In our case let s assume that our structure has a flat roof roof slope 5.
Flat roofs and snow load.
Wind seismic building weight furniture occupants etc.
One of them is that flat roofs leak more easily than pitched ones.
For example 18 inches would be 1 5 feet.
There are a few common misconceptions regarding flat roofs that are stubbornly persistent.
If you live in the us our snow load calculator compares the total weight on your roof with the permissible load calculated according to the standards issued by the american society of civil engineers regarding the minimum design loads for buildings and other structures asce7 16.
Asce 7 05 equation 7 1 assumes that the snow load results from multiple events.
The easiest way is to push a yardstick into the snow on the roof selecting an area that looks typical of the overall snow depth.
Express the result in feet rather than inches.
The flat roof snow load is calculated using formula 7 3 1.
Minimum flat roof snow load values.
Other considerations for sloped roofs can be found throughout chapter 7 of asce 7 10.
In regions with relatively low snow load values the load from a single event may result in the peak loading.
Snow is actually one of the easiest to design for and all.
You need to use a snow load formula for flat roofs.
First figure out how deep the snow is piled up there.
As a result equation 7 1 which accounts for loss between events will result in a non conservative value.
Certainly the weight of snow can add up but your home must support a variety of loads.