National Building Code of Canada
Encyclopedia
The National Building Code of Canada is the model building code
of Canada
. It is issued by the Institute for Research In Construction (IRC)], a part of the National Research Council of Canada
. As a model code, it has no legal status until it is adopted by a jurisdiction that regulates construction.
includes the regulation of building construction as a provincial responsibility. In a few cases municipalities have been given the historic right of writing their own building code
. In the early years of regulating building construction this caused a patchwork of building codes across Canada.
In 1941 the federal government of Canada published the first National Building Code. This was adopted by the various provinces and municipalities in Canada during the next 20 years.
Since 1960 there has been a revised document about every five years up to 1995. The 2000 edition of the building code was supposed to be an objective or performance-based building. However, this took considerably longer to write than foreseen and the next edition of the National Building Code of Canada was not published until 2005. The 2010 National Model Construction Codes was published on November 29, 2010.
The Alberta Building Code 2006 was established by the Building Technical Council, a
technical council of the Safety Codes Council, after consultation with municipal authorities, provincial government departments, associations, other affected parties and Code users. The Code is published for Alberta by the National Research Council of Canada.
The Alberta Building Code 2006 was adopted by provincial regulation on September 2, 2007.
The Alberta Building Code 2006 is developed and administered by Alberta Municipal and Public Affairs. In addition to the production of the Alberta Building Code, Municipal Affairs is responsible for the development and dissemination of code interpretations and alternatives known as STANDATA which come in three forms:
, Vancouver has developed its own building code based on the National Building Code.
, Nova Scotia
, and Newfoundland and Labrador
have legislation enforcing the current version of the National Building Code of Canada. The Code de construction du Quebec
is based on the 2005 National Building Code, amended and includes Part 10 for existing buildings. Manitoba
, Saskatchewan
and British Columbia
have adopted the 2005 National Building Code as regulations under provincial acts.
, renovation
, and demolition
. It also covers change of use projects where the change would result in increased hazard and/or maintenance and operation in the existing building. The Code sets out technical requirements for the aforementioned project types and does not pertain to existing buildings.
The 1995 National Building Code is split into 9 parts.
Part 1 gives the definitions and describes how the building code is applied. Houses and certain other small buildings (less than 3 storeys high and 600 m2) are considered "Part 9 Buildings" and only parts 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 apply. Larger buildings are considered "Part 3 buildings" and parts 1 through 8 apply. Part 3 is the largest and most complicated part of the building code. It is intended to be used by engineers and architects. Part 9 is very prescriptive and is intended to be able to be applied by contractor
s.
The building code also references hundreds of other construction documents that are legally incorporated by reference and thus part of the enforceable code. This includes many design, material testing, installation and commissioning documents that are produced by a number of private organizations. Most prominent among these are the Canadian Electrical Code
, Underwriters Laboratories of Canada a subsidiary of Underwriters Laboratories
, documents on fire alarm
design, and a number of National Fire Protection Association
documents.
Model building code
A model building code is a building code that is developed and maintained by a standards organization independent of the jurisdiction responsible for enacting the building code. A local government can choose to adopt a model building code as their own. This saves local governments the expense and...
of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is issued by the Institute for Research In Construction (IRC)], a part of the National Research Council of Canada
National Research Council of Canada
The National Research Council is an agency of the Government of Canada which conducts scientific research and development.- History :...
. As a model code, it has no legal status until it is adopted by a jurisdiction that regulates construction.
History
The Constitution of CanadaConstitution of Canada
The Constitution of Canada is the supreme law in Canada; the country's constitution is an amalgamation of codified acts and uncodified traditions and conventions. It outlines Canada's system of government, as well as the civil rights of all Canadian citizens and those in Canada...
includes the regulation of building construction as a provincial responsibility. In a few cases municipalities have been given the historic right of writing their own building code
Building code
A building code, or building control, is a set of rules that specify the minimum acceptable level of safety for constructed objects such as buildings and nonbuilding structures. The main purpose of building codes are to protect public health, safety and general welfare as they relate to the...
. In the early years of regulating building construction this caused a patchwork of building codes across Canada.
In 1941 the federal government of Canada published the first National Building Code. This was adopted by the various provinces and municipalities in Canada during the next 20 years.
Since 1960 there has been a revised document about every five years up to 1995. The 2000 edition of the building code was supposed to be an objective or performance-based building. However, this took considerably longer to write than foreseen and the next edition of the National Building Code of Canada was not published until 2005. The 2010 National Model Construction Codes was published on November 29, 2010.
Implementation
The National Building Code is the model building code that forms the basis for all of the provincial building codes. Some jurisdictions create their own code based on the National Building Code, other jurisdictions have adopted the National Building often with supplementary laws or regulations to the requirements in the National Building Code.Alberta
By agreement with the National Research Council of Canada, Alberta is committed to using the National Building Code of Canada as its base document with changes and modifications to suit Alberta needs in regulating the design, construction, alteration, change of use and demolition of buildings.The Alberta Building Code 2006 was established by the Building Technical Council, a
technical council of the Safety Codes Council, after consultation with municipal authorities, provincial government departments, associations, other affected parties and Code users. The Code is published for Alberta by the National Research Council of Canada.
