okotoks equestrian facility roof collapse

znowman_9

Active member
Joined
Jan 22, 2011
Messages
78
Reaction score
45
Location
Strathmore, AB
Ouch. A real bummer. The density of snow can vary wildly.

Hope insurance can come through for them or maybe see how the investigation pans out.
 

crashidy

Active VIP Member
Joined
Feb 11, 2011
Messages
386
Reaction score
616
Location
canmore, alberta
We had a barn collapse a few years ago on our dairy. If it is over 15 years old insurance wouldn't cover it.
 

skegpro

Active VIP Member
Joined
May 11, 2009
Messages
9,930
Reaction score
21,329
Location
In them hills.
We had a barn collapse a few years ago on our dairy. If it is over 15 years old insurance wouldn't cover it.
Did they atleast give you your premium back for every year you insured it after it was 15 years old?
 

crashidy

Active VIP Member
Joined
Feb 11, 2011
Messages
386
Reaction score
616
Location
canmore, alberta
Did they atleast give you your premium back for every year you insured it after it was 15 years old?
Nope. We aren't using that dairy since then though. ****ing pricks. I've been burned by cooperators one personally and our family by that one.
 

skegpro

Active VIP Member
Joined
May 11, 2009
Messages
9,930
Reaction score
21,329
Location
In them hills.
The exhaust from our sleds, quads and diesel burning trucks caused climate change and weakened the structure.
Ummmm.
Nothing burns more diesel than a girl pulling her hayburners around.

But I see what you are getting at.
 

gordhunt

Active VIP Member
Joined
Mar 28, 2007
Messages
455
Reaction score
356
Location
Tofield
My barn collapsed a few years ago because of snow and wasn’t covered by insurance there was one line in the contract that basically said it was covered for anything but snow load ... ****ers
 

Rotax_Kid

Active VIP Member
Joined
Dec 30, 2008
Messages
1,174
Reaction score
2,562
Location
Balgonie, SK
I was fortunate enough to tag along on a few inspections of an engineer who specialized in designing hog barns. ~12-14 years ago, we had a few locally collapse. I was quite amazed that this could happen. Then I saw the structure. Although built to code, truss spacing of 4'+, 2nd or 3rd grade lumber, minimal sill to truss tie ins....I never looked at a hog barn the same after that..
 

77Crash77

Active VIP Member
Joined
Mar 15, 2008
Messages
164
Reaction score
138
Location
Camrose
I’m a contractor and I can see barns failing. Since they don’t use professional builders. They use whatever is cheapest. And they get around standards by being agricultural. But a riding arena is a public building and damn well should have been classified as such.

In which case I am fairly surprised as it looks like a pre eng metal building. Usually pretty bulletproof. Somebody done screwed up a calculation or it was just put together wrong.
 

Flyer

Active member
Joined
Nov 2, 2014
Messages
117
Reaction score
252
Location
Airdrie
Looks like a wood truss pole building to me. The trusses would have been engineered and built by professionals and specialists. Should have been built to commercial building code if it was planned to be open to customers. The code is more lenient if it was built for private use only. I think machinery sheds and animal shelters are an even lower code.

Some riding arenas have have been "converted". Started out as private use, but were evaluated and found to meet commercial code. Sometimes with a few upgrades such as fire alarms, emergency lighting, panic bars on exits, etc. I'm not sure how higher structural requirements are addressed.

I'm not commenting on this incident specifically, and have no knowledge of the design or history of this building. Don't even know where it is. My comments are general. I have first hand experience dealing with county inspectors and planning offices. They frustrate me to near insanity, but they are trying to prevent failures like this.

I wonder where the liability rests here? Should the snow load have been monitored more closely? Were all the braces and strapping installed in the trusses as per design? Was the design and quality control adequate in the truss manufacture? Was the building being used for its intended purpose? Who really investigates? A good lawyer might be able to find someone associated with the construction who has insurance that can come into play.

