Highlights of Major Changes in 2012 Code

  1. Resource Conservation
  2. Fire Safety
  3. Environmental Separation/Building Envelope
  4. Harmonization with the Electrical Code
  5. Radon Protection
  6. Part 3, Division B – Fire Protection and Occupant Safety
  7. Part 4, Division B – Structural Design
  8. Part 6, Division B – Heating, Ventilating and Air-Conditioning
  9. Part 7, Division B – Plumbing
  10. Part 8, Division B – Sewage Systems
  11. Part 9, Division B – Housing and Small Buildings
  12. Part 1, Division C – Design and General Review

Resource Conservation

This edition of the Building Code promotes resource conservation through building design and construction by:

  • Expanding the use of treated rainwater, greywater and non-potable water including permitting storm sewage or greywater to be used as a water supply for flushing of water closets or urinals, subsurface irrigation and priming of traps.
  • Permitting treated rainwater to be used as a water supply for clothes washers, laundry trays, mop sinks, bedpan washers, flushing of water closets and urinals, hose bibbs, subsurface irrigation and priming of traps.
  • Requiring newly installed water closets in Group C occupancies to be 4.8 L per flush (LPF) or less. Where a 4.1/6.0 LPF dual flush water closet is installed, it is deemed to meet this requirement.
  • Requiring newly installed urinals to meet 1.9 litres per flush requirements in all occupancies.
  • Requiring high efficiency shower heads (7.6 litres per minute) in residential occupancies.
  • Permitting the installation of drainless composting toilets in all areas, including those with municipal services. •       Requiring that large buildings for which building permits are applied, on or after January 1, 2017, meet either:
  • an energy efficiency level that is 13% higher than levels required in 2012 and up until December 31, 2016, or
  • conformance to Division 1 and Division 3 or 5 of MMAH Supplementary Standard SB-10 “Energy Efficiency Requirements”. (These new provisions also address requirements for carbon dioxide equivalents and peak electric demand.)
  • Requiring that houses for which building permits are applied, on or after January 1, 2017, meet either:
  • an energy efficiency level that is 15% higher than the level required in 2012 and up until December 31, 2016, or
  • conformance to Chapters 1 and 3 of MMAH Supplementary Standard SB-12 “Energy Efficiency for Housing” that sets out alternate compliance paths for meeting a performance level that is equal to a rating of 80 or more when evaluated in accordance with NRCan, “EnerGuide for New Houses”.
  • This edition of the Code also implements other incremental energy-conserving changes including requirements to provide programmable thermostats, and to equip all gas-fired furnaces installed in “Part 9″ dwellings with electronically commutated motors.

Fire Safety

  • New definitions for ‘fire stop’ and ‘fire block’ are added.
  • Permit smoke detectors that sound a localized in-suite alarm to be installed in dwelling units of multi-unit residential buildings.
  • Require a smoke alarm in all sleeping rooms within dwelling units.
  • Require a hard-wired smoke alarms to have a 7-day battery-back-up power supply to ensure continued protection during extended power outages.
  • Require exits signs to use the ISO standard symbol using the green “running man” with an arrow sign.  This replaces the traditional exit sign requirements such as “EXIT” and “EXIT/SORTIE” in red lettering on a contrasting background.

Environmental Separation/Building Envelope

Changes include the following:

  • Earthquake loads need not be considered in the design of building envelope components for buildings other than postdisaster buildings.
  • Require building components to be selected based on exposure and climactic conditions.
  • Require seismic effects to be considered in the design for environmental separations in post-disaster buildings.
  • Prescriptive requirements for shakes and shingles have been deleted.
  • Reference to the AAMA/WDMA/CSA 101/I.S.2/A440, “NAFS – North American Fenestration Standard/Specification for Windows, Doors, and Skylights”.  This replaces the previous CAN/CSA-A440.0, “Windows” standard.
  • New provisions related to the performance of fenestration have been added.

Harmonization with the Electrical Code

  • Certain provisions addressing electrical installations are relocated and harmonized between the Ontario Electrical Safety Code and the Building Code.
  • Electrical provisions such as the mounting of electrical meters, location of consumer electrical services and underground installation of consumer electrical services have been deleted from Subsection 9.34.4. of Division B.

Radon Protection

The annual average concentration of radon 222 within buildings is reduced to 200 Bq/m3 from 250 Bq/m3,  in accordance with Health Canada Guidelines, in areas where radon is known to exist.

Part 3, Division B – Fire Protection and Occupant Safety

  • Relocation of certain provisions to the Building Code from the Fire Code, including those regulating fixed building elements such as ventilation systems, access to egress routes and fire separations.
  • Adding new requirements to limit the distance between adjacent unprotected openings on the same face of a building having a limiting distance of less than 2 metres.

Part 4, Division B – Structural Design

Changes to Part 4 include:

  • Clarification of load combination requirements.
  • Experimental methods for design for the dynamic effects of wind, including modification factors and corresponding system restrictions for Cold-Formed Steel Structures,
  • Inelastic deflections in steel roof deck and timber diaphragms,
  • Clarification of requirements for ductile connections
  • Adding requirements for consideration of slope stability.

