Our Work

Collapsed Roof Snow Removal


A roof structure at an industrial facility was suspected to be in danger of failure or collapse.  Induspec was contacted to assess the situation.

During the initial site visit it was observed that several timber purlins had completely cracked and were deemed to be unable to safely support any load.  Based on a visual inspection the snow load on the roof appeared to be significant.  A more thorough inspection revealed that several purlins were cracked in substantial portions of the roof.  The building was determined, by the regulating body having authority, to be unsafe for work to continue within the building.  Work could not resume until the structural issues were identified and corrected.

The structural layout and components of the building were determined based on the drawings provided by the client in corroboration with readily observable features. Any deviations from the structural drawings and as-built conditions were identified.  Induspec determined that snow could be removed from the roof via mechanical means, only if a well organized procedure was carefully followed in conjunction with a competent person carefully monitoring the condition of the structural members. Induspec provided a shoring design to support the portion  of the roof where several purlins had failed.  In addition to the shoring design, a comprehensive snow removal procedure was developed and implemented to remove the snow from the rest of the roof in such a way that risk was minimized.  Induspec provided ongoing supervision to ensure compliance with the snow removal procedure.  Daily reports were prepared for the client to document the work progress and proactively plan the execution of remaining work.  Specific areas of the roof were prioritized based on the observed conditions of the interior roof structure to minimize the risk of additional purlin failure. Once the conditions of the regulating body having authority were met the facility’s employees were allowed to return to work and production was re-started at the facility.  Induspec  played a significant role in helping the client meet these conditions and get their employees back to work and production restarted.

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  • Date March 31, 2019
  • Tags Industrial, Safety