More than 50 architects in England and Ireland have a better understanding of Canadian practice in building design, wood in construction and forest management and certification following two Wood Fairs organised by Canada Wood UK.
The RIBA-accredited CPD seminars, which took place in Dublin and London, featured presentations on certification, fire safety and acoustical design, environment and sustainability and wood frame design.
The London event at Canada House was opened by David Plunkett, minister for the Canadian government’s commercial and economic section, who said Canadian timber frame buildings can meet the challenges laid down by the British government.
John Park of Canada Wood UK highlighted details of the Canada Wood Export Programme, a Canadian government initiative which was launched in May 2002. The five-year C$35m project, which operates in partnership with Canadian wood industry associations, is designed to open doors for Canadian wood products in offshore markets and to brand Canada as a preferred and dependable supplier of quality wood products.
Mr Park said that the Canadian wood products industry has, for many years, enjoyed “favoured nation” status, particularly in the UK. “The rigorous quality control systems employed throughout both the timber and plywood industries, and the research and testing that has gone into the development of wood and wood products as construction materials and to ensure reliable and consistent performance, has guaranteed Canadian timber and plywood a place in the national timber design code.”
However, he said, the advent of the European single market and the development of European standards overturned this long-standing relationship.
“In meeting new European requirements Canadian producers have had to take on board another system, in addition to those of the US and Japan who also prefer to have things done their own way!” he said. “The upside of this is, of course, that suitably accredited Canadian timber and wood-based construction products may be placed on the market in all EU member states. The first of these accredited products is Canadian plywood, with CE marking applied by those mills approved under the new system.
Canada’s forest resource is still 91% of the original forest cover and Mr Park said it is hardly surprising that in Canada wood has developed as a mainstream construction material, with many years of research and development to ensure consistent quality and dependable performance.
Mr Park said the Wood Fair provided “an insight into Canadian construction methods based on building science that affords a comfortable living environment in the harshest of Canadian winters; a review of reconstituted wood composites that improve in diverse ways on the natural perfection of wood and natural imperfections of sawn lumber; an appreciation of the development of forest certification programmes to provide you with even more assurance that Canadian wood and wood products are from a well managed and renewable resource”.
Passionate about forestry
Jean Pierre Martel of the Forest Products Association of Canada opened the presentations talking about Canadian forests, the environment and sustainability. He said Canadian foresters are passionate about their forests, most of which are publicly owned.
Canada’s annual forest product sales are worth C$53bn, he added, accounting for 3% of GDP. Forestry in Canada is central to socio-economic life, and provides employment for around 920,000 people.
Consultant Kathy Abusow gave a Canadian view on forest certification and procurement and stressed the importance of mutual recognition of certification schemes to avoid consumer confusion.
Architect Patrice Tardif gave an introduction to wood frame construction and engineered wood production. He told delegates that wood frame construction, which has many advantages, is good for all types of buildings, adding that it has been the preferred method of construction in North America for many years.
Mechanical engineer Gary Proskiw, who titled his presentation “Building Science – Part L with Panache”, spoke about Canada’s Super E programme. He said things to consider in the design of a building’s envelope were controlling heat flow, air flow, moisture flow and the occupants’ health, adding that except for structural errors, about 90% of all building problems are related to moisture in some way.
Richard McRae of the Western Red Cedar Export Association and Bruno Couture of the Québec Wood Export Bureau spoke about western red cedar and hardwood lumber respectively, while Rod McPhee of the Canadian Wood Council gave details of fire safety and acoustical design on wood frame buildings.
