Simulating Loads on a Roof Structure Caused by a Worker Falling from a Roof Edge
Publication: Journal of Architectural Engineering
Volume 23, Issue 1
Abstract
Changes in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fall-protection guidelines for residential construction since late 2011 have required the use of fall-protection and fall-arrest systems for workers past a certain height. Evaluation of fall-arrest anchor capacity depends on placement within a structure and includes strength of connections, truss/rafter elements, and bracing. The purpose of this study was to explore the use of a displacement-rate test for evaluating the strength and stability of fall-arrest anchors connected to truss assemblies as a supplement to currently used drop-test methods. A two-truss assembly with bracing was used for comparison. A range of displacement rates from 254 mm/min (10 in./min) to 381 mm/min (15 in./min) was recommended for evaluating the capacity of truss assemblies. A comparison of truss-assembly failures found similar results for the displacement-rate test and the drop test. The addition of the displacement-rate test can provide valuable information about truss performance, including an estimation of maximum load on structures, the ability to identify individual truss/bracing element failures, and the measurement of individual member deflection.
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Information
Published In
Journal of Architectural Engineering
Volume 23 • Issue 1 • March 2017
Copyright
© 2016 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Oct 6, 2015
Accepted: Aug 8, 2016
Published online: Oct 5, 2016
Published in print: Mar 1, 2017
Discussion open until: Mar 5, 2017
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