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This webinar was co-sponsored by ASCE's ASCE's Structural Engineering Institute (SEI) and ASCE Continuing Education

Instructor:  Alexander Newman, P.E., F.ASCE 

Course Length: 90 Minutes

Purpose and Background

During every harsh winter some building roofs inevitably fail. Many such failures follow predictable patterns and could have been avoided if their designers and builders knew the common causes of these failures. This webinar discusses the various types of failures that tend to occur under heavy accumulation of snow and ice. After explaining what these winter failures might look like, the instructor discusses the process of roof failure investigation and which kinds of structures tend to fail more than others. A bulk of the discussion includes the case studies of roof collapses and other winter failures of various building systems.

This webinar explores the lessons learned from various investigations of winter roof failures in buildings. The focus is not on the code provisions related to snow loading but on the weaknesses of various roof systems subjected to heavy snow accumulation. Several case studies of winter roof failures illustrate the discussion.

Primary Discussion Topics

• How winter roof failures are investigated
• The building systems most vulnerable to winter roof failures
• Recognizing a situation where an apparent failure is temporary and reversible
• Detailed discussion of several winter roof collapses

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:

• Determine the difference between a roof collapse and failure
• Know how to spot the signs of winter roof failures that do not involve collapse
• Decide how to avoid specific weaknesses of various roof structural systems and assure their satisfactory performance in winter

Webinar Benefits

• Learn how to estimate and measure the snow and ice loading on the roof
• Understand when the buckled ceiling tiles signal structural failure and when they don't
• Analyze the case studies of roof collapses and other winter failures
• Use as an opportunity to ask questions

Assessment of Learning Outcomes

Students' achievement of the learning outcomes will be assessed via a short post-assessment (true-false, multiple choice and fill in the blank questions).

Intended Audience

• Structural and civil engineers seeking to explore the lessons learned from investigation of winter roof failures

Webinar Outline

• Introduction: Roof failure vs. collapse
• The process of roof failure investigation
• Which kinds of structures tend to fail more than others in winter
• Case studies of winter failures for various building systems
• Roof failures that do not involve collapse
• Conclusion, final Q and A

How to Earn your CEUs/PDHs and Receive Your Certificate of Completion

To receive your certificate of completion, you will need to complete a short on-line post-test and receive a passing score of 70% or higher within 1 year of purchasing the course.

How do I convert CEUs to PDHs?

1.0 CEU = 10 PDHs [Example: 0.1 CEU = 1 PDH]