Managing Construction on Campus

Learn more about the steps UBC takes to manage construction and to minimize its impact on the campus community.

All construction projects at UBC undergo a comprehensive development permitting process, which includes evaluation against several policies, plans and technical requirements to ensure projects are consistent with university commitments and the long-term vision and plan for the campus.  

Once a development permit and building permit for a project are issued, construction can begin. The start date of a project is determined by funding, project deliverable requirements and supply chain conditions.  Given the size of UBC, the pace of growth and change and the complexity of scheduling, it is not uncommon for multiple projects to be active in the same area at the same time. UBC’s Development & Building Regulations and Traffic Management Plan Guidelines include specifications for managing the impacts of construction projects.

All construction projects must submit a Traffic Management Plan to Campus and Community Planning for approval before starting work to ensure that standards are met, public safety is maintained, impact to the community is minimized (particularly during peak operating hours of the campus), and advanced warning of impact and alternative routes (if needed) are provided to the public.  

Construction work hours on the Vancouver campus and in the neighbourhood housing areas are between 7:30am and 7pm, from Monday to Friday and 9am to 5pm on Saturdays with no work occurring on Sundays. 

Occasionally, there is a need to extend these work hours. An example of this would be for large concrete pours, which take time to complete and must be completed in one day to meet requirements and ensure quality. In these instances, projects can apply for work hour variances to allow them to complete their work by their deadline. When a variance is issued, Campus and Community Planning sends a notification to those most impacted.  

Campus and Community Planning compliance officers perform regular inspections of construction sites on campus to ensure they are adhering to the approved traffic management and site and safety plans. During these site visits, compliance officers also look for opportunities to minimize disruption to the campus community and to make sites safer.  If a violation occurs at a construction site, a Compliance Officer issues a warning. When ongoing violations occur, penalties are increased, escalating to closure of the worksite.

Issues and Concerns

If you observe unsafe activity at a construction site or have a concern, please send us an e-mail detailing the issue at info@planning.ubc.ca. This mailbox is monitored daily.  

 

campus contruction
Construction and Roadwork Updates
Campus is always growing and changing so it's common to encounter construction and road closures. Get the latest construction and road closures updates to make navigating campus easier.
https://planning.ubc.ca/roadwork
Wayfinding
Helping you find your way around campus
Whether you’re walking, rolling, or cycling around the Vancouver campus, the recently launched online map tool for UBC will help you identify the best and most accessible route to get from point A to point B.
https://planning.ubc.ca/news/helping-you-find-your-way-around-campus