Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/218643
government move favouring wood as a construction material. In particular, the B.C. government's Wood First Initiative (WFI), introduced in 2009, has raised hackles in some sectors, including concrete. For decades critical facilities have been built with strength, durability and reliability in mind. "For the past 40 years, the National Building Code of Canada has required that public buildings like schools, hospitals, utilities and municipal buildings be designed and built to achieve a higher standard of resilience and safety because of their unique role in the delivery of critical services – from education to providing electrical power," says Brian Hall, managing director, sustainability and business development, at the Canadian Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (CPCI). He says that B.C. legislation has positioned wood as the primary choice for construction material in provincially-funded buildings, provided it is in compliance with the provincial code. But he doubts that politicians telling experts what to specify will result in better buildings. "When it comes to building resilient structures, shouldn't the decision be left up to architects and engineers?" Hall asks. Concrete p26-37Concrete_Arch wood.indd 29 The Calgary trail tunnel is being measured with 41 temperature sensors each containing three channels and displacement sensors on the movement joints. Photos: The Calgary trail tunnel (above) and a typical sensor installation (top left). Photos: Metro Testing Laboratories Ltd., Burnaby, B.C. december 2013 /29 13-11-15 3:41 PM