I was just reading the 2010 Canada Building Code ( I am pretty sure the same exists in 2012 Building Code) and the following is specified in the section 9.20.17.3: "No openings shall occur within 1200 mm (3.9ft) of interior and exterior corners of exterior non-load-bearing flat ICF walls". Note that the same restriction applies for load-bearing walls (Section 9.20.17.4).

Is it my understanding correct that, basically, you cannot place any window or door within 3.9 ft from any corner of the building? Can anybody who built ICF homes in Canada comment on this?

Thank you very much in advance!

I built with a couple of widows and a door less than 3'9", closer to 3'. Inspector is really picky and never mentioned anything about that. I'm sure if you get an engineer to buy-off you could go with less.

All of the windows have more than 3 ft measured from the inside of the wall corners (which is more than 4 ft measured from the outside of the wall corners). The code says: " interior AND exterior corners of exterior" - I am not sure whether "AND" leaves any room for interpretation.

My issue is with the entrance doors:
1. I have a basement entrance door which is 3' 6" measured from the exterior corner of the wall
2. The main entrance has a U shape (3 ft recessed from the front wall line) which also is not aligned with the 3.9 ft rule - it looks like the below drawing where "dddddd" is the 6ft main door size and the "x" is is ICF wall: The wall which is enclosing the door is 11 ft long measured from the interior corners or 9 ft long measured from the exterior corners (the wall is 1ft deep).

Exterior

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx................xxxxxxxxxxxxx
x......................x...............x.....................x
x......................xxddddddxx.....................x
x.............................................................x
x............................................................ x
x....................... Interior.......................... x
----------------------------------------------
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

To provide and an answer to my own question (after talking to a structural engineer): the section of the building code is more like a structural guideline - a structural engineer can override it if the load points allow it.

I've encountered this issue with ICF and it makes no sense when wood frame does not have the same restriction and is a much weaker system.
But there you go..paper refuses no ink.
A PEng is the answer.

Yep, these codes go along with the prescriptive tables. I believe the corner limit on concrete is so the wall rebar at the corner has enough length to develop full tension to keep the walls from separating and toppling at the corner during a shake. In wood structure it is not such an issue as the wooden wall does not need to develop as much restraint at the corners as the wall has far less mass. The limiting factor with wood walls, and also with CC to some extent is the percent of the wall without openings to develop enough shear to resist in-plane forces in the wall. OF course a PE can signoff on an engineered design that meets restraint requirements yet deviates from the codes. In fact, the codes state for some seismic zones you MUST use a engineered design or use concrete specific prescriptive standards from another source such as ACI318 or PCA-100...

Yes, there really isn't any limitation if properly engineered. You can even have full corner windows. Attached is a photo of windows within 10" of the exterior corners. This is a 54x30' passive solar, hydronic radiant floor cooling/heating design garage/shop with 400 sq ft of guest quarters in seismic zone D1. The roof overhang is about 4', so there are higher than typical wind lateral/uplift loads that were addressed too.

I haven't run into this here in New Mexico. I have several doors and a 6080 window within 2' or less of corners, and no one has raised an issue. Plans went through permitting without a problem. On the other hand we don't have seismic issues even though we are in the mountains.