Clearing snow from roofs is very expensive and damaging for the covering. On the other hand, excessive snow load can lead to a shutdown, or worst, a structural collapse. Building owners need to make difficult decisions every winter. A decision that is often based on a single operator’s experience or snow depth. The problem is that layers of ice, slush, fresh or compact snow can rapidly accumulate but cannot be properly weighted through observations. Hence relying on subjective observations is risky because it does not indicate the actual stress on the buildings’ structure. Furthermore, a building’s capacity to withstand the snow load varies within the building itself, even more so when different expansions have been added over time.
Therefore, on one hand it is difficult for building managers to know the effective snow load on their roof, and on the other hand, it is hard for them to keep track of the load their building can withstand. Decision-making is very difficult, which is why snow is either cleared too early, unnecessarily increasing operation costs, or cleared too late, increasing safety risks for the buildings’ occupants and the risks of a shutdown of operations. Knowing exactly when to clear the snow on your roofs, to maximize safety and economic benefits, is extremely complex and often overlooked.
