Specifying modern timber connections

Widely used in conventional frame construction, wood is not new to the Canadian design community. What is ‘new,’ however, are changes to building codes that allow for taller structures to be constructed of wood, along with the introduction and development of new products like cross-laminated timber (CLT) and other massive wood panels manufactured from laminated veneer lumber (LVL) or laminated strand lumber (LSL).

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Changes to Ontario’s Workplace insurance

This February, the Ontario Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) released Pricing Fairness: A Deliverable Framework for Fairly Allocating WSIB Insurance Costs. Once this proposed framework takes effect, employers in Ontario—including design/construction firms—will face a significantly altered landscape for workplace insurance, including the premiums they will pay. Employers will need to assess their current approach to absence management strategies as premiums paid become even more sensitive to claim costs.

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Licensed electrical contractors safely install underground wiring

Redoing part of a project because it does not meet the appropriate code can be frustrating thanks to cost overruns and project delays. In Ontario, many outside of the electrical trade are not aware a Licensed Electrical Contractor (LEC)—a business licensed by the Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) to do electrical work for hire—is responsible for the safe installation of conduits/ducts for the purpose of housing electrical wiring

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Updating MasterFormat

Co-published by CSC and CSI, the MasterFormat 2014 Update includes hundreds of revisions from the previous 2012 update. Among the key revisions were changes to agreements contained in Division 00–Procurement and Contracting Requirements to account for evolving contract delivery processes in the construction industry as a whole.

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