An alternative solution is a way of complying with the building code that does not follow its prescriptive provisions, but is instead shown to achieve at least the same level of performance against the same stated objective — accepted case by case, not by default.
Canada’s national model codes have been “objective-based” since 2005: every technical requirement is tied to a stated goal such as safety, health, accessibility, or fire and structural protection. The National Research Council states the compliance choice directly: “Applying the provisions in the Codes is one option for compliance, since they meet one or more of the Code’s stated objectives by default. The other option is the use of alternative solutions. These must achieve at least the same level of performance and satisfy the same objective(s) assigned to the associated Code provisions,” per Codes Canada’s own FAQ.
Neither path is optional busywork: “in an objective-based Code, every requirement is related to at least one of that code’s stated objectives.” Enforcement sits locally — provincial and territorial authorities hold constitutional jurisdiction over construction, and typically “delegate responsibility for enforcement to the building, plumbing and fire officials employed in local municipalities,” who issue the permit the alternative solution has to clear.
A developer’s architect wants an open-web steel floor assembly that exceeds the span the Part 9 prescriptive truss tables allow for a housing project. Two paths are available: redesign to fit inside the acceptable-solution span table, or submit an alternative solution — an engineered analysis demonstrating the assembly delivers the same structural-safety performance the table provision was written to guarantee. The local building official reviewing the permit does not need the design to match the table; the code only requires it to satisfy the same objective the table exists to serve. Approved, the project keeps its floor plan; rejected, it falls back to the prescriptive span — either way, the decision is made against the stated objective, not against the acceptable solution’s specific numbers.
See also: Part 3 vs Part 9 buildings, Building permit vs development permit, Occupancy permit vs final inspection
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