The first mass timber underground parkade in Canada will be built in Gibsons, B.C. by Massive Canada Building Systems.

The Port Moody-based company specializes in fabricating mass timber materials and modular building manufacturing. It will design and build a single-level underground mass timber parkade at a 1.3-acre site located on 718 North Road.

“As part of Massive Canada’s goal to develop a better way to build, we decided to rethink the design of parking garages,” said Gaetan Royer, Massive Canada’s CEO. “The B.C. government is encouraging the industry to find new applications for engineered wood. As far as new applications go, this is a big one.”

Underground parkades are always assumed to be reinforced concrete structures. Massive Canada wants to challenge that assumption, stating that if mass timber structures can carry the weight of locomotives and freight trains on tall trestle bridges that still stand 100 years later, a mass timber parkade can support a six-storey building.

Preliminary estimates are that the engineered wood construction will cost less than a similar size concrete parkade.

The innovative structural system mimics traditional structures. Using proven mass timber technology, all supporting walls and posts inside the parkade will be engineered wood. The posts will support glue laminated beams and timber panels to form the podium.

The design takes into account a variety of loads that different portions of this structural system will have to support. The podium above the parkade consists of:

• a courtyard with lawn, landscaping, trees and walkways;
• light frame two-storey townhomes built above the parkade;
• a six-storey mass timber residential building built above the parkade; and
• a daycare and playground.

Although the fire resistance of mass timber has been demonstrated through many independent tests, Massive intends to use MgOSo4 boards (non-combustible), where additional fire protection is required.

A development permit application is expected to be submitted this summer.