Anchorage engineers issue snow-removal guidance for residential buildings – Alaska's News Source

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – The Municipality of Anchorage issued another notice Thursday that shares tips on managing snow loads on top of residential buildings, due to some weights they believe could become problematic.
The latest notice comes on the same day of the release of a new map of commercial buildings that municipal officials say could be at risk.
Although the municipality is not aware of any significant structural failures in residential buildings this season, they believe some buildings could still be in distress.
Daniel King, a plan review engineer with the municipality, said the residential buildings most at risk include those with flat roofs built between 1970 and 1995.
“Our updated guidance does give a few guidelines as far as if you’re seeing cracking, if you’re seeing doors jamming and windows aren’t opening,” King said. “Those are strong signs that you have a lot of load and a lot of stress on your roof so you should consider shoveling.”
King says it’s better to err on the side of caution and remove the snow when in doubt.
“We feel the potential for collapse or potential for failure goes down drastically when the snow is removed,” King said.
For snow removal information and other guidance, go to the municipality’s development services website.
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