snow drift loads
 

snow drift loads
how do i go about finding the drift load on a flat roof that is beside a building with a higher sloped roof?
irscooby2: treat it as a liquid that places a pressure on the roof. since the drift probably is irregular in depth, you will have to take averages for the depth. since 11 inches of snow equals 1 inch of water the density is one eleventh that of water. note that this 11:1 ratio is only typical for new snow. if the snow is compacted, "wet",or partially ice the ratio will be different.
hope this gets you started
regards
dave
section 7 of asce 7-02 addresses snow loads on buildings. section 7.7 shows you how to determine drift lengths, intensity, etc. density is defined in this section as a function of the ground snow for your area.
i don't actually own the following publication, but asce also sells a book from their website titled "snow loads: a guide to the use and understanding of the snow load provisions of asce 7-02". i have the similar wind loading guide and it is pretty helpful, so i would assume the snow load guide is equally helpful.
good luck