Part 6, Division B – Heating, Ventilating and Air-Conditioning

Changes made to Part 6 include:

  • Addition of a new Subsection 6.2.13., “Ventilation for Laboratories”, to address ventilation in laboratories and to reference  NFPA 91, “Exhaust Systems for Air Conveying of Vapors, Gases, Mists and Noncombustible Particulate Solids”.
  • Limitations on the permitted exposure levels for carbon monoxide and  nitrogen dioxide in repair garages.
  • Permission to provide battery operated carbon monoxide alarms in buildings not supplied with electrical power.

Part 7, Division B – Plumbing

Changes made to Part 7 include:

  • Permission to connect overflows from rainwater storage tanks to a storm drainage system, using a backwater valve or an air gap.
  • Requirement to mark non-potable water piping in accordance with the CAN/CSA-B128.1 standard.
  • Requirement for grease interceptors to conform to the CAN/CSA-B481.1 or CAN/CSA-B481.2 standards.
  • Requirement for linings and coatings in hot water tanks to be certified to the NSF 61 standard.
  • Requirement for drinking water treatment systems to be certified to the CAN/CSA-B483.1 standard.
  • Harmonization of requirements for scupper drains and emergency overflows, where roofs are used for rainwater storage, with the model National Plumbing Code.
  • Further harmonization of drainage and venting requirements with the model National Plumbing Code.
  • Backflow preventer requirements are reorganized and include a new Article 7.6.2.6. on premise isolation.
  • Revisions to Tables for determining hydraulic load in the sizing of water distribution piping.

Part 8, Division B – Sewage Systems

Changes made to Part 8 include:

  • Certification of advanced treatment units to the CAN/BNQ-3680-600 standard will be recognized, instead of a listing in MMAH Supplementary Standard SB-5, effective January 1, 2014.
  • MMAH Supplementary Standard SB-5 will no longer be referenced and all advanced treatment units will require  certification to the CAN/BNQ-3680-600 standard, effective December 31, 2016.
  • Introduction of new types of dispersal beds (Type A and B) for final polishing of effluent from advanced treatment units.
  • Introduction of new Tables for loading rates based on soil morphology
  • Reference to Chapter 3 of the USDA, “Soil Survey Manual” to assist in classifying soils.

Part 9, Division B – Housing and Small Buildings

  • New reference to five “Use Categories” for pressure-treated wood, in accordance with the CAN/CSA-O 80.1, “Specification of Treated Wood” standard.
  • Rationalization of spacing for framing to represent the actual spacing used in the field to accommodate panels manufactured in imperial dimensions.
  • Reorganization of Sections 9.5. “Design of Areas, Spaces and Doorways”, 9.6. “Glass” and 9.7. “Windows, Doors and Skylights” to harmonize with the model National Building Code.
  • Clarification of the provision for guards to not facilitate climbing.
  • Clarification of the requirements for the installation of ceramic tiles.
  • New prescriptive design tables for solid concrete, unreinforced concrete block and reinforced concrete block foundation wall heights from 2.5 m to 3 m with corresponding limitations on backfill heights.
  • Revised access hatch dimensions to an attic or roof space where the space contains a fuel-fired appliance.
  • Revised steel lintel metric sizes in Tables 9.20.5.2.A and 9.20.5.2.B to reflect sizes of North American steel angle products manufactured in imperial dimensions.
  • Openings in flat insulating concrete form walls are not permitted within 1.2 m of interior and exterior corners of exterior loadbearing walls.
  • Requirement for intermediate fasteners spaced not more than 150 mm apart where roof sheathing is attached to framing members spaced more than 406 mm o.c.
  • Deletion of asbestos-cement shingle and sheet cladding, as these products are no longer manufactured.
  • Requirement for a water distribution system where a drinking water system is available.
  • Requirement that heating and cooling equipment for residential buildings be sized according to heating and cooling load calculations in accordance with CAN/CSA-F280-M, “Determining the Required Capacity of Residential Space Heating and Cooling Appliances”.
  • Requirement that carbon monoxide detectors be mechanically fixed on or near the ceiling or in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommended mounting height.
  • Deletion of requirement for substantial completion of site grading as a condition for the occupancy of certain residential buildings.

Part 1, Division C – Design and General Review

  • Revisions to Section 1.2. to recognize that professional design requirements related to the design of buildings are regulated by the Professional Engineers Act and the Architects Act.
  • Clarification that certain foundations, sprinkler protected glazed wall assemblies, shelf and rack storage systems, tent framing and sign structures are required to be designed by a suitably qualified and experienced person.
  • New Table 1.2.2.1.(4) “General Review” to clarify that the construction of certain buildings shall be reviewed by an architect, professional engineer or both.  New Sentences 1.2.2.1.(4) to (9) require general review by an Architect or a Professional Engineer of certain foundations, sprinkler protected glazed wall assemblies, shelf and rack storage systems, tent framing and sign structures.