Development of a Relation between Return Period Values of Annual Maximum Snow Load and Snow Depth and Its Implication in Structural Reliability for Northeastern China
Publication: Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 148, Issue 8
Abstract
This study proposes a new relationship between the return period values of the annual maximum ground snow depth and the ground snow load for northeastern China. The proposed relationship is based on a statistical evaluation of the ground snow depth data and concurrent snow water equivalent data from many meteorological stations in the considered region. Such a relationship is the first of its kind for the considered region and could be used for different return periods. Reliability analysis for structures designed based on the newly developed relation is evaluated in the context of structural design code calibration. The estimated reliability is compared with that obtained based on the currently applicable structural design code for the region. The results indicate that the use of the proposed relation could lead to enhanced reliability consistency, while the use of the current code approach could be inadequate for some sites within the regions because of the spatially varying uncertainty in climate conditions.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
We gratefully acknowledge the financial support received from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 51808169, 51921006, and 51927813), Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (Grant No. HIT.NSRIF.2020083), and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (RGPIN-2016-04814, for HPH). We thank two anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments and suggestions on the earlier draft of this paper.
References
AIJ (Architectural Institute of Japan). 2004. AIJ recommendations for loads on buildings. Tokyo: AIJ.
AQSIQ (General Administration of Quality Supervision Inspection and Quarantine of the People s Republic of China). 2017. Specifications for surface meteorological observation—Snow depth and snow pressure. [In Chinese.] Beijing: China Standards Press.
ASCE. 2016. Minimum design loads for buildings and other structures. ASCE/SEI 7-16. Reston, VA: ASCE.
Bartlett, F. M., H. P. Hong, and W. Zhou. 2003. “Load factor calibration for the proposed 2005 edition of the National Building Code of Canada: Companion-action load combinations.” Can. J. Civ. Eng. 30 (2): 440–448. https://doi.org/10.1139/l02-086.
Bean, B., M. Maguire, Y. Sun, J. Wagstaff, S. Al-Rubaye, J. Wheeler, S. Jarman, and M. Rogers. 2021. The 2020 national snow load study. Logan, UT: Utah State Univ.
Benjamin, J. R., and C. A. Cornell. 2014. Probability, statistics, and decision for civil engineers. North Chelmsford, MA: Courier Corporation.
Burnham, K. P., and D. R. Anderson. 2003. Model selection and multimodel inference: A practical information-theoretic approach. New York: Springer.
Çeribaşı, S. 2020. “Reliability of steel truss roof systems under variable snow load profiles.” Int. J. Steel Struct. 20 (2): 567–582. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13296-020-00307-7.
Chen, X., W. Wei, and M. Liu. 2011. “Change in fresh snow density in Tianshan mountains, China.” Chin. Geog. Sci. 21 (1): 36–47. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11769-010-0434-0.
Coles, S. 2001. An introduction to statistical modeling of extreme values. London: Springer.
Cui, X. Z., Y. G. Li, and H. P. Hong. 2020. “Effect of spatially correlated initial geometric imperfection on reliability of spherical latticed shell considering global instability.” Struct. Saf. 82 (Jan): 101895. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.strusafe.2019.101895.
Debock, D. J., A. B. Liel, J. R. Harris, B. R. Ellingwood, and J. M. Torrents. 2017. “Reliability-based design snow loads. I: Site-specific probability models for ground snow loads.” J. Struct. Eng. 143 (7): 04017046. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)ST.1943-541X.0001731.
Durmaz, M., and A. T. Daloğlu. 2006. “Frequency analysis of ground snow data and production of the snow load map using geographic information system for the eastern Black Sea region of Turkey.” J. Struct. Eng. 132 (7): 1166–1177. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9445(2006)132:7(1166).
Ellingwood, B., and R. K. Redfield. 1983. “Ground snow loads for structural design.” J. Struct. Eng. 109 (4): 950–964. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9445(1983)109:4(950).
Ellingwood, B. R., T. V. Galambos, J. G. MacGregor, and C. A. Cornell. 1980. Development of probability-based load criterion for American National Standard. A58. Washington, DC: National Bureau of Standards.
Hong, H. P., Q. Tang, S. C. Yang, X. Z. Cui, A. J. Cannon, Z. Lounis, and P. Irwin. 2021. “Calibration of the design wind load and snow load considering the historical climate statistics and climate change effects.” Struct. Saf. 93 (Nov): 102135. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.strusafe.2021.102135.
Hong, H. P., and W. Ye. 2014. “Analysis of extreme ground snow loads for Canada using snow depth records.” Nat. Hazard. 73 (2): 355–371. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-014-1073-z.
Hong, H. P., W. Ye, and S. H. Li. 2016. “Sample size effect on the reliability and calibration of design wind load.” Struct. Infrastruct. Eng. 12 (6): 752–764. https://doi.org/10.1080/15732479.2015.1050039.
Hosking, J. R. M., and J. R. Wallis. 1997. Regional frequency analysis: An approach based on L-moments. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Jarvis, A., H. I. Reuter, A. Nelson, and E. Guevara. 2008. “Hole-filled seamless SRTM data V4, international centre for tropical agriculture (CIAT).” Accessed March 15, 2014. http://srtm.csi.cgiar.org.
