AS 1170.

3—1990

Australian StandardR

SAA Loading Code

Part 3: Snow loads

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 This Australian Standard was prepared by Committee BD/6, Loading on Structures. It was
approved on behalf of the Council of Standards Australia on 31 October 1989 and published
on 26 January 1990.

The following interests are represented on Committee BD/6:

Association of Consulting Engineers, Australia
Association of Consulting Structural Engineers, Australia
Australian Clay Brick Association
Australian Construction Services (Department of Administrative Services)
Australian Council of Local Government Associations
Australian Federation of Construction Contractors
Australian Institute of Steel Construction
Australian Mining Industry Council
Bureau of Meteorology
Bureau of Steel Manufacturers of Australia
CSIRO, Division of Building, Construction and Engineering
Department of Local Government, Qld
Electricity Supply Association of Australia
Engineering and Water Supply Department, S.A.
James Cook University of North Queensland
Master Builders’ Construction and Housing Association, Australia
Monash University
National Association of Australian State Road Authorities
Public Works Department, N.S.W.
University of Melbourne
University of Newcastle

Additional interests participating in preparation of Standard:

National Parks and Wildlife Service, N.S.W.
Public Works Department, Vic.
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Shire of Bright, Vic.

Snowy Mountains Hydro–Electric Authority, N.S.W.

Review of Australian Standards. To keep abreast of progress in industry, Australian Standards are subject to
periodic review and are kept up to date by the issue of amendments or new editions as necessary. It is important
therefore that Standards users ensure that they are in possession of the latest edition, and any amendments thereto.
Full details of all Australian Standards and related publications will be found in the Standards Australia Catalogue
of Publications; this information is supplemented each month by the magazine ‘The Australian Standard’, which
subscribing members receive, and which gives details of new publications, new editions and amendments, and of
withdrawn Standards.
Suggestions for improvements to Australian Standards, addressed to the head office of Standards Australia, are
welcomed. Notification of any inaccuracy or ambiguity found in an Australian Standard should be made without
delay in order that the matter may be investigated and appropriate action taken.

This Standard was issued in draft form for comment as DR 88133.

 AS 1170.3—1990

Australian StandardR

Minimum design loads on

structures

Part 3: Snow loads

(known as the SAA Loading Code)

This is a free 6 page sample. Access the full version online.

First published as AS 1170.3—1990.

PUBLISHED BY STANDARDS AUSTRALIA

(STANDARDS ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA)
1 THE CRESCENT, HOMEBUSH, NSW 2140
ISBN 0 7262 6006 1
 PREFACE

This Standard was prepared by the Standards Australia Committee for Loading on Structures.
In preparing this Standard the Committee referred to the following:
(a) ANSI A58.1–1982, American National Standards Institute – Minimum Design Loads
for Buildings and other Structures.
(b) National Building Code of Canada, 1980.
The Supplement to the National Building Code of Canada – 1980.
(c) ISO 4355–1981 International Standard, Bases for Design of Structures, Determination
of Snow Loads on Roofs.
Data on ground snow depths and densities were obtained mainly from the Bureau of
Meteorology, Authorities, such as The Snowy Mountains Authority, and a private
meteorologist .
The Committee acknowledges the assistance obtained from these sources.
The relationship between roof snow load and ground snow load was established on the basis
of field observations by members of the Committee over many years, particularly years of
very heavy snowfalls.
This Standard is intended to be used in establishing snow loads on roofs, balconies, walkways
and other building surfaces which retain snow. It also provides guidance (see Appendix B) on
the avoidance of common problems which occur mainly in alpine regions due to movement,
sliding or drifting of snow.
Snow loads are difficult to assess accurately not only because the amount of snow which falls
is sensitive to general and local topography but also because the amount of snow which is
retained on the roof is sensitive to roof slope, roof geometry and orientation.
Designers must be alert to the extra snow loads which certain roof shapes attract, because of
drifting effects. Blockages and effects of sliding snow or snow creep on the roof and in the
environs of the building are further considerations for the designer.
Statements expressed in mandatory terms in Notes to tables and figures are deemed to be
requirements of this Standard.
A Commentary (see AS 1170.3 Supplement 1) provides background material to the
requirements of this Standard and includes some worked examples to illustrate its
application.
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E Copyright — STANDARDS AUSTRALIA

