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Building orientation vs prevailing winds and snow

Johnny Longrifle

Johnny Longrifle

Slow learner
Joined
May 19, 2020
Member Number
147
Messages
436
Loc
Too close to the fawking neighbors
So I'm getting a lightweight metal building installed soon, because the last one got picked up of the ground and hurled 300 feet by some freak windstorm. I would like to not have that happen again.

Previous building was bought and installation was overseen by my late father, so I don't know what his thinking was in facing the building the way he did. It definitely wasn't anchored to the ground correctly (or at all) and we had a weird blow come straight out of the south, hit the open end of the building just perfect to pick it up off the ground and toss it away.
Right into another of my buildings. Damage was not as bad as it could have been (except for the ruined building in question)

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So anyway, that now flattened building had the peak of the roof ridge aligned north to south ( so rain and snow drained east and west). Prevailing winds and snow here come from the west and north. The freak windstorm that took that building for a flight I believe came from due south, as that's where the open end of the building faced, much like the carport in the background.


Should I have the new building installed in the same orientation? I'm thinking of having the open end face east, where wind never comes from. The south roof should shed snow pretty good because it will get lots of sun. The North roof will get less sun, but pro-panel sheds snow pretty well.

Am I over thinking this? How would IBB do it?
 
Definitely worth putting some thought into it for out there. Having seen a horse shed or two go bounding eastward on those plains, I'd get my building(s) reinforced and anchored.

Can't remember if our Tuff Shed was there or not when you stopped by at our Yoder place. I was almost sure it was going to roll a time or two. Guess it weighed enough to stay put.
 
I have a north facing driveway; it sucks because the snow never melts and has to be physically removed. Our neighbor across the street (south facing driveway) clears their driveway 1/2 as much and doesn't have icing issues and stuff.
 
Yeah same as above if you get snow or ice, the south is best. Southeast-sh wouldn't be bad either as you should get the most sun in the winter months.
 
Im not too concerned about snow drifting in front of the door. This is winter storage for tractors and equipment thats not being used. My main concerns are making sure the snow slides off and this building doesnt get blown away. It will be anchored better for sure.
 
All my buildings face south, especially any open ended loaf sheds. The worst winter storms here come from the northwest and winds are easily up to 70 or 80 mph along with drifting. I have lost a hay shed to the wind, a microburst that came from the south. It took one shed and left others.. I have come to terms that it was a fluke, rebuilt the hay shed and did a better job anchoring into the ground and wind tying the roof. It might go away again, but probably unlikely. If rando wind direction is a problem, keeping the doors closed is one of the better ways to protect the building.
 
If a pole barn ask for commercial ratings, poles will go 6-7' in the ground instead of 3'. Wind rating goes up to 120mph. Snow load on trusses goes up and better anchoring methods. Get 3' overhangs to keep rain and snow away from building. If possible put doors on gable side to keep excess snow and rain away. South is nice in winter to help melt snow but hot as hell in summer.
 
Curious about the failure mode on the anchoring. Did the wall rip off, did the anchor bolts fail (Shear or tear) , or did anchor bolts pull out ? Was it a pole barn ?

One of my neighbors was bitching because he pulled the permit for his metal garage and the County made him put in a full footing, like 38-inches deep concrete strip for frost depth enclosing the slab.

I had heard of micro bursts before but experiencing one is an entirely different matter. Ours seem to be vertical rather than horizontal but shit gets wings and leaves here just like in the Wizard of Oz.
 
Lumberjack said:
Get 3' overhangs to keep rain and snow away from building. If possible put doors on gable side to keep excess snow and rain away. South is nice in winter to help melt snow but hot as hell in summer.
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Guessin the snow falls straight down where you are. Most of that is useless for me, snow falls sideways here.
 
Nope that was back in hellinois, 3rd windiest in the state, it helped and got rain away from the building. Our overhangs were also 6' so we could store lumber underneath. Made a heck of a difference getting snow away to get to lumber. Now yes our winds were no where near Colorado or Nevada.
 
Splib said:
Curious about the failure mode on the anchoring. Did the wall rip off, did the anchor bolts fail (Shear or tear) , or did anchor bolts pull out ? Was it a pole barn ?

One of my neighbors was bitching because he pulled the permit for his metal garage and the County made him put in a full footing, like 38-inches deep concrete strip for frost depth enclosing the slab.

I had heard of micro bursts before but experiencing one is an entirely different matter. Ours seem to be vertical rather than horizontal but shit gets wings and leaves here just like in the Wizard of Oz.
Click to expand...
This building wasn't anchored at all. It had 10 or 12, 2' sticks of rebar driven into the ground. The open end of the building faced due south. It was a steel carport with the frame made of 12q 2 1/2" square tubing.

