Examples of Permits Requiring Engineering

1. Concrete slab on grade larger than 55 sq. m. (592 sq. ft.) for accessory buildings
2. Stud walls - over 12 feet high
3. Preserved Wood Foundations
4. Roof and floor truss systems
5. Structural beams - (glue-lam, parallam, LVL, etc.)
6. Buildings over 3 storeys in height
7. Buildings over 600 sq. m. (6460 sq. ft.)
8. Assembly occupancies - Group A - Building Code
9. Care, Treatment and Detention occupancies - Group B Building Code
10. High hazard - Group F, Division 1 Building Code
11. Log and timber structures (including foundations)
12. Framing members for wood-frame construction spaced more than 600 mm (2 ft.) on centre
13. Live* load over 2.4 KPA (50 lbs. psf) with regard to floor framing, subflooring and fastening
14. Roof spans that exceed 12.20 m (40 ft.)
15. Structures with foundations consisting of solid timber, pressure treated timber/poles and dimensional lumber in the ground.

Definitions

Dead Load:  the weight of all permanent structural and non-structural components of a building

Live Load:  the weight of snow, rain, wind and/or earthquakes and those weights due to occupancy

What are Letters of Assurance?

Letters of Assurance are legal accountability documents that are required under the BC Building Code (BCBC), intended to clearly identify the responsibilities of the key players in a construction project.  Uniform, mandatory Letters of Assurance have been included as Schedules (see below) in the BCBC since December 1992.

The BCBC requires Letters of Assurance in specific instances to document the parties responsible for the design and field review of construction, and to obtain their professional assurances that the work substantially complies with the requirements of the BCBC, except for construction safety aspects, and that the required field reviews have been complete.

Schedule A: Confirmation of Commitment by Owners and Coordinating Registered Professional.

• This assurance by the owner and the coordinating registered professional must be submitted to the Regional District before issuance of a building permit

Schedule B: Assurance of Professional Design and Commitment for Field Review & Summary of Design and Field Review Requirements.

• The Schedule B for each registered professional of record retained on the project must be submitted to the Regional District prior to the commencement of construction activities of the components identified
• Schedule B confirms that the registered professional of record signing and sealing it will be responsible for the design and field review within the discipline which he or she has initialed.

Schedule C-A: Assurance of Coordination of Professional Field Review.

• A schedule C-A must be submitted by the coordinating registered professional after completion of the project but before an occupancy permit is issued or a final inspection is made by the Regional District.

Schedule C-B: Assurance of Professional Field Review and Compliance.

• A separate Schedule C-B must be completed for each Schedule B and submitted to the Regional District after completion of the project but before the Regional District issues an occupancy permit or makes a final inspection.

For information on whether or not your project will require Letters of Assurance, please contact the Regional District building inspector.

CLIMATIC DATA

Climatic data for the design of buildings in the Regional District shall be deemed to be:

Design Temperatures (Celsius):

January  - 1%                         -32

January  - 2.5%                      -29

July - 2.5% Drybulb                 29

July - 2.5% Wetbulb                18

 

Degree - Days below 18          See Climate Zone Map (below)

15 min rain (mm)                                          13

One day rain, 1/50 (mm)                              54

Annual rain, (mm)                                       475

Moisture Index                                              64

Annual total precipitation (mm)                   650

Driving rain wind pressure (Pa) 1/5              60

 

Snow Load 1/50:

Rain Load (S_r) (kPa)                                       0.2

Ground Snow Load (S_s) (kPa)                        4.3

 

Seismic Data:

S_a (0.2)                                                            0.27

S_a (0.5)                                                            0.16

S_a (1.0)                                                            0.076

S_a (2.0)                                                            0.042

PGA                                                                 0.14

 

Hourly Wind Pressure:

Probability 1/10  (kPa)                                     0.27

Probability 1/50 (kPa)                                      0.35

 

Radon area - soil gas rough in required           1

 

Required NAFS Fenestration performance of windows and doors in Part 9 buildings:

DP                                                                     720

PG                                                                       15

Water resistance                                                140         

 

 The Climate Data above does not apply to:

1. Any structures constructed in or around the ski facilities at Azu Mountain.
2. Any structures constructed in an area that the Building Official considers to be beyond the parameters outlined in the climatic data above.

Structures listed above require a registered professional to provide design and plan certification and field review by means of letters of assurance in the form of Schedules referred to in the Building Code.