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Snow Loads

Snow Loads
 Other Titles of Interest
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ASCE 7 Hazard Tool

Delivers a quick, efficient way to look up key design parameters specified by Standard ASCE/SEI 7-
10 and Standard ASCE/SEI 7-16 through a Web-based application that retrieves load data for each
of seven hazards, visualizes them on a map, and generates a unified report of results. (ASCE 2016)
(http://ascetools.online)

Minimum Design Loads and Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures,
ASCE/SEI 7-16
Provides requirements for general structural design and includes means for determining dead, live,
soil, flood, wind, snow, rain, atmospheric ice, and earthquake loads and their combinations that
are suitable for inclusion in building codes and other documents. A detailed commentary of
explanatory and supplementary information is included. (ASCE Standard 2016) (ISBN 978-0-7844-
1424-8)

Snow Loads: Guide to the Snow Load Provisions of ASCE 7-10

BY MICHAEL O’ROURKE, PH.D., P.E.
Sets forth a detailed and authoritative interpretation of the snow load provisions of Minimum
Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures, Standard ASCE/SEI 7-10. (ASCE Press 2010)
(ISBN 978-0-7844-1111-7)

Snow Loads on Solar-Paneled Roofs

MICHAEL O’ROURKE, PH.D., P.E., AND NICHOLAS ISYUMOV, PH.D., P.E.
Offers guidance for structural engineers regarding the snow load conditions that result from the
presence of solar panels on a roof, focusing on the structural design of roof beams, roof girders,
and columns that support solar panels. (ASCE 2016) (ISBN 978-0-7844-8024-3)

Snow-Related Roof Collapse during the Winter of 2010–2011: Implications for Building
Codes
MICHAEL O’ROURKE, PH.D., P.E., AND JENNIFER WIKOFF
Summarizes an investigation of nearly 500 damaged structures to determine whether the collapses
and poor roof performance were the result of snow loads exceeding what was prescribed in
building codes or the result of structural capacity that was significantly less than required by the
building codes. (ASCE 2014) (ISBN 978-0-7844-7824-0)

Snow Loads
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Snow Loads

Snow Loads
Provisions of ASCE 7-16
Guide to the Snow Load

Michael O’Rourke, Ph.D., P.E.

 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: O’Rourke, Michael J., author. | American Society of Civil Engineers.

Title: Snow loads : guide to the snow load provisions of ASCE 7-16 / Michael O’Rourke, Ph.D., P.E.
Description: Reston, Virginia : American Society of Civil Engineers, [2017] |
Includes bibliographical references and index.
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Identifiers: LCCN 2017005716| ISBN 9780784414569 (soft cover : alk. paper) |

ISBN 9780784480121 (ebook) | ISBN 9780784480854 (epub)
Subjects: LCSH: Snow loads. | Structural dynamics. |
Structural engineering–Standards–United States.
Classification: LCC TA654.4 .O76 2017 | DDC 690/.15–dc23 LC record available at
https://lccn.loc.gov/2017005716

Published by American Society of Civil Engineers

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www.asce.org/bookstore | ascelibrary.org

Any statements expressed in these materials are those of the individual authors and do not
necessarily represent the views of ASCE, which takes no responsibility for any statement made
herein. No reference made in this publication to any specific method, product, process, or service
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Errata: Errata, if any, can be found at https://doi.org/10.1061/9780784414569.

Copyright © 2017 by the American Society of Civil Engineers.

All Rights Reserved.
ISBN 978-0-7844-1456-9 (print)
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Manufactured in the United States of America.

24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 1 2 3 4 5

Snow Loads
 Contents
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Preface ix

Unit Conversions xi

Chapter 1 Introduction 1

Chapter 2 Ground Snow Loads 5

2.1 The Map: Influence of Latitude, Elevation, and Coastlines 8
2.2 The Map: Site-Specific Case Studies 9
2.3 State Tables 9
Example 2-1. Ground Snow Loads 11

Chapter 3 Flat Roof Snow Loads 13

3.1 Measured Conversion Factors 13
3.2 Flat Roof Snow Load 17
3.3 Exposure Factor 18
3.4 Thermal Factor 19
3.5 Importance Factor 20
3.6 Minimum Snow Loads for Low-Sloped Roofs 21
3.7 Snow Load for Near Ground Surfaces 22
Example 3-1. Roof Exposure 22

