huangyhg

design live load for trellis?
can anyone recommend a reference for a design live load for an ornamental trellis which will support decorative vines.
to be used in an exterior situation where the foliage will be wet from time to time.
what i had in mind was a live load per square foot and i can apply this to the square footage of vertical surface.
i checked my old midwest plan service and can't find anything on this subject. thanks, john aka kay1w1
john,
if the foliage grows to a dense point, it will transfer signficant wind load to the structure. the foliage itself would be a dead load, but would increase with time as the foliage grows. consider dense foliage for the dead load (probably on the order of 5 to 8 psf), plus the dead load of the structure (depending on the material from which it is made...4 to 10 psf) and the live load from wind blowing on the foliage. the wind load will depend on your area. check asce 7 for guidance on the wind load.
interesting thought, is it a live load or a dead load? . . but, most importantly, as you point out, wind load will be most critical especially in coastal carolina. thanks, appreciate the help. john
you should consider ice loads as well.
if there are any vines on the trellace, the trellis structure plus the vines can pick up a lot of snow, especially if the trellis is flat, although not the case here apparently.
mike mccann
mmc engineering
last fall, i didn't clear the vines on my trellis. it covered with snow, and soon got into ice due to wind cill effect (?). it was tilted by the wind. now it stans by a few ropes tied to my fence. green is here again.

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