Snow causes gable wall collapse

[^woody^]

Family moved after snow collapse - www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-21212792

I can't work out snow could have done this

 

[big-all]

exactly my thoughts
if the wall was overloaded the roof supported by it would fail as well
unless there is a structure unseen like a roof that has failed and pulled down the wall

 

[mfarrow]

Me thinks a lack of ties and some windy weather has more to do with this than snow.

 

[luisdesign]

Bizare!?

Doesnt look like this could have been caused by weight of snow on roof. The only thing i can think of is ground movement. The only thing i can think of is if the icy cold conditions could freeze the ground and lift the foundations before dropping them back. This wouldve caused all the stress to the wall itself... the weight of the roof on the front and back wall may have protected them.

???

Does also look this this happened to an extension?

 

[catlad]

I can't think how snow could do that. The gable ladder does not look like it has been tied in to the rest of the roof.

 

[RonnyRaygun]

Yup, as the trusses are all still standing with no deformation, the only snow load that would have got to the wall is the final 300mm or so. Even snow a foot deep would only add about 10kg/m to the wall...which isn't going to do much.

I agree that it looks like it hasn't been tied at the top, so the suction forces from high winds could cause the wall to blow out. Even then it would need to be pretty windy wouldn't it?

 

[Nige F]

It must`ve been wind - like the hurricane of `87 down here And the press have no idea about buildings anyway - a section of Render fell off a wall in Eastbourne , onto an abulance ( parked next to wall in the amb. station forecourt ) and the paper said it was Cladding fell off

 

[noseall]

I can't think how snow could do that. The gable ladder does not look like it has been tied in to the rest of the roof.

There is no ladder set on that type of gable.

If you look at the main roof it is a cut brick gable. If the low roof mimics this then there will be no ladder set.

The lack of a ladder set would contribute to the demise of the gable.

I would say a diaphragm effect helped to shove the gable over.

 

[stuart45]

Everyones wrong.
It was a car pot attached to the side of the house with a low pitch roof.
Weight of the snow pulled it away from the house taking the gable with it.

 

[^woody^]

Lol. Not a good advert for cantilevered carports. Well done for that bit of detective work Stuart

 

[big-all]

Everyones wrong.
It was a car pot attached to the side of the house with a low pitch roof.
Weight of the snow pulled it away from the house taking the gable with it.

i was nearest

 

[JohnD]

glad mine's got legs.

 

[OwainDIYer]

Metro article

http://metro.co.uk/2013/01/26/family-evacuated-after-house-caves-in-under-heavy-snow-3367946/

"People living in the street said snow had piled onto a car port at the side of the house, which gave way and brought the gable end of the council property down."

Hopefully the tenant got permission from the council to add the carport, or the tenant will be responsible for the reinstatement costs.

 

[JohnD]

what makes you think the occupiers are council tenants?

 

[OwainDIYer]

the fact that the article says "council property"