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Tensio
Managing snow on roofs presents a difficult balance between cost and safety. Snow clearance, when done prematurely, leads to unnecessary expenses, while delayed action increases risks for safety and operations. Tensio tackles this challenge by designing, manufacturing, and installing sensors that autonomously monitor building deformations to assess roof loads in real time. These sensors measure the impact of water, ice, and snow, and transmit data to the Tensio cloud for analysis against structural capacity limits per the National Building Code. Thereby, Tensio empowers decision-makers with live data, enabling them to take proactive action based on actual stress on structures rather than estimates.
In Canada, managing rooftop snow accumulation has become a critical concern as aging infrastructure and evolving winter weather patterns amplify risks to building structures. For building owners and managers, deciding when to remove snow to avoid structural damage or collapse is a complex challenge. Snow load varies unpredictably with the type of snow and ice accumulation, and traditional visual assessments or subjective judgment offer insufficient insight.
The urgency of effective snow management is heightened by the limitations of older buildings that were constructed under codes that were not designed for today’s winter extremes and that did not incorporate the knowledge we now have on snow accumulation patterns. As weather events become more severe and unpredictable, the task of monitoring snow load accurately is essential, but challenging. Building managers are often forced to make critical decisions without real-time data, relying instead on guesswork that can lead to resource waste, structural strain, or catastrophic failure. The need for a reliable, data-driven approach to snow load management has never been greater.
High-Level Solution
The increasing risks posed by extreme weather and aging infrastructure demand a shift from reactive to preventive approaches in managing building safety. As noted in Canada’s Emergency Management Strategy: Toward a Resilient 2030:
"Traditionally, emergency management has been primarily concerned with preparedness and response activities, but the current risk environment requires a shift in focus toward proactive prevention/mitigation efforts and forward-looking recovery measures. Greater investment in mitigation can help prevent disasters or significantly reduce the social, economic, cultural heritage, and environmental costs when events do occur."
— Emergency Management Strategy for Canada (Public Safety Canada)
Tensio’s advanced sensor technology provides real-time data on snow load, enabling building managers to take proactive measures to mitigate risks before they escalate. The data-driven approach shifts decision-making from subjective judgment to precise measurements, enhancing the safety and resilience of building infrastructures, especially in regions prone to heavy snow.
The need for such a solution is underscored by the increasing number of property insurance claims related to building collapses, as shown in the chart below for the province of Quebec. In recent years, insurance companies have increasingly required advanced snow monitoring systems, like Tensio’s, to be integrated into snow management plans for certain industrial buildings. This trend reflects the growing strain on aging infrastructure amid harsher winters and underscores the importance of adopting preventive strategies to safeguard structures and reduce financial impacts.
Solution Details
Tensio provides an advanced, data-driven solution that eliminates guesswork from snow management. Using a combination of proprietary hardware and software, Tensio continuously monitors the loads on rooftops and compares them with the structural capacity of each building. The solution uses Internet of Things (IoT) technology to deliver real-time, location-specific data to a centralized platform.
Tensio's solution consists of two primary components:
Hardware: Tensio sensors, installed directly on structural elements of buildings, measure deformations caused by snow, ice, and water loads. These sensors transmit their data wirelessly to a gateway, which then uploads the information to Tensio's servers for processing.
Software: Tensio's proprietary algorithm converts sensor readings into live load measurements, which are displayed in a web application accessible via any device. The software provides detailed insights, such as a stress-level percentage for each monitored location, ranked buildings by risk, historical data analysis, alerts, and a 7-day snow load prediction for proactive snow management based on local weather forecasts.
Business Benefits
The primary benefits of Tensio’s solution lie in its ability to prevent unnecessary snow removal costs and enhance safety. For example, Agropur, a Tensio customer, significantly optimized its snow removal operations, saving thousands of dollars per year while ensuring the safety of its facilities. And Agropur is not the only one: Tensio clients have reported average annual savings of 49% on snow removal expenses by using real-time data to manage operations more effectively. Another Tensio client, Atkore, previously relied on manual snow measurements at 20 different points on their roof, but this approach lacked the precision needed to ensure timely and cost-effective removal. With Tensio, companies have shifted from reactive to proactive snow management.
Tensio's system scalability ensures that even portfolios of buildings spread across multiple locations can be monitored seamlessly. The integration of this data into existing maintenance management systems can also enhance usability, enabling stakeholders to make proactive decisions without additional training or labor.
Tensio also qualifies as a compliant technological solution to meet FM Global’s stringent standards, as specified in key guidelines. For instance, FM Global’s Datasheet 1-54: Roof Loads and Drainage, section 2.9.1, highlights the necessity of effective "Snow Monitoring and Response Plans." Furthermore, Datasheet 10-1: Pre-Incident and Emergency Response Planning, section 2.2.7, underscores the importance of robust snow monitoring for ensuring safety and operational continuity. By meeting these requirements, Tensio enables building managers to fulfill insurer expectations while safeguarding assets and enhancing operational resilience.
Summary
Tensio's innovative snow load management system provides precise, real-time data to building managers, ensuring that snow removal operations are executed at the optimal time for both safety and cost efficiency. By leveraging IoT technology and sophisticated software, Tensio reduces unnecessary expenses, prevents catastrophic failures, and enhances the longevity of aging infrastructure. With its strong track record of success and growing adoption, Tensio is a key player in ensuring climate resiliency and safer building operations in winter conditions.