The Alberta Building Code 2006 was adopted by provincial regulation on September 2, 2007.
The Alberta Building Code 2006 is developed and administered by Alberta Municipal and Public Affairs. In addition to the production of the Alberta Building Code, Municipal Affairs is responsible for the development and dissemination of code interpretations and alternatives known as STANDATA which come in three forms:
- Building Code Variances - acceptable alternative solutions to the prescriptive requirements (known as Alternative Solutions) in Division B.
- Building Code Interpretations - interpretations on Code items
- Building Code Bulletins - additional explanatory information on Code items or general Code topics
Vancouver
Under the Vancouver Building BylawVancouver Building Bylaw
Vancouver is currently the only municipality in Canada that enacts its own building codes. Other cities instead use the National Building Code of Canada and the provincial codes that are derived from it. Vancouver's code is also derived from these but includes some local changes. The current...
, Vancouver has developed its own building code based on the National Building Code.
Other provinces
Prince Edward IslandPrince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, and Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
have legislation enforcing the current version of the National Building Code of Canada. The Code de construction du Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
is based on the 2005 National Building Code, amended and includes Part 10 for existing buildings. Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
and British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
have adopted the 2005 National Building Code as regulations under provincial acts.
Federal jurisdiction
For most construction under federal jurisdiction the National Building Code of Canada is the applicable Code. Property under federal jurisdiction includes military bases, federal government land, first nation reserves and airports.Content
The intent of the Building Code is to detail the minimum provisions acceptable to maintain the safety of buildings, with specific regard to public health, fire protection, accessibility and structural sufficiency. It is not a textbook for building design. The Building Code concerns constructionConstruction
In the fields of architecture and civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the building or assembling of infrastructure. Far from being a single activity, large scale construction is a feat of human multitasking...
, renovation
Renovation
Renovation is the process of improving a structure. Two prominent types of renovations are commercial and residential.-Process:The process of a renovation, however complex, can usually be broken down into several processes...
, and demolition
Demolition
Demolition is the tearing-down of buildings and other structures, the opposite of construction. Demolition contrasts with deconstruction, which involves taking a building apart while carefully preserving valuable elements for re-use....
. It also covers change of use projects where the change would result in increased hazard and/or maintenance and operation in the existing building. The Code sets out technical requirements for the aforementioned project types and does not pertain to existing buildings.
The 1995 National Building Code is split into 9 parts.
- Part 1 Scope and Definitions
- Part 2 General Requirements
- Part 3 Fire Protection, Occupant Safety and Accessibility
- Part 4 Structural Design
- Part 5 Environmental Separation
- Part 6 Heating, Ventilating and Air-conditioning
- Part 7 Plumbing Services
- Part 8 Safety Measures at Construction and Demolition Sites
- Part 9 Housing and Small Buildings
Part 1 gives the definitions and describes how the building code is applied. Houses and certain other small buildings (less than 3 storeys high and 600 m2) are considered "Part 9 Buildings" and only parts 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 apply. Larger buildings are considered "Part 3 buildings" and parts 1 through 8 apply. Part 3 is the largest and most complicated part of the building code. It is intended to be used by engineers and architects. Part 9 is very prescriptive and is intended to be able to be applied by contractor
General contractor
A general contractor is responsible for the day-to-day oversight of a construction site, management of vendors and trades, and communication of information to involved parties throughout the course of a building project.-Description:...
s.
The building code also references hundreds of other construction documents that are legally incorporated by reference and thus part of the enforceable code. This includes many design, material testing, installation and commissioning documents that are produced by a number of private organizations. Most prominent among these are the Canadian Electrical Code
Canadian Electrical Code
The Canadian Electrical Code, CE code, or CSA C22.1 is a standard published by the Canadian Standards Association pertaining to the installation and maintenance of electrical equipment in Canada....
, Underwriters Laboratories of Canada a subsidiary of Underwriters Laboratories
Underwriters Laboratories
Underwriters Laboratories Inc. is an independent product safety certification organization. Established in 1894, the company has its headquarters in Northbrook, Illinois. UL develops standards and test procedures for products, materials, components, assemblies, tools and equipment, chiefly dealing...
, documents on fire alarm
Burglar alarm
Burglar , alarms are systems designed to detect unauthorized entry into a building or area. They consist of an array of sensors, a control panel and alerting system, and interconnections...
design, and a number of National Fire Protection Association
National Fire Protection Association
The National Fire Protection Association is a United States trade association that creates and maintains private, copywrited, standards and codes for usage and adoption by local governments...
documents.