scholarly journals A survey of snow loads on the roofs of arena-type buildings in Canada

1979 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 85-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. A. Taylor

The paper presents data on snow loads on three shapes of arena-type structures in Canada: the cylindrical arch, and the gable and Hipel roofs. Since there has never been a regular annual survey of snow on arenas, the data were compiled from a 4 year pilot study of snow on Quonset-type buildings, from case histories, and from newspaper clippings.The data indicate that the maxima of the loads recommended for design in Commentary H on snow loads published in Supplement No. 4 to the National Building Code of Canada 1977 can be exceeded.Further, it appears from the data that three loading cases should be considered in the design of curved roofs: uniformly distributed, unbalanced, and symmetrical loads. It is apparent also that the unbalanced loads recommended for gable roofs may be too conservative.

1980 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. A. Taylor

The National Building Code of Canada requires buildings to be designed to carry uniformly and nonuniformly distributed snow loads and the "Commentary on Snow Loads" in Supplement No. 4 to the National Building Code of Canada gives detailed design information. This paper discusses the material given in the 1977 commentary and supplements it with examples and photographs.


1980 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 651-656 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. A. Taylor ◽  
W. R. Schriever

This note examines in some detail the design snow loads on simple arches and curved roofs recommended in the 1977 Commentary on Snow Loads of the National Building Code of Canada. Empirical modifications that give more appropriate unbalanced snow loads for large-radius arches and that will alleviate the problems caused by some overconservative aspects of the 1977 design loads are presented. They have been accepted for inclusion in the 1980 commentary.


2003 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 429-439 ◽  
Author(s):  
F M Bartlett ◽  
H P Hong ◽  
W Zhou

The 2005 edition of the National Building Code of Canada (NBCC) will adopt a companion-action format for load combinations and specify wind and snow loads based on their 50 year return period values. This paper summarizes statistics for dead load, live load due to use and occupancy, snow load, and wind load that have been adopted for calibration, and a companion paper presents the calibration itself. A new survey of typical construction tolerances indicates that statistics for dead load widely adopted for building code calibration are adequate unless the dead load is dominated by thin, cast-in-place concrete toppings. Unique statistics for live load due to use and occupancy are derived that pertain specifically to the live load reduction factor equation used in the NBCC. Statistics for snow and wind loads are normalized using the 50 year values that will be specified in the 2005 NBCC. New statistics are determined for the factors that transform wind speeds and ground snow depths into wind and snow loads on structures.Key words: buildings, code calibration, companion action, dead loads, live loads, load combinations, load factors, reliability, safety, snow loads, wind loads.


1981 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. A. Taylor

Since 1975 recommended design loads on cylindrical curved roofs in the Commentaries on Snow Loads in National Building Code documents have undergone significant changes. This paper presents data and some of the background to the changes, and discusses the problems that have arisen with the recommendations published in the 1977 Commentary. The intent is to make recommended design snow distributions and loads as realistic as possible without undue complication. Further improvements are suggested.


1989 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 267-278 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. J. Newark ◽  
L. E. Welsh ◽  
R. J. Morris ◽  
W. V. Dnes

The last systematic recalculation of ground snow loads in the Supplement to the National Building Code of Canada was made in 1977 and used data up to 1975. Data from three times as many stations are now available and there is also an additional 10 years of record. Using this expanded data base, ground snow loads have been recalculated for the 1990 Supplement.Several changes in methods have been utilized, the most significant of which is the use of an objective technique to estimate ground snow loads at Code (or other) locations. It explicitly incorporates an assumed dependence of the snow load on topographical elevation, and accounts for the magnitude of errors at snow depth observation sites. Other differences include (a) the use of the method of moments to fit the Gumbel extreme value distribution for the purpose of estimating the 30-year return period snow depth; (b) the use of geographically varying snow pack densities; and (c) using probabilistic rain components of the total snow load and estimating this component by use of a snow pack model.Results show an average national decrease of 6.6% in the 1990 loads compared with those in the 1985 Supplement. A regional exception is in the Northwest Territories where the use of a greater snow density has led to an average increase of about 16% in the loads. A reduction in the standard deviation about the mean load suggests a more spatially consistent set of values for the 1990 Supplement. Key words: snow, loads, building, code.


