broader design community.
Along with industry, the province sees an opportunity for B.C. to lead when it comes to mass timber and resilient design.
“I’m quite curious about the possibility of a hybrid approach where there are elements of mass timber and elements of other forms of biomass, more sustainable concrete wawith CO2 absorption and steel. I think that is where the great innovation will happen in the coming years as we shift towards more renewable, eco-friendly resilient building design,” said Andrew Pape-Salmon, former executive director of the Province’s Building and Safety Standards Branch and Adjunct Professor at UVic Civil Engineering.
“Mass timber innovation in British Columbia holds the promise of positioning our design professionals, product manufacturers and developers to be global leaders and to implement these applications worldwide,” adds Pape-Salmon.
The future of mass timber building design in B.C. is bright and resilient.
Expert insights: How mass timber can boost the resilience of schools
Nick Bevilacqua, managing principal at Fast + Epp, shares his insights on the future of school design in B.C. and beyond. He has a broad range of experience in all building types and is currently working on a number of school projects throughout the province featuring innovative timber construction.
Q: What are some of the seismic advantages of mass timber hybrid building systems?
A: One of the nice things that mass timber construction has going for it is that we tend to try to expose as much of the structure as we can. This makes the post-disaster inspection of these structures a lot more straightforward. Fail points tend to be at the metal connections and this is the type of thing that you could possibly retrofit a little easier than other structures. Concrete tends to be challenging to assess after a seismic event. You’re looking for cracking and failure in the rebar—things that can be tough to spot quickly, especially when the structure is concealed.
Q: What role can wood and natural materials play in the design of future schools?
A: These two schools, wək̓ʷan̓əs tə syaqʷəm Elementary School and Bayview Elementary School serve as great examples of the potential that can be realized with mass timber construction. In addition to meeting the demands of the seismic mitigation program, the timber framing systems used in these buildings provide warm, inviting spaces for the school community as well as help the school board meet their sustainability objectives.
At this point, the biophilic advantages of using naturally occurring materials such as wood in school design are well understood in the education community. There have been a number of publications, including a study Wood Use in British Columbia Schools that we completed with Stantec in 2018, that have helped foster this awareness within the community.