I wasn't there to see it, but here is my theory. I had four tractors in there. It was full. The wind came out of the south and lifted the entire building straight up off the ground, and then shifted and carried the building northeast ish. There wasn't a single scratch on any of the tractors. There was bird nest built on the hood of a riding mower and I had in there (with eggs in it) that was untouched. I had a 28ft gooseneck flatbed parked next to the building, and it got some paint damage and moved it about 2 feet. The building stayed intact the whole trip, it just folded the walls down flat when it came to rest against the other building.

I have another carport you can see in the background of the pics that is situated the same way 150 ft from the building that I lost. That one didn't get bothered.

It was a fuck you from God, I'm convinced.
 
Run the ridge east-west and slap a bunch of solar panels on the south facing roof. If you're into that sort of thing.
 
Johnny, I am not a civil engineer nor a builder but your building "didn't stand a snowballs's chance in hell". It wasn't anchored. Orientation didn't lift and destroy your building, well, it did, but the lack of anchorage to the earth is a guaranteed fail. Pole barns have poles, no, not Kamla-speak, but the poles are driven or placed deep enough to generate and develop through skin friction sufficient capacity in vertical resistance to withstand uplfit forces. ( and lateral) Consider a pole type or use a foundation that can with stand uplift. Uplift generated by wind. The 3-foot overhangs or eaves are no help in the equation. Good luck. I'll let a PE civl chime in with tech if needed. But you have to have ground anchoring. It's not an option.

Are you in or near the Rockies ?

Massey just posted. Anchors away !!
 
10 or 12 rebar in total. On a rectangular structure and shape. 4 little rebars on each side and maybe 2 on each end ? That is nothing !! A little rod every 6 feet ? Look at the surface area mobilized when the wind blew in. Hundreds and hundreds of square feet. Big Big sail, tiny little sticks stuck in mud. Rebuild better !! :flipoff2:
 
Johnny Longrifle said:
It was a fuck you from God, I'm convinced.
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:lmao:

... yeah, I know what you mean

I have a tendency to overthink everything, and when I cobble built my full ass (I don’t half ass things :laughing:) loafing shed I oriented the structure north/south and put the opening to the south

I did a blow out panel on the north wall ... but it’s never popped open

... even though it never actually popped, I’m pretty sure if I didn’t do that after I thought the crazy ass idea up, it would have ended up in the next county during the big storm a couple years ago, because that’s how shit goes for me most of the time ... :homer:
 
Splib said:
10 or 12 rebar in total. On a rectangular structure and shape. 4 little rebars on each side and maybe 2 on each end ? That is nothing !! A little rod every 6 feet ? Look at the surface area mobilized when the wind blew in. Hundreds and hundreds of square feet. Big Big sail, tiny little sticks stuck in mud. Rebuild better !! :flipoff2:
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In my defense, I didnt build it and I didnt know any better. This was a building my dad had erected several years back. I cant ask him why he didn't have it anchored better, hes passed. This time I am having mobile home anchors installed.
 
I have a family member that put a building up like the flattened one OP has
the only difference we did is we built it on ecology blocks

drill and anchor right through to the block
gets you a few extra vertical feet as a bonus.

It has been years and no problems with anything we have had thrown at us here
Just space them out if you want a side entrance somewhere

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Johnny Longrifle said:
In my defense, I didnt build it and I didnt know any better. This was a building my dad had erected several years back. I cant ask him why he didn't have it anchored better, hes passed. This time I am having mobile home anchors installed.
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Sorry I don't mean to be or sound caustic. We should ALL be surprised it didn't blow off sooner. I can google Mobile home anchors . . . .. . Where are you at generally ? Here is to your Dad :beer::usa::beer:

:flipoff2:

Edit: Saw the anchors . . . .. . . get plenty of them and get them as long as you can, 30 - 42-inches.
 
Splib said:
We should ALL be surprised it didn't blow off sooner.
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Speak for yourself. I have seen much jankier last decades and "properly" constructed disappear in a breezy day. Sometimes it makes no sense.

An example, my neighbor has a carport that just sits on the base skis, no anchors or ground ties at all. Been there for years. My pole barn hay shed lasted one season before spreading its wings. Again, makes no sense sometimes.
 
To hell with thin sheet metal buildings, use containers lashed / bolted together and tbe wind wont pick them up and toss them about.
 
Splib said:
Sorry I don't mean to be or sound caustic. We should ALL be surprised it didn't blow off sooner. I can google Mobile home anchors . . . .. . Where are you at generally ? Here is to your Dad :beer::usa::beer:

:flipoff2:

Edit: Saw the anchors . . . .. . . get plenty of them and get them as long as you can, 30 - 42-inches.
Click to expand...
No offense taken. I've been here and the old place long enough my skin is thick. :beer:
 
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