Canada's National Building Code 2020 obligations will include climate change standards

New durability requirements for new buildings in the works.

Image Credit: Building Design & Construction 01-04-2019

Congratulations are in order to Canada for having the responsible vision to mandate that Designers in order to attain compliance and as well respond to Climate Change will be required to create durability plans for new structures under Canada's National Building Code, which was recently announced in December 2018.

Peter Fabris of Building Design and Construction outlined:

"The changes, expected in 2020, are a response to expected harsher weather events resulting from climate change. Building durability plans will have to be based on the life of the building, the life of the envelope components of the building and the elements that are part of those components."

Daniel A. Huard, CEO of GreenTag Americas and a LEED Fellow and WELL Faculty member addressed the new mandate, following his Keynote Presentation to open The Energy Expo" on January 23rd in Miami, Florida. Huard said:

"Several of us in the Green Building and Wellness community applaud the efforts of the Canadian Government, and I am really excited that this program is already set up for success due to its incremental application plan."

In the initial phase, Huard said, "the code changes will focus on designers and code officials being informed and educated about creating durability plans, which start to respond to resiliency and longevity within the design that will be integral to the successful code implementation."

"At the heart of this integrative process application is a very sincere and responsible national body who wants to do their part to combat Climate Change."

Huard shared examples at 'The Energy Expo' of how climate change has impacted and damaged structures, infrastructure and lives and focused on the Energy Independence of these facilities.

"Of course, we do not want to diminish how Climate Change catastrophic events have damage and stressed the buildings structures, however, we also need to be cognizant of the intensity growth that we have seen in these events. With the steps that the Canadian 2020 Code will implement will also come the collective documented observations of how climate change impacts our buildings."

The way climate change will vary in the future, says Huard, is still unknown, providing new and differing stresses on structures.

"Yet with this new mandate, post 2020 Canadian designs will articulate a plan that addresses the known and prepares for the future."

Huard further provided "Data is so important on the interaction and interrelation of various building systems that data will be key to provide levels of predictability on how climate change events in general will affect buildings; thus some aspects of this progressive code will continue to evolve to respond and inform the development and construction of better building."

For more insight, follow this Canada ConstructConnect link.

More about Daniel A. Huard

Daniel A. Huard, CEO of Global GreenTag Americas is also known as a Resiliency Expert who serves the National Fenestration Rating Council as their 2019 Board of Directors Vice Chair. Huard's expertise is well regarded, respective to building envelopes and the building enclosure. He will be presenting on the impacts, benefits and technology developments of building envelopes affecting efficiency, resiliency, health and comfort at number of industry events between January and April 2019.

Huard credits Global GreenTag Americas' capability of being a 'one-stop' for product certification globally as a great support in his participation within NFRC, USGBC, the International WELL Building Institute and DOE's Building Envelope team, to help improve these organizations' ratings systems and see healthier, more efficient buildings.