2021 IBC: Building Bigger and Taller with Low-Carbon Wood
2021 International Building Code (IBC) changes related to tall wood construction
Sponsored by Think Wood
Think Wood provides commercial, multifamily and single-family home design and build resources to architects, developers, and contractors, including education, research, design tools, and innovative project profiles.
Originally published in Architectural Record
Originally published in July 2023
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
- Explore the evolution of building with wood and the impact new IBC changes are having on the ability to specify mass timber in tall buildings that meet safety requirements for occupancy.
- Examine the new 2021 International Building Code changes related to tall wood construction, including three new building types that allow for wood buildings up to 18 stories and even taller using an Alternate Materials and Methods Requests (AMMR).
- Analyze design tactics and relevant code applications used to boost the density of light-frame wood construction and the impact these tactics have on the safety of the occupants within the built environment.
- Review the science related to wood’s embodied carbon and life-cycle assessment in the context of curbing a building’s impact on climate change.
