Ontario snow loads vary by a factor of three across the province — and a building engineered for Toronto would fail in Thunder Bay. Every Building Depot engineered fabric building we install is engineered to the site-specific ground snow load published in the Ontario Building Code, then stamped by our P.Eng.
Ontario Snow Load Reference Numbers
Ground snow loads (Ss) from the OBC Appendix C — these drive truss design:
- Toronto / GTA: 1.6 kPa
- Ottawa: 2.4 kPa
- Sudbury: 3.2 kPa
- Thunder Bay: 2.7 kPa
- Far north (Moosonee): 4.0+ kPa
Why Arched Geometry Helps
The Building Depot engineered fabric building's arched profile actively sheds snow, reducing the design snow load compared to a flat or low-slope roof. The slope factor (Cs) in OBC calculations drops below 1.0 for arched roofs, giving you engineered headroom.
Drift and Unbalanced Load Cases
We model unbalanced (one-side) snow load, drift load against adjacent structures, and sliding snow from neighboring buildings. These secondary load cases often govern truss design more than uniform ground snow.
What's Stamped on Your Drawings
Every set of drawings carries the design ground snow load, importance category, exposure factor, and the P.Eng. seal. Bring these to your building department and the permit conversation is short.
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