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CHAPTER 8 RAIN LOADS

2  8.1 DEFINITIONS AND SYMBOLS

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8.1.1 Definitions

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4  BAY: A portion of the roof bounded by adjacent column lines or structural walls.

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5  CONTROLLED DRAINAGE: System intentionally regulating the rate of flow through the

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6  primary drains.

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7  CONTROLLED FLOW ROOF DRAIN: A roof drain designed to intentionally regulate the
8  rate of drainage.
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9  PONDING: The accumulation of water caused by the deflection of the roof structure, resulting
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in added load.
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11  PONDING INSTABILITY: Member instability caused by progressive deflection due to

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12  ponding on roofs.

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13  PRIMARY DRAINAGE SYSTEM: Roof drainage system through which water is normally
14  conveyed off the roof.
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15  PRIMARY MEMBERS: For the purposes of determining a susceptible bay, structural members
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16  having direct connection to the columns, including girders, beams, and trusses.
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17  SCUPPER: An opening in the side of a building (typically through a parapet wall) for the
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18  purpose of draining water off the roof.

19  SECONDARY DRAINAGE SYSTEM FOR STRUCTURAL LOADING (SDSL): Roof

20  drainage system through which water is drained from the roof when the drainage systems listed
21  in Section 8.2 (a) through (d) are blocked or not working. Roof drainage system at an elevation
22  higher than the primary drainage system, through which water drains off the roof when the
23  primary system is blocked or not working.

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 1  SECONDARY MEMBER: For the purposes of Section 8.3 determining susceptible bays,
2  structural members not having direct connection attachment to the columns.

3  SUSCEPTIBLE BAY: A structural bay that is vulnerable to overload from accumulated water.

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4  8.1.2 Symbols

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5  dh = additional Hydraulic head equal to the depth of water on the undeflected roof above the

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6  inlet of the secondary drainage system for structural loading (SDSL) at itsrequired to achieve the

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7  design flow (i.e., the hydraulic head), in in. (mm)

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8  ds = Static head equal to the depth of water on the undeflected roof up to the inlet of the secondary
9  drainage system for structural loading (SDSL) when the primary drainage system is blocked
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10  (i.e., the static head), in in. (mm)

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𝑑 = Ponding head equal to the depth of water due to deflections of the roof subjected to unfactored
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12  rain load and unfactored dead load (i.e., the ponding head), in in. (mm)
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13  Ls = Sspan of secondary members, in in. (mm)

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14  S = Sspacing of secondary members, in in. (mm)

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R = Rrain load on the undeflected roof, in lb/ft 2 ( k N / m 2 ). When the phrase “undeflected roof”
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16  is used, deflections from loads (including dead loads) shall not be considered when determining
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17  the amount of rain on the roof

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8.2 ROOF DRAINAGE

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19  Roof drainage systems shall be designed in accordance with the provisions of the code that has
20  jurisdiction. The design flow rate of the secondary (overflow) drains (including roof drains and

21  downstream piping) or scuppers, and their resulting hydraulic head ( dh ) shall be based on a

22  rainfall intensity equal to or greater than the 15-min duration/100-year return period (frequency)
23  storm. Primary drainage systems shall be designed for a rainfall intensity equal to or greater than
24  the 60-min duration/ 100-year return period (frequency) storm.

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 1  8.3 DESIGN RAIN LOADS

2  Each portion of a roof shall be designed to sustain the load of all rainwater that will accumulate
3  on it if the primary drainage system for that portion is blocked plus the uniform load caused by

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4  water that rises above the inlet of the secondary drainage system at its design flow.

