Standing Committee on Structural Design

Terms of Reference

The Standing Committee on Structural Design (SC-SD) prepares recommendations for structural design requirements in the National Model Construction Code Documents relating to:

• structural loads and procedures
• excavations and foundation design
• design requirements for structural materials (wood, masonry, concrete, steel, aluminum, glass)
• design requirements for special structures (air-supported structures, parking structures).

These provisions are typically located in the following documents:

• Part 4 of Division B of the National Building Code of Canada (NBC)
• the Structural Commentaries User's Guide on the NBC
• the National Farm Building Code of Canada (NFBC).

The SC-SD:

• prepares recommendations to the Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes (CCBFC) regarding the technical content of documents within its terms of reference
• is responsible for developing objective-based versions of the requirements within its terms of reference
• advises the CCBFC regarding changes to the scope and application of the NBC and the NFBC and to the SC-SD matrix
• advises the CCBFC concerning the need for documents ancillary to the NBC and the NFBC and for progeny documents for subjects not within the current scope of the NBC or the NFBC
• advises the CCBFC concerning the need for standards to be referenced by the NBC or the NFBC and identifies needed changes to those standards
• advises the CCBFC on the need for code-related research.

Only requirements that fit within the scope, and at least one of the objectives, of the NBC and other documents as approved by the CCBFC can be considered.

The SC-SD provides advice to, and receives advice from, other committees.

The SC-SD may establish task groups and working groups to assist it in maintaining the existing contents of the codes as well as in developing new subject areas within the committee's terms of reference.