Coming Soon - New Canadian Codes Online Course!
Do you need to know about the National Building and Fire Codes?
The national construction codes are more important than ever - not just on federal projects but, increasingly, on projects across the country, now that the provinces have agreed to harmonize their construction codes with the national codes. So it makes sense that you will need to know about the National Building and Fire Codes.
DHI to the rescue! We have taken our Canadian Codes course (ELT540), which has been delivered at national and regional technical schools, and adapted it to an online format. This course consists of 8 sessions, about half an hour each, designed to give you a good grounding in the Building and Fire Codes as they relate to our industry.
What will you learn?
Session 1 - Overview of Canada's Codes
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- Differentiate between the regulatory roles of the NBCC and NFCC in new and existing buildings.
- Use the organizational structure of the NBCC to locate compliance requirements, objectives, functional statements, and acceptable solutions.
- Describe how Canadian codes are developed, adopted, and enforced at federal, provincial, and territorial levels.
- Apply code provisions to determine which parts of the NBCC govern a specific building project.
- Recognize and interpret essential code definitions related to fire separations, exits, occupancies, fire ratings, and means of egress.
Session 2 - Occupancy Classifications
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- Explain the role of Division B of the NBCC and identify how referenced standards such as NFPA 80 and NFPA 101 support code compliance requirements.
- Classify buildings and spaces according to major occupancy groups and divisions (A, B, C, D, E, and F) using NBCC definitions and Annex examples.
- Differentiate between Assembly, Detention, Treatment, Care, Residential, Business, Mercantile, and Industrial occupancies and recognize how occupancy classification affects code requirements.
- Determine appropriate occupancy classifications for common building types and mixed-use facilities using NBCC criteria and occupancy examples.
- Apply code requirements related to occupancy separations, fire-resistance ratings, and prohibited occupancy combinations to support safe building design and code compliance.
Session 3 - Fire Separations, Closures, Fire-Resistance Ratings, and Fire-Protection Ratings
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- Explain NBCC requirements for fire separations, closures, fire-resistance ratings, and fire-protection ratings, including the standards used to test and classify opening protectives.
- Apply code requirements for the installation of fire-rated doors, glazing, smoke-control assemblies, and other closures in accordance with NBCC, NFPA 80, and NFPA 105.
- Determine where leakage-rated door assemblies, smoke seals, and smoke-control measures are required to limit smoke migration and protect occupants during an emergency.
- Identify code requirements and exceptions related to 20-minute doors, self-closing devices, hold-open devices, positive latching, and special healthcare occupancies.
- Evaluate door assemblies for compliance with opening size limitations, temperature-rise requirements, glazing restrictions, and other life safety provisions affecting fire-rated openings.
Session 4 - Occupant Loads and Egress Requirements
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- Calculate occupant loads and explain how occupant load impacts egress requirements, door swing direction, and hardware selection.
- Apply NBCC requirements for means of egress, including exits from suites, roofs, service spaces, corridors, and public circulation areas.
- Determine when multiple exits or egress doorways are required based on occupancy type, floor area, travel distance, occupant load, and sprinkler protection.
- Evaluate door and opening requirements related to clear width, headroom, thresholds, door swing, sliding doors, accessibility, and barrier-free travel.
- Specify code-compliant door hardware and locking arrangements, including requirements for one-motion egress, residential occupancies, contained use areas, impeded egress zones, and electromagnetic locking systems.
Session 5 - Occupant Loads and Access-to-Exit
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- Apply occupant load and access-to-exit capacity requirements to determine appropriate doorway, corridor, and ramp widths.
- Identify code requirements for transparent doors, sidelites, vision panels, and glazing used to improve safety and occupant awareness.
- Determine when fire separations, rated openings, and exit devices are required in assembly, residential, and support spaces such as janitor and laundry rooms.
- Evaluate doorway width, fire compartmentation, smoke control, and hardware requirements applicable to care, treatment, and detention occupancies.
- Apply code requirements for vestibules, hazardous areas, dangerous goods storage, and self-closing door assemblies used to protect occupants and adjacent spaces.
Session 6 - Exits
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- Explain the purpose of exits within the NBCC and distinguish between the various types of exits, including exterior exits, interior exits, horizontal exits, ramps, stairways, and passageways.
- Determine the minimum number, arrangement, and location of exits required based on occupancy, occupant load, building height, travel distance, and sprinkler protection.
- Apply exit width and capacity requirements to calculate compliant doorway and exit dimensions for different occupancy classifications.
- Evaluate code requirements governing exit doors, including door swing, thresholds, self-closing devices, exit identification, and restrictions that maintain safe egress.
- Identify the special requirements and limitations associated with horizontal exits, sliding doors, revolving doors, and other specialized exit facilities used in building design.
Session 7 - Door Hardware
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- Apply NBCC door release hardware requirements, including one-operation egress, exit device requirements, opening force limitations, and hardware mounting height criteria.
- Evaluate code-compliant applications for electromagnetic locking systems, including release requirements, signage, fire alarm integration, emergency power, and delayed egress provisions.
- Distinguish between standard exit door requirements and the special security provisions permitted for banks, mercantile occupancies, contained use areas, and impeded egress zones.
- Determine emergency crossover floor requirements, including the location of re-entry floors, permitted locking methods, signage requirements, and firefighter access provisions.
- Identify specialized door requirements related to exits, service rooms, and other occupancy-specific applications that affect door swing, egress, and life safety performance.
Session 8 - Accessibility
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- Explain the application of NBCC accessibility requirements and identify where barrier-free entrances, paths of travel, and accessible features are required or exempt.
- Apply accessibility requirements for doors, doorways, vestibules, and power door operators, including clear widths, opening forces, thresholds, maneuvering clearances, and control locations.
- Determine accessibility requirements for door hardware and controls, including mounting heights, operating forces, and one-handed operation criteria.
- Evaluate the design and layout of barrier-free paths of travel to ensure compliance with clearance, width, and accessibility provisions.
At the end of each session, there will be a short quiz to help you apply what you have learned. And, when you've finished the entire course, there will be an exam so you can evaluate your learning and your ability to use it in real-world cases. 80% is required to pass the final exam.
Watch this page for updates on the launch of this exciting new course!
