Issue: 6.

08

I have observed recently that it would be useful to understand a bit better how one determines the value to choose for the Snow Exposure Coefficient (Ce) dropdown on the Project Loads screen in NuBert. I believe that, in many instances, a better understanding of this setting will result in a more competitive quote. The Snow Exposure Coefficient along with the Wind Exposure setting found on the Project Loads screen in NuBert define a value used to calculate the roof snow loading imposed on the building. This value, called the Exposure Factor (or Ce), is multiplied by the Ground Snow and a few other factors to determine the roof snow load. Since Ce can range from 0.9 to 1.1 (for our purposes), it will alter the Roof Snow Loading by something ranging from reducing it by 10% to increasing it by 10%. Thus, it is important to not be overly conservative when choosing a Wind Exposure and a Ce. The focus of this issue is specifically the determination of the Snow Exposure Coefficient. There are three choices available in NuBert: Sheltered, Partially-Exposed, and Fully-Exposed. Here are some useful definitions for these terms:
Partially Exposed All roofs except as indicated below. Fully Exposed Roofs exposed on all sides with no shelter afforded by terrain, higher structures, or trees. Roofs that contain several large pieces of mechanical equipment, parapets that extend above the height of the balanced snow load, or other obstructions are not in this category. Sheltered Roofs located tight in among conifers that qualify as obstructions. Obstructions Obstructions, such as taller structures, terrain features, and conifer stands, within a distance of 10ho provide "shelter" where ho is the height of the obstruction above the roof level. If the only obstructions are a few deciduous trees that are leafless in winter, the "fully exposed" category shall be used except for terrain Category "A". Note that these are heights above the roof. Heights used to establish the terrain category for wind loads are heights above the ground.

In most cases, we see Partially-Exposed selected. However, I feel it would be worth the effort to see if your project meets the requirements of Fully-Exposed. DeNBS ~ INDIANA 305 Industrial Parkway Waterloo, IN 46793 260/837-7891 Fax: 260/837-7384 NBS ~ SOUTH CAROLINA 200 Whetstone Road Swansea, SC 29160 803/568-2100 Fax: 803/568-2121

termining this is not as difficult as it may seem. If your project is to be built in a significant cleared area, which is often the case for a nonresidential structure with shipping yards, fields, parking lots, loading areas, etc., then a few minutes of observation at the jobsite might save you 10% worth of snow loading on a building. Scott A. Russell, SE, PE, PEng To evaluate your jobsite, you Engineering ManagerNBSUT SRussell@nbsut.com should locate yourself as close to the center of the proposed structure as you can and observe for any trees, buildings, silos, etc. that will be taller than your building will be. You should then determine the height of each possible obstruction using any means you are comfortable with. One suggestion is to obtain an Abney Hand Level (http://www.homedepot.com for approx. $140) and use it to calculate the angle above grade to the top of the obstruction. Then, once you know the distance from the center of your proposed building to this obstruction, you can use the simple math shown here to determine the height [distance to object TAN (angle above grade) = height of object]. If the obstruction in question is within 10 ho (see figure), then it shelters the proposed building. If there are no such obstructions, then your building can be considered to be fully-exposed. Will this save you money? I priced a 60W x 100L x 16H gable building which required a 30 psf ground snow load both as partially-exposed and fully-exposed. The fully-exposed option resulted in a 3% reduction in weight. I feel that this will make an even greater difference on larger clear-span structures that are more sensitive to roof loading. Some extra time and a little math may just put you in a better position on your next project.
NBS ~ TEXAS 600 Apache Trail Terrell, TX 75160 972/524-5407 Fax: 972/524-5417 NBS ~ UTAH 1050 North Watery Lane Brigham City, UT 84302 435/919-3100 Fax: 435/919-3101

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