Steel building damage

[EFFIGUY]

Hi all

I wanted to see if anyone had outside walls damaged on their steel building from snow coming off roof and piling up against the walls then pushing in and denting.
The steel erector told me being there is no overhang on steel buildings and therefore when it slides off it won't throw it far enough from the walls.
My 7000 sqft building went up this past fall and today the snow melted only to find buckles in the sheet metal.

 

[readhead]

We line up jobs every spring to replace sheeting from snow damage. When we sell a building I always call out a girt at four foot and that usually solves the problem. Not always but most of the time. You might want to install snow breaks for next winter.

 

[rburke65]

An overhang isn't possible on a steel building or overhangs are not usually offered or opted for on steel buildings? Says a lot for having overhangs....and longer ones at that.

 

[Rock knocker]

An overhang isn't possible on a steel building or overhangs are not usually offered or opted for on steel buildings? Says a lot for having overhangs....and longer ones at that.

Yea that.

Overhangs are a somewhat complicated detail, but one that can easily be accomodated at the design and fabrication phase. Just takes money.

 

[EFFIGUY]

redhead
You are right, we said from the start, there should have been a girt down low on the wall.
Would just keeping the snow off the side throughout the winter solve this problem? this year the snow piled half way up the side, I have 16' walls.

 

[readhead]

Keeping the snow removed will solve the problem if you have easy access. When it drops it can pack pretty hard.

Overhangs are easy on a metal building. Soffits can add quite a bit of labor.

 

[Radix2]

I think what happens is not just the weight of the fresh snow on the side of the building - what happens is the freeze-thaw cycling against the sheeting creates ice pressure that pushes it in during some weather patterns.

It is not uncommon to have bright days where the metal warms and melts the snow against it, it freezes at night and expands, next day, same deal. At even a few thousandths at a time, the pressure can be immense.

Even a girt may not help unless it happens to hold off the weak point where the buckle wants to happen... even then just the right weather pattern...

plowing around is the best solution.

 

[finn]

Funny this came up today. This morning I was in the pole lean to attached to my stick built shop and noticed an extra girt about three feet above the ground, between the normally spaced girls.

Now I know why it's there.

Even with an 18" roof overhang, snow builds up against the wall by spring.

Should be completely melted in another couple of weeks.

 

[4cyclic]

I have 2 feet overhangs and no damage from snow piling. The piling occurs 2-3 feet from the sidewall.