Heavy snowfalls are unavoidable in some areas. Knowing how to handle the challenges of winter snow and melting can prevent damage and extend the life of pre-engineered steel building. When Summit Steel Buildings designs buildings, their Building Information Modeling (BIM) and engineering helps account for the additional weight. Understanding the geographic and climatic conditions for a future building is not just helpful – it’s essential to the long-term performance and durability of any pre-engineered metal structure.

Ice and snow are great for skating and skiing, but less exciting when you watch it build up on your driveway and rooftop. The weight of snow is considerable and can potentially add stress to a building’s structural system. Light, fluffy snow adds one to five pounds per cubic foot to a rooftop, while wet snow can reach 20 to 50 pounds per cubic foot. Understanding the geographic and climatic conditions for a future building are not just helpful – they’re essential to the long-term performance and durability of any pre-engineered steel building.

When Summit Steel Buildings designs buildings for their clients, their Building Information Modeling (BIM) and engineering helps account for this additional weight. Anticipating all weather conditions is essential, and that’s why one of the first questions we ask is where is the building going to be located (usually in the form of, “what’s your postal or zip code?”).

Let’s look at how heavy snow and ice concerns are built into building engineering, what is done to ensure your building’s security from damage and water leakage, and what you can do during wintertime to ensure snowfall doesn’t become a huge safety concern. 

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