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R  5.2(ds  dh )

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5  (8.3-1)

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R  0.0098(ds  dh ) (8.3-1.si)

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7  If the secondary drainage systems contain drain lines, such lines and their point of discharge

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8  shall be separate from the primary drain lines. Rain loads shall be based on the total head (static

9  head [ ds ] plus hydraulic head [ dh ]) associated with the design flow rate for the specified
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10  secondary drains and drainage system. The total head corresponding to the design flow rate for
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the specified drains shall be based on hydraulic test data.
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12  8.4 PONDING INSTABILITY AND PONDING LOAD

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Susceptible bays shall be investigated by structural analysis to ensure that they possess adequate
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14  stiffness to preclude progressive deflection (i.e., instability) and adequate strength to resist the
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15  additional ponding load. Any of the following conditions shall be deemed to create susceptible
bays: (1) bays with a roof slope less than 1 / 4 in. per foot (1.19°) when the secondary members
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17  are perpendicular to the free draining edge, (2) bays with a roof slope less than 1 in. per foot
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18  (4.76°) when the secondary members are parallel to the free draining edge, (3) bays with a roof
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slope of 1 in. per foot (4.76°) and a span to spacing ratio for the secondary members greater than
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20  16 when the secondary members are parallel to the free draining edge, or (4) bays on which
21  water accumulates (in whole or in part) when the primary drain system is blocked but the
22  secondary drain system is functional. The larger of the snow load or the rain load equal to the
23  design condition for a blocked primary drain system shall be used in this analysis.

24  8.5 CONTROLLED DRAINAGE

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 1  Roofs equipped with hardware on the primary drainage system designed to intentionally regulate
2  the rate of drainage shall be equipped with a secondary drainage system at a higher elevation.
3  Controlled flow roof drains shall not be used on the secondary drainage system.

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4  8.2 DESIGN RAIN LOADS

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5  Each portion of a roof shall be designed to sustain the load of all rainwater that will accumulate

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6  on it, assuming all drainage systems that meet any of meeting the following criteria are blocked:

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7  (a) The primary drainage system

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8  (b) Secondary dDrainage systems with an inlet that is vertically separated from the inlet to

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9  the primary drainage system by less than 2 in. (51 mm)

10  (c) Secondary dDrainage systems whichthat share drain lines with the primary drainage
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(d) Secondary dDrainage systems with controlled flow roof drains.
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Rain loads shall be based on the summation of the static head, ds, hydraulic head, dh, and
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15  ponding head, dp, using Equation 8.2-1. The hydraulic head shall be based on hydraulic test data
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16  or hydraulic calculations, assuming a flow rate corresponding to a rainfall intensity equal to, or
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17  greater than, the 15-min duration storm with return period (frequency) given in Table 8.2-1. The
18  ponding head shall be based on structural analysis as the depth of water due to deflections of the
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19  roof subjected to unfactored rain load and unfactored dead load.
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20  𝑅 5.2 𝑑 𝑑 𝑑 (8.2-1)

21  𝑅 0.0098 𝑑 𝑑 𝑑 (8.2-1.SIsi)

22  Table 8.2-1. Design Storm Return Period by Risk Category.

Risk Category  Design Storm 
Return Period 

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 I & II  100 years 

III  200 years 

IV  500 years 

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2  8.3 BAYS WITH LOW SLOPE

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3  Free-draining bays and internal bays not subjected to accumulated rain load required by Section

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4  8.2 shall have adequate strength and stiffness to preclude progressive deflection (i.e., instability)
and resist potential ponding rain loads where either of the following conditions are met:

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6  (1)1. The roof slope is less than 1 / 4 in. per foot (1.19 degrees°)
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7  (2)2. The bay is adjacent to a free-draining edge with secondary members parallel to the free-
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draining edge and the roof slope is less than β where β = (Ls/S + π)/20 (in. per foot).
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10  8.4 DRAINAGE TO EXISTING ROOFS

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11  Drainage systems for new construction shall not discharge water onto existing roofs unless the
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12  existing roof is evaluated, and either is able to support the loads determined using this chapter or
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13  is upgraded to support the loads determined using this chapter.

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8.6 5 CONSENSUS STANDARDS AND OTHER REFERENCED DOCUMENTS

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16  No consensus standards and other documents that shall be considered part of this standard are
17  referenced in this chapter.

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