Chapter 4 Sloped Roof Snow Loads 25

4.1 Snow Sliding 25
4.2 Air-Supported Structures 31
4.3 Overall Comparison with Observations 32
Example 4-1. Uniform Roof Snow Load, Monoslope Roof (1 on 12) 33
Example 4-2. Uniform Roof Snow Load, Monoslope Roof (4 on 12) 34
Example 4-3. Uniform Roof Snow Load, Wide Gable Roof 35

Snow Loads
 vi Contents

Chapter 5 Partial Loads 37

5.1 Continuous-Beam Systems 37
5.2 Other Structural Systems 40
Example 5-1. Uniform and Partial Snow Loads, Monoslope Roof with
Overhang 41
Example 5-2. Partial Snow Load, Continuous Purlins in Gable Roof
(1 on 12) 44
Example 5-3. Partial Snow Load, Continuous Purlins in Gable Roof
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(3 on 12) 45
Example 5-4. Partial Snow Load, Cantilevered Roof Girder System 46

Chapter 6 Unbalanced Loads 49

6.1 Hip and Gable Roofs 49
6.2 Curved Roofs 53
6.3 Sawtooth-Type Roofs 54
6.4 Domes 55
Example 6-1. Unbalanced Snow Load, Narrow Gable Roof 55
Example 6-2. Unbalanced Snow Load, Wide Gable Roof 55
Example 6-3. Unbalanced Snow Load, Asymmetric Gable Roof 56
Example 6-4. Balanced and Unbalanced Snow Loads, Curved Roof 58
Example 6-5. Unbalanced Snow Load, Sawtooth Roof 60

Chapter 7 Drifts on Lower Roofs 63

7.1 Leeward Drift 65
7.2 Windward Drift 70
7.3 Adjacent Roofs 72
7.4 Roof Steps in Series 72
Example 7-1. Roof Step Drift Load 73
Example 7-2. Roof Step Drift, Limited Height 75
Example 7-3. Roof Step Drift, Low Ground Snow Load 76
Example 7-4. Roof Step Drift, Adjacent Structure 78
Example 7-5. Roof Steps in Series 79

Chapter 8 Roof Projections 81

Example 8-1. Parapet Wall Drift 84
Example 8-2. Rooftop Unit Drift 87
Example 8-3. Parapet Wall Drift, Low Ground Snow Load 88
Example 8-4. Elimination of RTU Drift 90

Chapter 9 Sliding Snow Loads 91

9.1 Adjacent Roofs 91

Snow Loads
 Contents vii

9.2 Separated Roofs 93

Example 9-1. Sliding Snow Load, Residential Gable Roof
(4 on 12) 94
Example 9-2. Sliding Snow Load, Commercial Gable Roof
(1 on 12) 95
Example 9-3. Sliding Load, Separated Roof 97

Chapter 10 Rain-on-Snow Surcharge Loads 99

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Example 10-1. Uniform Design Snow Load, Monoslope Roof

(1/4 on 12) 103
Example 10-2. Uniform Design Snow Load, Gable Roof
(1/4 on 12) 103

Chapter 11 Ponding Instability and Existing Roofs 105

11.1 Ponding Instability 105
11.2 Existing Roofs 107
Example 11-1. Susceptible Bays Purlin-Parallel Geometry 108
Example 11-2. Susceptible Bays Purlin-Perpendicular Geometry 108

Chapter 12 Open-Frame Equipment Structures 109

12.1 Floor-Level Snow Loads 109
12.2 Snow Load on Piping and Cable Trays 110
Example 12-1. Isolated Cable Tray 110
Example 12-2. Adjacent Cable Trays 111

Chapter 13 Design Examples 113

Design Example 1 113
Design Example 2 119
Design Example 3 125

Chapter 14 Frequently Asked Questions 131

References 157
Index 159
About the Author 163

Snow Loads
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Snow Loads
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 Preface
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This guide provides practicing structural engineers with a detailed description of

the snow load provisions of Standard ASCE/SEI 7-16, Minimum Design Loads
and Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures, published by
the American Society of Civil Engineers. The intent of this guide is to present the
research and philosophy that underpins the provisions and to illustrate the
application of the provisions through numerous examples. Readers and users of
this guide will know how to use the provisions, as well as the reasoning behind
them. In this fashion, users may be able to address nonroutine snow loading
issues that are not explicitly covered in ASCE 7-16.

This guide introduces provisions that are new to ASCE 7-16, including ground
snow load tables for selected western states and New Hampshire as well as
snow load requirements for Open Frame Equipment Support structures.

