By Paul Hargest, President Canadian Concrete Masonry Producers Association On May 11th, Justin Trudeau stood in front of a group of reporters in Gatineau, Quebec. He’d just taken an aerial tour to survey the area’s flood damage. With Premier Philippe Couillard by his side, he talked about the growing threat of extreme weather, and our […]
New study finds insurance costs are more than six times greater for wood frame buildings than for concrete buildings OTTAWA, March 21, 2016 – A new study of the property insurance costs for wood frame and concrete mid-rise residential buildings conducted by GLOBE Advisors and released today by the Concrete Council of Canada reveals a substantial gap […]
Est-ce que « respecter le code du bâtiment » est synonyme de « couper les coins ronds et se plier aux désirs des lobbyistes ? » La publication récente du rapport du coroner du Québec sur le feu qui a détruit la résidence pour personnes âgées de l’Isle-Verte a soulevé des questions à propos de […]
But does ‘building to code’ mean cutting corners and caving to lobbyists? by Paul Hargest, President, Canadian Concrete Masonry Producers Association. The recent release of the Quebec coroner’s report on the retirement home fire in L’Isle-Verte has once again got people thinking about building safety. The five-alarm blaze that struck the Résidence du Havre on […]
Code officials ignored it. Developers ignored it. Wood you? Demand concrete block. It was built to code. It had working sprinklers. But as local firefighters pointed out, once the lightweight wood assembly caught fire, sprinklers were simply no match for the 5-alarm blaze that tore through this luxury apartment complex recently in Edgewater, New Jersey. […]
If current deforestation rates continue, critical habitats could disappear within the next hundred years. 53% of land in Canada is covered by boreal forest. 30% of that forest has been allocated to industry. 90% of logging in the boreal forest is clearcutting. The earth loses about 13 million hectares (32 million acres) of forest per […]
Ref: Attack Ad reignites feud between concrete and wood industries I am pleased to read that the concrete masonry industry has decided to tell consumers the TRUTH: that wood is “vulnerable to insects, severe weather and fire”. Some readers may have the impression these are ‘attack ads’, as referenced by Edmonton Journal columnist, Dan Barnes. […]
A few weeks ago the Canadian Concrete Masonry Producers Association ran a full page ad in the Toronto Star with a photograph depicting the Oklahoma tornado devastation from May 20, 2013. The event was real. The image was real. And so was the devastation. In Canada, over the past several years, there has been a […]
Build with Concrete Block. Storms. Fires. Insects. All can weaken a structure — and in some cases destroy it if it’s made of wood. Some members of Ontario’s building industry are proposing a “Wood First” initiative. Others are proposing changes to the Ontario Building Code that would allow higher buildings — up to 6 storeys […]
They deserve a National Building Code that protects them. Fires today burn hotter and faster than ever before. Lightweight floor assemblies can now collapse 10 minutes into a blaze — just when fire fighters may be arriving and entering the premises, or when you may be exiting. Yet Canada’s National Building Code no longer treats […]
Design and build with Block. Burnaby BC: February 17, 2013 This photo of a recent fire in Burnaby, B.C. clearly shows the destruction that fire leaves behind. But notice the tower on the left? It’s still standing. Why? Because it was built with concrete block. Concrete block isn’t just fire-resistant — it doesn’t burn. Period. […]
Ontario Government needs to focus on fire containment as well as sprinklers in proposed Fire Code and Building Code changes TORONTO — FEBRUARY 1, 2013 — Mandatory sprinklers in Ontario retirement homes are a big step in the right direction but seniors also need the protection of more fire-resistant building material such as concrete block. […]
Sound judgment and project specifications — not political agendas — should determine the building materials used in Canadian construction. TORONTO — December 7, 2012 — Canada’s National Building Code encourages the use of different materials to optimize building performance, and cities like Halifax should do the same, say several Canadian builders and engineers. Their statements […]
CCMPA supports Ontario Fire Chiefs’ fire-sprinkler findings and advocates containment as part of a four part balanced design to prevent the spread of fires and save lives. When fire strikes, there can be any number of contributing factors, from human behaviour (an untended fry pan; a cigarette left- burning) to the proximity of hazardous materials (half-empty […]
While LEED is largely responsible for catalyzing green efforts in the building industry, many professionals recognize that responsible, sustainable construction is as much as about durability and lifespan as it is about earning LEED credits. There was a time when the term ‘LEED’ — short for ‘Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design’ — was reserved almost solely […]
The recent tornado in Goderich and this year’s earlier devastation in Alabama strengthen the case for building with concrete block, brick and stone. TORONTO — September 20, 2011 — Hotter summers. Heavier rain. More frequent severe storms. These are the effects of climate change, and while building owners can’t directly control them, they can minimize […]
Concrete masonry and tougher building codes could help preserve your home. TORONTO — July 19, 2011 — Block, brick and stone in homes may help deter one of nature’s most destructive insects: termites. Termites cause an estimated $120 million in property damage annually in the Toronto area alone, inflicting serious structural damage to homes and […]
TORONTO — MARCH 4, 2011 — The national body representing Canada’s masonry industry continues to call for tougher government legislation in building codes following a near fatal incident recently in which a stray bullet penetrated several townhome walls in Calgary. A man was reportedly handling his registered handgun when it went off. The bullet shot […]
A bill mandating the use of wood in federal-building construction has passed second reading in the House of Commons — prompting everyone from architects and engineers to steel and masonry producers to question the wisdom of favouring one economic sector at the expense of others. It began as a regional, relatively grass-roots movement in British […]
Two recent fires in Canada, one in Ontario and the other in Alberta, point to the need for a more balanced approach to fire safety — one that combines the use of sprinklers with masonry firewalls. On Thursday April 22, 2010, the owners of several longstanding businesses at a plaza in Waterloo, Ontario arrived at […]
RE: Article, July 17, 2009, Wellington Advertiser, “Township Approves Demolition Permit After Termites Hit Elora Home” The Canadian masonry industry is concerned about the misinformation conveyed by Building Inspector Bob Foster to the readers of the Wellington Advertiser. In particular, Mr. Foster allegedly stated, to the effect, “…one problem with the house was its construction […]
Everyone in the construction industry — as well as many people outside it — are aware of the issues of rot and mould that have come to light in homes in western Canada. Stories of leaky condos in British Columbia and, more recently, rotting, mouldy homes in Alberta have made news headlines and have elicited […]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 13, 2009 First Seismic Guide for Masonry now available free from CCMPA TORONTO — The Canadian construction industry now has ready access to a comprehensive guide on masonry seismic design and construction. The first edition of The Seismic Design Guide for Masonry Buildings is now available online and free of charge, […]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – April 28, 2009 Concrete block in buildings contributes to ‘balanced design’ that helps contain fires BY PAUL HARGEST When fire strikes, there can be any number of contributing factors, from human behaviour (an untended fry pan; a cigarette left burning) to the proximity of hazardous materials (half-empty paint tins stacked in […]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – April 7, 2009 Are current building codes doing enough to protect us against fire? When the (fire)walls come tumbling down… Experience shows that while wood frame and drywall receive acceptable ‘fire resistance’ ratings in industry testing, in real-life situations these materials burn. The tragic consequences of recent fires in Orillia, Ontario […]
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