Madsen, H. O., S. Krenk, and N. C. Lind. 2006. Methods of structural safety. North Chelmsford, MA: Courier Corporation.
Martin, E. S., and J. R. Stedinger. 2000. “Generalized maximum-likelihood generalized extreme-value quantile estimators for hydrologic data.” Water Resour. Res. 36 (3): 737–744. https://doi.org/10.1029/1999WR900330.
Mo, H. M., L. Y. Dai, F. Fan, T. Che, and H. P. Hong. 2016. “Extreme snow hazard and ground snow load for China.” Nat. Hazard. 84 (3): 2095–2120. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-016-2536-1.
Mo, H. M., F. Fan, and H. P. Hong. 2015. “Snow hazard estimation and mapping for a province in northeast China.” Nat. Hazard. 77 (2): 543–558. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-014-1566-9.
Mo, H. M., W. Ye, and H. P. Hong. 2022. “Estimating and mapping snow hazard based on at-site analysis and regional approaches.” Nat. Hazard. 111 (Jan): 2459–2485. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-021-05144-3.
MOHURD (Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of the People’s Republic of China). 2012. Load code for the design of building structures. [In Chinese.] GB 50009-2012. Beijing: China Architecture & Building Press.
MOHURD (Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of the People’s Republic of China). 2018. Unified standard for reliability design of building structures. [In Chinese.] GB 50068-2018. Beijing: China Architecture & Building Press.
NBCC (National Building Code of Canada). 2015. Institute for research in construction. Ottawa: National Research Council of Canada.
O’Rourke, M. J., R. Redfield, and P. Von Bradsky. 1982. “Uniform snow loads on structures.” J. Struct. Div. 108 (12): 2781–2798. https://doi.org/10.1061/JSDEAG.0006105.
Qiang, S., X. Zhou, and M. Gu. 2018. “Research on reliability of steel roof structures subjected to snow loads at representative sites in China.” Cold Reg. Sci. Technol. 150 (Jun): 62–69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coldregions.2017.09.005.
Qiang, S., X. Zhou, M. Gu, and L. Kang. 2021. “A novel snow transport model for analytically investigating effects of wind exposure on flat roof snow load due to saltation.” J. Wind Eng. Ind. Aerodyn. 210 (Mar): 104505. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jweia.2020.104505.
Sack, R., and A. Sheikh-Taheri. 1986. “Ground and roof snow loads for Idaho.” Accessed May 6, 2021. https://www.lib.uidaho.edu/digital/idahosnow/.
Sack, R. L. 2016. “Ground snow loads for the western United States: State of the art.” J. Struct. Eng. 142 (1): 4015082. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)ST.1943-541X.0001343.
Sturm, M., B. Taras, G. E. Liston, C. Derksen, T. Jonas, and J. Lea. 2010. “Estimating snow water equivalent using snow depth data and climate classes.” J. Hydrometeorol. 11 (6): 1380–1394. https://doi.org/10.1175/2010JHM1202.1.
Tabler, R. D. 1994. Design guidelines for the control of blowing and drifting snow. Washington, DC: Strategic Highway Research Program, National Research Council.
Taylor, D. A. 1980. “Roof snow loads in Canada.” Can. J. Civ. Eng. 7 (1): 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1139/l80-001.
Tobiasson, W., and A. Greatorex. 1996. “Database and methodology for conducting site specific snow load case studies for the United States.” In Snow engineering: Recent advances, edited by I. Izumi, T. Nakamura, and R. L. Sack, 249–256. Rotterdam, Netherlands: A.A. Balkema.
Yang, D. Q., C. Z. Wang, Y. S. Zhang, and Z. Z. Zhang. 1992. “Distribution of seasonal snow cover and variation of snow density on the headwaters of Urumqi river basin.” [In Chinese.] Geogr. Res. 11 (4): 86–96. https://doi.org/10.11821/yj1992040010.
Yin, Y. J., Y. Li, and W. M. Bulleit. 2011. “Stochastic modeling of snow loads using a filtered Poisson process.” J. Cold Reg. Eng. 25 (1): 16–36. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)CR.1943-5495.0000021.
Zhou, X., Y. Zhang, M. Gu, and J. Li. 2013. “Simulation method of sliding snow load on roofs and its application in some representative regions of China.” Nat. Hazard. 67 (2): 295–320. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-013-0563-8.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 148 • Issue 8 • August 2022
Copyright
© 2022 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Sep 23, 2021
Accepted: Mar 31, 2022
Published online: Jun 3, 2022
Published in print: Aug 1, 2022
Discussion open until: Nov 3, 2022
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.
Cited by
- Huamei Mo, Guolong Zhang, Qingwen Zhang, H. P. Hong, Feng Fan, Estimating Ground Snow Load Based on Ground Snow Depth and Climatological Elements for Snow Hazard Assessment in Northeastern China, International Journal of Disaster Risk Science, 10.1007/s13753-022-00443-0, 13, 5, (743-757), (2022).