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and except where provided for below no publications or software produced by Standards Australia may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system in
any form or transmitted by any means without prior permission in writing from Standards Australia. Permission may be conditional on an appropriate
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purchasers of the Standard without payment of a royalty or advice to Standards Australia.
Standards Australia will also permit the inclusion of its copyright material in computer software programs for no royalty payment provided
such programs are used exclusively in–house by the creators of the programs.
Care should be taken to ensure that material used is from the current edition of the Standard and that it is updated whenever the Standard is amended or
revised. The number and date of the Standard should therefore be clearly identified.
The use of material in print form or in computer software programs to be used commercially, with or without payment, or in commercial contracts is
subject to the payment of a royalty. This policy may be varied by Standards Australia at any time.
 CONTENTS
Page
SECTION 1. SCOPE AND GENERAL
1.1 SCOPE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.2 APPLICATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.3 REFERENCED DOCUMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.4 METHODS OF DETERMINATION OF SNOW LOADS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.5 LOAD COMBINATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.6 NOTATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
SECTION 2. GEOGRAPHIC REGIONS AFFECTED BY SNOW
2.1 REGIONS WITH SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALLS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
2.2 DIVISION OF REGIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
SECTION 3. SNOW LOAD IN SUB–ALPINE REGIONS
3.1 DETERMINATION OF GROUND SNOW LOAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
3.2 SNOW WEIGHT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
3.3 DETERMINATION OF SNOW LOAD ON BUILDING SURFACES . . . . . 8
SECTION 4. SNOW LOAD IN ALPINE REGIONS
4.1 DETERMINATION OF GROUND SNOW LOAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
4.2 DETERMINATION OF SNOW LOAD ON BUILDING SURFACES . . . . . 15
4.3 EXPOSURE TO WIND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
4.4 ROOF SLOPE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
4.5 PARTIAL LOADING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
4.6 UNBALANCED SNOW LOAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
4.7 DRIFTS ON LOWER ROOFS OR OTHER SURFACES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
4.8 ROOF PROJECTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
4.9 SLIDING SNOW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
4.10 SNOW CREEP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
APPENDICES
A EFFECTS OF TERRAIN ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF GROUND
SNOW LOAD IN ALPINE REGIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
B COMMON PROBLEMS AND THEIR AVOIDANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
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 AS 1170.3—1990 4

STANDARDS AUSTRALIA

Australian Standard
Minimum design loads on structures

Part 3: Snow loads

SECTION 1. SCOPE AND GENERAL

1.1 SCOPE. This Standard sets out data and Ψc = live load combination factor used in
procedures for determining snow loads to be used in assessing the design load for strength
structural design. limit state
Q = live load
1.2 APPLICATION. This Standard is intended to
apply to all buildings and building components, including Wu = wind load for the strength limit state
roofs and other building surfaces, walkways and access Ψs = short-term live load factor used in
platforms, subject to snow accumulation. assessing the design load for
serviceability limit state.
1.3 REFERENCED DOCUMENTS. The following
documents are referred to in this Standard. 1.6 NOTATION. Symbols occurring in this Standard
AS are listed below.
1170 SAA Loading Code Unless a contrary intention appears, the following
applies:
1170.1 Part 1: Dead and live loads and load
combinations (a) The notation used in this Standard have the
meanings ascribed to them below, with respect to
1170.2 Part 2: Wind loads the structure, or member, or condition to which a
1.4 METHODS OF DETERMINATION OF SNOW clause is applied.
LOADS. The snow load on a structure or part of a (b) The dimensional units for length, height, depth and
structure shall be determined by one or more of the stress in all expressions or equations shall be taken
following: as metres (m) and kilopascals (kPa) respectively.
(a) The applicable clauses of this Standard. (c) The SI system of units is used throughout.
(b) Reliable data and references used consistently with bp = dimension of the local projection
the clauses of this Standard coupled with extensive normal to the direction of drifting
information of the local conditions. Cp = snow load coefficient taking into
(c) Wind tunnel or similar tests which accurately account wind, sliding, drifting and
simulate the local snow accumulations. other effects
NOTE: Extensive information of local conditions should include the Cpb = snow load coefficient for balanced
years of maximum snow depths (such as 1964 and 1981 in the loading
Snowy Mountains).
Cpd = snow load coefficient for drifting
1.5 LOAD COMBINATIONS. Snow loads shall be snow
combined with dead load, live load, wind load and other Cpp = snow load coefficient for drifting
loads in accordance with AS 1170.1. The most snow at roof projections
unfavourable load combination shall be used in the Cpr = snow load coefficient at the ridge of
design of the structure or structural element being a multi-span roof with valleys
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considered.
Cps = snow load coefficient for sliding
In addition to the load combinations specified in snow
AS 1170.1, the following shall also be taken into
Cpu = snow load coefficient for unbalanced
account:
loading
(a) Load combinations for strength limit states -
dg = ground snow depth
(i) 1.25G + 1.5Sr + ΨcQ + 0.5Wu
dr = snow depth on roof or other structural
(ii) 0.8G + 1.5Sr elements
(b) Load combinations for serviceability limit states, G = dead load
short-term effects -
ha = height from crown level to eaves
(i) Sr level in a curved roof
(ii) G + Sr hb = height above ground level to the point
(iii) G + ΨsQ + Sr at which the roof slope on a curved
where roof exceeds 60°
G = dead load
Sr = snow load on roof or other structural
element

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 AS 1170.3-1990 Minimum design loads on structures (known as
the SAA Loading Code) - Snow loads
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