Fundamental Study on the Evaluation of Snow Load on the Roof of a Membrane Structure. Proposal of a suitable roof design for reducing snow load on the roof.

Membranes have high transmissivity within the visible-light range and are used in buildings to create a bright interior space. In regions with heavy snowfall, various means are used to remove snow from the roof of membrane structures in order to maintain a bright interior space during winter. However, the current evaluation of snow load on the roof of membrane structures is the same as that used for buildings from which snow removal is not frequently carried out. This is thought to be due to the current small number of membrane structures in regions with heavy snowfall and to insufficient clarification of the effectiveness of methods for removing snow from roofs. In this study, we conducted interviews with building managers as well as on-site surveys with regards to snow accumulation on the roof of membrane structures for the purpose of collecting data that may be used as a basis for appropriate evaluation of snow load on the roof of membrane structures in regions with heavy snowfall. Furthermore, from the survey results, we estimated the most effective roof design for snow removal, and, using this roof design, we performed membrane structure analysis that took into account snow load on the roof. The results showed that for a membrane structure, a V-shaped roof of membrane panels is effective for reducing snow load on the roof.