Not fair that the current owner of this property gets stranded with no recourse. Life deals it's blows though.
 

summit889

Active VIP Member
Joined
Dec 10, 2006
Messages
931
Reaction score
678
Location
gibbons
Did they atleast give you your premium back for every year you insured it after it was 15 years old?
Need a different insurance company. We had a 35 year old barn collapse due to snow load. Had no issue
 

skegpro

Active VIP Member
Joined
May 11, 2009
Messages
9,930
Reaction score
21,329
Location
In them hills.
Looks like a wood truss pole building to me. The trusses would have been engineered and built by professionals and specialists. Should have been built to commercial building code if it was planned to be open to customers. The code is more lenient if it was built for private use only. I think machinery sheds and animal shelters are an even lower code.

Some riding arenas have have been "converted". Started out as private use, but were evaluated and found to meet commercial code. Sometimes with a few upgrades such as fire alarms, emergency lighting, panic bars on exits, etc. I'm not sure how higher structural requirements are addressed.

I'm not commenting on this incident specifically, and have no knowledge of the design or history of this building. Don't even know where it is. My comments are general. I have first hand experience dealing with county inspectors and planning offices. They frustrate me to near insanity, but they are trying to prevent failures like this.

I wonder where the liability rests here? Should the snow load have been monitored more closely? Were all the braces and strapping installed in the trusses as per design? Was the design and quality control adequate in the truss manufacture? Was the building being used for its intended purpose? Who really investigates? A good lawyer might be able to find someone associated with the construction who has insurance that can come into play.

Not fair that the current owner of this property gets stranded with no recourse. Life deals it's blows though.
Even if it was a pole shed, this shouldn't happen if built properly.

Kinda a grey area cause I think riding arenas fall under agricultural use.
 

52weekbreak

Active VIP Member
Joined
Jun 17, 2013
Messages
1,929
Reaction score
4,058
Location
SPAB
Took a bit of time to look through the different videos. There was a lot of snow on the roof for a building of that design so that should have been monitored a little more closely. Even when built to code, long span wooden trusses will lose some of their strength over time so need attention and often shoring over time.

Too bad about the snow load exclusion but those can be removed usually after an engineer has inspected the building. I am pretty sure there were warning signs not recognized by the owner.

Nohing lasts forever and how long it does last is in direct relation to how well it was maintained.

None of this exhaustive analysis makes it suck any less for the owner
 

niner

Active VIP Member
Joined
Mar 14, 2009
Messages
8,683
Reaction score
62,626
Location
lacombe
Definitely a pole barn. Trusses 4’ on Center. Each truss should have bolt running through the pole tying them together. A truss can be engineered to be strong enough even at 4’ centres. Chances are this building was built as a agricultural building then converted to commercial. Numerous things can cause trusses to fail. Stress over time weakens the plates. Most likely there was insufficient truss bracing installed. Last couple of years the specs have increased for truss bracing and increased minimum standards for snow loads. If you don’t feel like shoveling your roof off increase your snow load rating when you buy your trusses.
 

Attachments

  • 2AF0A642-44D7-4A14-88EB-79A2BEC5E61E.jpeg
    2AF0A642-44D7-4A14-88EB-79A2BEC5E61E.jpeg
    84.3 KB · Views: 202
  • B490F409-62A9-4F63-A121-BF09B64283E1.jpeg
    B490F409-62A9-4F63-A121-BF09B64283E1.jpeg
    61.2 KB · Views: 203
  • 64F9A3ED-8AD7-4A69-9D13-83C00B9F485C.jpeg
    64F9A3ED-8AD7-4A69-9D13-83C00B9F485C.jpeg
    80.9 KB · Views: 200
  • A3EFEAAF-7082-41EC-A8B4-1DD3FD308B09.jpeg
    A3EFEAAF-7082-41EC-A8B4-1DD3FD308B09.jpeg
    82.1 KB · Views: 206
Last edited:

RGM

Active VIP Member
Joined
Nov 1, 2009
Messages
1,773
Reaction score
3,878
Location
Pemberton
It doesn't really look like that much snow on the roof to me, does anybody actually know how much was on it. I have a 3000' hanger and it had 3 ft of heavy snow on it one year. I shovelled it off so I could sleep at night.
 
Top Bottom