2003 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 440-448 ◽  
Author(s):  
F M Bartlett ◽  
H P Hong ◽  
W Zhou

The 2005 edition of the National Building Code of Canada (NBCC) will adopt a companion-action format for load combinations and specify wind and snow loads based on their 50 year return period values. This paper presents the calibration of these factors, based on statistics for dead load, live load due to use and occupancy, snow load, and wind load, which are summarized in a companion paper. A target reliability index of approximately 3 for a design life of 50 years was adopted for consistency with the 1995 NBCC. The load combinations and load factors for strength and stability checks recommended for the 2005 NBCC were based on preliminary values from reliability analysis that were subsequently revised slightly to address major inconsistencies with past practice. The recommended load combinations and factors generally give factored load effects similar to those in the 1995 NBCC, but are up to 10% more severe for the combination of dead load plus snow load and are generally less severe for the combination of dead load, snow load, and live load due to use and occupancy. Load factors less than one are recommended for checking serviceability limit states involving specified snow and wind loads. Importance factors for various classifications of structure are also presented. Revisions to the commentaries of the NBCC are recommended that will provide guidance on dead load allowances for architectural and mechanical superimposed dead loads and cast-in-place cover slabs and toppings.Key words: buildings, code calibration, companion action, dead loads, live loads, load combinations, load factors, reliability, safety, snow loads, wind loads.


1985 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 427-438 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy H. R. Kennedy ◽  
D. J. Laurie Kennedy ◽  
James G. MacGregor ◽  
Donald A. Taylor

In the 1985 edition of the National Building Code of Canada (NBCC) the intensity of the specified snow load at any location on a roof is obtained by multiplying the ground snow load for the building locale by a series of factors. These factors reflect the overall reduction in average snow loads on roofs as compared with that on the ground, the effect of exposure to wind, the effect of roof slope, and the effect of drifting, sliding, creep, and drainage.The four loading cases for the design of curved roofs suggested in the Commentary on snow loads accompanying the 1980 NBCC were examined by determining, for roofs of circular cross section, the variation across the span of load intensity, shear force, and bending moment for a wide range of spans, ground snow loads, and roof edge slopes. The purpose of the examination was to fully describe known inconsistencies arising from these loading cases.A new case for drift loading was developed (case III) that, when used with "full" or "uniform" loading and with the unbalanced loading developed for the 1977 NBCC (case II), eliminates or at least reduces the inconsistencies. With this new loading case and the derivation of a formula to define when to switch from loading case II to the new case III the designer now has to consider only one unbalanced loading condition rather than three as before.A simplified method for establishing specified load intensities, shear forces, and bending moments, suitable at least for preliminary design, is also presented. Key words: bending moments, curved roofs, drifts, load intensity, shear force, snow load factors, wind.


1977 ◽  
Vol 19 (81) ◽  
pp. 185-195 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Martinec

Abstract An assessment of snow loads in Switzerland was required for a revision of the building code. Settling curves of snow are used to compute water equivalents of snow if direct measurements are not available. Based on a frequency analysis, relations between the snow load and the altitude are given for various return periods. Problems of regional effects and of converting the snow-cover data to roof loads are outlined.


1977 ◽  
Vol 19 (81) ◽  
pp. 185-195 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Martinec

AbstractAn assessment of snow loads in Switzerland was required for a revision of the building code. Settling curves of snow are used to compute water equivalents of snow if direct measurements are not available. Based on a frequency analysis, relations between the snow load and the altitude are given for various return periods. Problems of regional effects and of converting the snow-cover data to roof loads are outlined.


1973 ◽  
Vol 37 (11) ◽  
pp. 27-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
G Salvendy ◽  
WM Hinton ◽  
GW Ferguson ◽  
PR Cunningham

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