Can snow be considered a surcharge on basement walls?

[ToreroEng]

Hello,
I am a structural engineer working on a residential project in Revelstoke, BC, Canada. Snow load here is 7.2 kPa (150 PSF). The house has a simple pitched roof with NO roof overhang. In my mind, the snow can easily slide off the roof, or be drifted by wind, and pile up on the ground right up against the building walls. Essentially, the ground could be treated as a lower roof and the amount of snow could insulate the ground from freezing. With all this in mind, I don't see why snow should not be considered a significant surcharge on the soil that would inflict considerable lateral load on the basement walls. Can someone please comment on my approach and, if possible, help me justify if snow should not be considered surcharge? I don't want to unnecessarily overdesign the basement walls. Thank you!

 

[dik]

With that high a snow load, I would consider it... with normal foundation work, I usually consider a surcharge of 100 psf, and occasionally 50 psf (4.8 and 2.4 resp) as normal design. Got my first speeding ticket outside Revelstoke about 55 years back... in my little Cooper S. Went through some areas at night at 90mph and in the daytime, coming back, slowed to 60mph when I could see what was off the road.

Rather than think climate change and the corona virus as science, think of it as the wrath of God. Feel any better?

-Dik

 

[geotechguy1]

Yes, but whether or not it governs I don't know. What other surcharge load cases do you have to consider for a basement wall?

 

[HTURKAK]

I just agree with your concern .. but with having experience 40++ years, i did not see , hear or read any basement wall collapse due to snow build -up... Probably, the ground is frozen to a certain extent that the extra lateral earth pressure due to snow build up is not developing..IMO,the 1ST storey exterior walls more prone to the horizontal load due to snow build up..