Every effort has been made to make the illustrative example problems in this
guide correct and accurate. The author welcomes comments regarding inaccu-
racies, errors, or different interpretations. The views expressed and the inter-
pretation of the snow load provisions made in this guide are those of the author
and not of the ASCE 7 Standards Committee or the ASCE organization.

Acknowledgments
The author would like to acknowledge the past and present members of the
Snow and Rain Loads Committee of ASCE 7. Without their comments, questions,
and discussions, the development of Chapter 7 in ASCE/SEI Standard 7-16, and
subsequently this guide, would not have been possible.

As with any document of this type, many individuals have contributed their hard
work and effort. The author acknowledges the work and effort extended by the
administrative staff of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, who assisted in the word processing and
preparation of the narrative. The author also would like to acknowledge the
sketch work prepared by Christopher Keado, American Institute of Architects,
who graciously contributed the hand-drawn illustrations associated with each
chapter.

ix

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 Unit Conversions
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S.I. Unit Abbreviations Customary Unit Abbreviations

m = meter (S.I. base unit of length) yd = yard

cm = centimeter in. = inch
km = kilometer mi = mile
ha = hectare acre
L = liter (S.I. base unit of volume) gal = gallon
mL = milliliters qt = quart
kg = kilogram (S.I. base unit of mass) lb = pound
g = gram oz = ounce
N = newton (m × kg × s2) lbf = pound-force (lb/ft)
Pa = pascals (N/m2) psi = pounds per square inch
kPa = kilopascals atm = atmosphere
J = joule ft·lbf = feet per pound-force
W = watt Btu = British thermal unit
kW = kilowatt hp = horsepower
s = second (S.I. base unit of time) s = second
min = minute min = minute
h = hour h = hour
day day
°C = degrees Celsius °F = degrees Fahrenheit
ppm = parts per million ppm = parts per million

xi

Snow Loads
 xii Unit Conversions

Measurements

Length 1 m = 3.2808 ft = 1.0936 yd 1 ft = 3 yd = 0.3048 m

1 cm = 0.3937 in. 1 in. = 2.54 cm
1 km = 0.6214 mile 1 mile = 0.869 nautical mile
= 1.6093 km
Area 1 m2 = 10.7643 ft2 1 ft2 = 0.0929 m2
1 km2 = 0.3861 mi2 1 mi2 = 2.59 km2
1 ha = 2.4710 acre 1 acre = 43,560 ft2
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= 0.4047 ha
Volume 1 L = 0.2642 gal 1 gal = 4 qt = 3.7854 L
1 mL = 1 cm3 1 ft3 = 7.481 gal = 28.32 L
Mass 1 g = 0.0353 oz 1 oz = 28.3495 g
1 kg = 2.2046 lb 1 lb = 0.4536 kg
Force 1 N = 0.2248 lb/ft 1 lbf = 4.4482 N
Density 1 kg/m2 = 0.2048 lb/ft2 1 lb/ft2 = 4.882 kg/m2
1 kg/m3 = 6.2427 lb/ft3 1 lb/ft3 = 16.018 kg/m3
Pressure 1 kPa = 0.145 psi 1 psi = 6.8948 kPa
1 atm = 14.7 psi
= 101.35 kPa
Energy and Power 1 J = 1.00 W·s 1 ft·lbf = 1.3558 J
= 0.7376 ft·lbf
1 kJ = 0.2778 W·h 1 Btu = 1.0551 kJ
= 0.948 Btu
1 W = 0.7376 ft·lbf/s 1 ft·lbf/s = 1.3558 W
= 3.4122 Btu/h
1 kW = 1,3410 hp 1 hp = 550 ft·lb/s
= 0.7457 kW
Flow 1 L/s = 15.85 gal/min 1 gal/min = 0.1337 ft3/min
= 2.119 ft3/min = 0.0631 L/s
Concentration mg/L = ppm (in dilute
solutions)
Temperature °C = (°F – 32) × 5/9 °F = (°C × 9/5) + 32
Fundamental Acceleration of gravity 32.2 ft/s2 = 9.81 m/s2
Constants and Density of water (at 4°C) 1,000 kg/m3 = 1 g/cm3
Relationships Specific weight of water 62.4 lb/ft3 = 9,810 N/m3
(15°C)
Weight of water 1 gal = 8.345 lb
= 3.7854 kg

Snow Loads