Canada Wood Japan/COFI Obtains Fire Resistive Ministerial Approvals for NLT Floor and Roof

Shawn Lawlor

By: Shawn Lawlor

Managing Director, Canada Wood Japan/COFI Japan

As a result of a multi-year market access initiative aimed at opening the Japanese market up for nail-laminated timber (NLT), COFI recently received certificates from MLIT* for the quasi-fire resistive structure approvals.  The approvals confirm 1-hour quasi fire-resistive performance for NLT floor assemblies and 30-minute quasi-fire resistive performance for NLT roof assemblies.  After a Building Standard Law amendment in 2018, large scale buildings or any buildings in fire protective districts can be built with char-margin (sacrificial layer) design approach.  This approach can be achievable with quasi-fire resistive approvals.  The ministerial approvals we obtained this time can be a trigger to facilitate the spread of large-scale wooden buildings using NLT horizontal diaphragms that are visually exposed.  COFI has been working with the Japan 2×4 Home Builders Association since 2017 to conduct the fire testing of NLT at the laboratories of Centre for Better Living and Japan Testing Centre for Construction Materials.  The MLIT issued the certificates jointly in the name of COFI and the Japan 2×4 Association Home Builders Association.

*MLIT: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism