Scientific support activity in the field of structural stability of civil engineering works – snow loads” Final Report for phase II

The European Snow Loads Research Programme was carried out under contracts to the European Commission DG III – D3 in the period 1996-1999. The main scope of the research programme was “providing the scientific basis for harmonised definition of models for determining the actions of snow applied to the structural parts of construction works”. The research group, co-ordinated by Prof. Sanpaolesi - University of Pisa (IT), comprised 16 researchers from the following institutions: 1. building research establishment ltd, construction division (united kingdom) 2. cstb, centre de recherche de nantes (france) 3. ecole polytechnique fédérale de lausanne, (switzerland) 4. ismes structure engineering department (italy) 5. joint research centre, isis (eu) 6. sintef, civil and environmental engineering (norway) 7. university of leipzig, institute of concrete design (germany) 8. university of pisa, department of structural engineering ( italy) The research work was divided into two consecutive phases. Each phase dealt with two specific items and technical co-ordination of the research activity for each item was carried out by a member of the research group: Phase I task Ia: “Development of models for the determination of snow loads on the ground” Co-ordinator Dr. Gränzer (University of Leipzig - DE); task Ib: “Development of models for exceptional snow loads” Co-ordinator Mr. Sims (BRE- UK); Phase II task IIc: “Definition of criteria to be adopted for serviceability loads” Co-ordinator Prof. Holand (SINTEF - N); task IId: “Analytical study for the definition of shape coefficients” Co-ordinator Mr. Stiefel (EPFL - CH); The deliverables of the research work are the following two final reports and their relative annexes.