A new simulation method on sliding snow load on sloped roofs

In cold regions, the accurate evaluation of sliding snow loads on roofs is important in structure design. Hence, this study develops a new method to simulate sliding snow loads on sloped roofs. First, the positive energy absorbed by snowpacks on sloped roofs is regarded as a key indicator of snow sliding based on a previous snowmelt model for building roofs and based on field observation results from the previous literature. Then, the developed method is used to simulate the sliding snow loads on several sloped roofs of several representative regions in China. The impacts of roof slope, shielding effect of neighboring buildings, and heat gained from within buildings are analyzed. The mechanism of snow slide caused by change of snow energy content is discussed. Roof slope is found to affect sliding snow load significantly. The sliding snow load on a high-sloped roof is considerably lower than that on a low-sloped roof. Finally, this study presents a simplified formula of sliding snow load as a function of roof slope, shielding effect of neighboring buildings, and heat transfer coefficients for convenient application of structural engineers. Simulation results are also compared with those from some current load codes. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2015