Roof Live Load - Temporary Portable Building

[MPHenry]

What is an acceptable minimum roof live load requirement for a temporary office building (3 to 5 years)?

Would 10 psf be acceptable???

The construction method is modular using timber framing on steel framed floor deck supported above grade on concrete foundation pedestals. These type of building are commercially available from several manufacturers and are generally used as a short term solution for office accomodation etc.

 

[zaes73]

As per ASCE-7 the minimum allowable roof load is 12psf for unaccessable roofs, can you design a building which is to stay on ground for 5 years with a load even less then that?

 

[JKW05]

Are you considering snow[/] load as a live[/] load? Even if it is a "temporary" structure, the roof should be designed for Snow Loads per ASCE-7.

 

[MiketheEngineer]

3-5 years is not really temporary.....temporary is usually something like 90 days or less..

Design it like a "real" strcuture...

 

[csd72]

I agree with mike the engineer, 3 to 5 years is not temporary and it should be designed to the full live,snow and wind load.

That is 3 to 5 snow seasons any of which could have a 1 in 50 year dump. If this happened you wouldnt have a leg to stand on.

csd

 

[Taro]

Many "temporary" buildings have a funny way of remaining in use far longer than anticipated. I am currently working on repairs to some "temporary" warehouses that were built in the early 1940's for World War II. But now they are considered historic and cannot be demolished.

 

[OldPaperMaker]

In ASCE 7-05, Table 4-1, "Roofs, Ordinary flat, pitched, and curved roofs" the uniform live load is 20 psf. I suppose that this could be reduced as noted in Section 4.9 of ASCE 7.