falling ice impact loads on structures

[nanomax]

Provide any practical design criteria to assess impact loads, but including allowance for fragmentation energy loss, of large ice objects (icicles) falling from significant heights (+/- 150 ft.)on planar elastic/plastic structures such as roofs supported on frames etc. The criteria would enable the designer to predict how much energy is actually imparted to the structure from the falling object(s) thereby enabling a practical design to be achieved.

 

[graybeach]

I sometimes design things subject to ice impact in water. The way to make it easy is to design for the crushing strength of ice. AASHTO says to design for 100-400 psi depending on ice temperature and size of ice sheets.

 

[bldgdesign]

Sounds like you could be talking about designig the support building for a tower. In the past, we would install a grating frame above the roof to shatter the ice before it hits the roof.