Program Structure
The program requires that 4 courses be taken, each taking 2 weeks of study time. The program will take about 60 hours to complete.
The program is offered in 2 sessions each year, one in the Fall (October – December) and one in the Winter/Spring (February/April). Students may register and complete all courses in one session or spread out the courses (in order of prerequisite requirements) over a 2-year time frame.
Each course in this program will require approximately 15 hours of learner’s time. The program has 4 mandatory courses:
- Mass Timber Products, Connections and Structural Systems
- October 14 – 25, 2024
- Tall Wood Design for Gravity Loads
- October 28 – November 8, 2024
- Tall Wood Design for Lateral Loads
- November 18 – 29, 2024
- Modelling and Analysis Methods for Tall Wood Structures
- December 2 – 13, 2024
Courses must be taken in sequential order, as they build on one another, but may be taken individually, in different sessions within a two-year time frame, to receive the micro-certificate.
Course Descriptions
Course 1: Mass Timber Products, Connections and Structural Systems
This course will first introduce the basic skills and competencies required to understand engineered wood products and their unique properties. The topics will focus on engineering properties such as strength and stiffness as well as their typical applications. Manufacturing, durability, and moisture control will also be covered. Conventional and innovative connection technologies will be introduced as well. Then, the course will focus on the skills and competencies surrounding tall wood buildings and their structural solutions. Different structural forms and material selections will also be explored.
Course 2: Tall Wood Design for Gravity Loads
Tall wood buildings rely on wood-based load-bearing systems to carry gravity loads. This course will introduce the design of gravity load systems including frame structures (beams and columns), wall structures (load-bearing walls) as well as floor system design. In particular, large-span floor designs using wood only, wood-steel or wood-concrete composite will be covered. Critical design criteria in terms of strength, stiffness, vibration and constructability will also be introduced.
Course 3: Tall Wood Design for Lateral Loads
Lateral load design often imposes a challenging task for tall wood structures constructed in high seismic regions such as the west coast of BC. For tall wood structures, conventional solutions are not able to meet the building performance criteria and innovative structural solutions are often needed. This course focuses on skills and competencies that cover a range of design solutions for lateral load systems including braced heavy timber frame structures, mass timber shear wall structures, and wood-concrete and wood-steel hybrid systems to resist wind and seismic loads. Floor and roof diaphragm design will be introduced as well.
Course 4: Modelling and Analysis Methods for Tall Wood Structures
For tall wood structures, more complicated structural models and analysis tools are needed due to the increased complexity and load demands. This course will introduce commonly used modelling and analysis techniques for tall wood design with a focus on modelling for the lateral load resisting systems as we often need to consider nonlinearity and use innovative solutions that are out of the scope of current design standards such as CSA O86.
