(Revised 6th December 2010) GRP Canopies Plc have had a very busy week. With the weather continuing to wreak havoc throughout the country, heavy snow falls have pushed even the most robust of structures past their safe tollerances to the point of collapse. Probably the most news worthy is the failure of the canopy outside a Tesco's store in Scunthrope. There have been rants about the structure being not suitable however I'm sure all will find that building regulations were met and that similar structures can be found the length and breadth of the country at superstores, fuel stations and schools alike.
The early, and heavy, snowfall this winter has caught everyone out and there's a lot of winter to go yet! Following from obvious shortcomings of the 'snow map', a tool used to predict snowfall throughout the UK, GRP Canopies Plc are currently reviewing procedures for when snow guards and additional structural strength are required in a canopy/carport structure. We will be publishing more information on this in the near future once consultations with independent engineers and local authority planners is complete.
The cantilever canopy shown in the pictures above (click for larger version) which projects 10ft, approx 3000mm, is still as safe and secure as the day it was installed many years ago. In the third picture the snow has been scraped to expose the canopy guttering giving some idea of the depth, and hence additional weight, which the canopy is required to support. Half of the depth seen is 'freeze thaw' where snow has melted, been compacted by more snow and formed into solid ice. In the first picture the lump to the left is a six man igloo built by the occupants of the house. These pictures were supplied without solicitation by the house owner, so impressed was he at the quality of our product. This canopy is located in Tomintoul in the Scottish Highlands and the heavy snowfall is what can be expected in this area on an annual basis.
What has proved different about the recent snowfalls is the 'avalanche' effect. This is when snow which has accumulated on the buildings roof slides in a lump onto a carport or canopy structure, sometimes as much as 5m below. This produces a huge shock load effect that would frankly collapse just about any structure not specifically built to be bombproof! These conditions are being experienced all over the country, not just in seasonally cold regions.
The reassessment of when additional protection is required has already been reviewed by the GRP Engineering team and we can guarantee our products will remain the best on the market when the going gets tough.