This article focuses on the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) B651-12, Accessible Design for the Built Environment, and the 2010 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Standards, which describe their respective national standards. Standards are not the same as codes, and most construction industry professionals understand the difference. Codes are considered law and are established by the government, such as the provincial building codes. Standards, on the other hand, are more or less considered guidelines describing established rules or the basis of construction, such as for example the case of washroom accessories.

When acoustical coatings first came to the marketplace in the early 1980s, an untapped market was finally addressed. This market was represented in commercial spaces by ceiling tiles that no longer appeared new and were traditional candidates for replacement, despite still being structurally sound. They no longer appeared white, failed to disburse light as they should, and were spotted with random water stains.

Traffic topping systems for suspended concrete slabs found in parking garages come in two basic types: ‘thin’ and ‘thick.’ (While these are unofficial ‘categories,’ they are nonetheless fitting.) This article reviews both variations, outlining the physical properties and noting differences in terms of performance, design, cost, lifecycle, and maintenance.

In commercial construction, continuous insulation (ci) is no longer the exception—it has become the norm. Both the National Energy Code for Buildings (NECB) and the National Building Code of Canada (NBC), along with green building programs, have set higher efficiency requirements. At the same time, the industry is increasingly recognizing the building enclosure’s role in overall operational performance.

Architects have traditionally been held at arm’s length when it comes to the performance of the assemblies they specify. The statistics regarding wall performance have always been provided by manufacturers or testing organizations. Values such as thermal resistance, fire rating, and acoustical performance for individual materials can be found from individual suppliers—still, an objective stance on how all the materials work together in an assembly is unavailable.

The National Building Code of Canada (NBC) provides prescriptive guidance for fastening typical wood-frame construction. At the same time, the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) O86-09, Engineering Design in Wood, provides rational mechanics-based analysis methods for engineered design. Both of these resources rely on CSA B111, Wire Nails, Spikes, and Staples, as the reference specification for small-diameter driven fasteners. That standard was first approved in 1974, and although it was reaffirmed as recently as 2003, it was not updated.

Natural stone can be used in residential and commercial buildings in various ways, ranging from claddings and flooring to architectural trim and landscape accents. As the use of this material increases in Canadian projects, it is critical specifiers be current and accurate in their construction documentation. Products used in conjunction with these materials are rapidly changing, so it is no simple process to determine what should be employed or with what method.

One of nature’s most destructive natural disasters, earthquakes cannot be successfully forecasted or prevented. However, it is possible to predict the effects of these seismic events on buildings and infrastructure by analyzing historical data.

As its name suggests, architecturally exposed structural steel (AESS) must be designed to not only support the primary structural needs of the building (or canopies, ancillary structures, or pedestrian-scale bridges), but also to achieve the esthetic qualities required by being exposed to view.