Roof Snow Load Failures

If the roof collapse was the result of.

Roof snow load failures. For example a roof in minnesota must be able to accommodate the large live loads associated with the state s heavy snowfalls. The roof or the entire structure can fail if the snow load exceeds the weight the building was designed to shoulder. If the standards for mississippi where the maximum expected snow load is much lower are used in error problems ranging from deflection to full collapse can occur. Every time a post frame building roof collapses it reflects poorly upon our industry.

While it is impractical unaffordable or unfeasible to retrofit existing buildings to meet code loading requirements we can make changes to minimize or eliminate future failures due to snow. In my humble opinion these would include. If the roof failure was caused by an excessive snow load ie exceeding design load. Or if the building was poorly designed or constructed.

Is more prone to failure. Further if it was caused by an. Presented overview of extensive. It doesn t take a blizzard to cause problems.

From 1994 to 2013 winter storms resulted in about 27 billion in u s. Roof failures due to snow can result in damage or destruction of valuable building contents and equipment business interruption and even loss of life. An imbalance of drifting snow can cause one part of a roof to give causing a domino effect. Whether or not that failure was the result of an inadequate design.

Insured catastrophe losses in 2013 dollars or more than 1 billion a year on average according to property claim services and the insurance information institute inc. Abstract collapses of a number of roofs in europe during the winter 2005 2006 initiated discussions concerning reliability of the roofs exposed to snow loads. Our experienced forensic experts can help to determine. How much snow is too much.

A roof not designed to the appropriate standards for its use location etc.