2013

How to Figure Load Data

UnderstandingLoad

Thissectionpresentsguidelinesfordesignconsiderationswithrespecttoweatherfactors,
methodsofloaddeterminationandmaximumallowableworkingstressesandother
considerations.Thisinformationisprovidedinanefforttoassistengineers,designers,and
installersinthedesignofsupportsystemsfortheSnapTracksystem,whichwillachievethe
desiredstrengthresultsatthemosteconomicalinstalledcost.

Loadcanbeclassifiedintothreetypes:

1. DeadLoads(Static)donotchangethemagnitudeortheirpositionduringthelifeof
thestructure.Asummingoftheweightoftheindividualpartsisallthatisrequiredto
determinethedeadload.

2. LiveLoadspotentialchangesinmagnitude,positionand/ortheirdirectionduringthe
lifeofthestructure.

3. DynamicLoads(Parasitic)ice,snow,windandtraction(seismic),orcausedbythe
motionoftheliveload,orthemovementofthestructure.

DeterminationofDesignLoadings

WhendeterminingthetotalloadrequirementsfortheSnapTracksystemengineersor
designersshouldnotonlyconsiderthetotaldeadloadbutalsotheadditionalloadswhichmay
beproducedbyice,wind,snow,orseismicconditions.

Thefollowingcalculationmaybeusedinmostapplications.Inareaswheretherearespecial
windconsiderations(hurricanezones)orinseismiczonesadditionalcalculationsand
considerationsshouldbemade.

Wtotal=Wctotal+Wsnic+Wct
Wtotal=TotalLoad
Wctotal=Totalweightofcabletrayaccessories
Wsnic=Totalweightofsnowandice
Wct=Totalcableweight

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IceLoads
Snowandiceloadcalculationsareespeciallyimportantwhenthetrayiscovered.Snowandice
loadcalculationsareareadependent.TechlineMfg.recommendsthatengineersanddesigners
reviewhistoricallocalsnowandiceaccumulationlevelstodeterminethesedynamicloads.
AmericanSocietyofCivilEngineeringArticleASCE7providesguidanceindeterminingiceload
factorsbyarea.

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Iceloadsaregenerallycausedbyrainordrizzlefreezingonimpactandgenerallyoccuronthe
topsurface(orcover)andthewindwardsideifthecabletraysystem.Theadditionaldesign
loadtobeaddedduetoicecanbecalculatedasfollows:

WxTI

()

LI=
XDIWhere:
240

LI=IceLoad(lbs./linearfoot)
W=CableTrayWidth(inches)
TI=MaximumIceThickness
DI=IceDensity=57lbs./cu.Ft.

TheASCE7mapsindicateaverageicethicknessbetweenand1.Thefollowingtablereflects
theresultingloadfor26SnapTracktray.

IceLoadTable
ICE
Thickness
0.25in.
0.50in.
0.75in.
1.00in.

2
0.12lbs./ft.
0.24lbs./ft.
0.35lbs./ft.
0.47lbs./ft.

TraySize
4
0.23lbs./ft.
0.47lbs./ft.
0.71lbs./ft.
0.95lbs./ft.

6
0.35lbs./ft.
0.71lbs./ft.
1.07lbs./ft.
1.42lbs./ft.

SnowLoads
Aswithiceadditionalpotentialloadsfromsnowshouldalsobeconsideredinareaswithheavy
tomoderateannualsnowfalls.ThefollowingmapoutlinestheseareasasnotedbyNOAA.

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Thedensityofsnowwidelyvaries.Newdrysnowcanhavedensitiesaslowas8%ofwater
whileheavilypackedsnowcanreachdensitiesof50%ofwaterbylatespring.Consideringthe
meanbeing30%wehaveusedadensityof18.72lbs./cu.ft.whencalculatingpotentialsnow
loads.AllSnapTracktrays26aremanufacturedwithtwoinch(2)solidsiderails.
Consideringthe2depthandthemaximumwidthof6anaccumulationdepthof2is
sufficientregardlessofwhetherthetrayiscovered.Giventhiscriteriaandusingthesame
formulaasusedforiceloadsTechlineMfg.recommendsthefollowingSnowLoadsbeused
wheneverSnapTracktrayisinstalledinpotentialsnowareas.

SnowLoadTable

Snow
TraySize
Depth
2
4
6
2
0.31lbs./ft.
0.62lbs.ft.
0.94lbs.ft.

WindLoads
ASCE710alsoprovidesassistanceindeterminingwindloadfactorsfortheSnapTracksystem.
NotethatASCE710hasrevisedthehurricanepronezone.Wheninthehurricanepronezoneor
specialwindregions,TechlineMfg.recommendsthattheimpactofwindforcebeconsidered.

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TheeffectofwindforceontheSnapTracksystemwillvarybaseduponthetrayorientation.
Unlikeladdertraywherethelargestexposedsurfaceareaisthesidewall,thelargestsurface
areaforSnapTrackwillbea6coveredtrayintheverticalposition.

Note:Windloadsareadifferentdynamicforcethantheloadscreatedbytrayaccessories,
cable,snowandice.Therefore,windloadsSHOULDNOTbeaddedtothetotalload
calculation.Aswithothercabletrays,considerationofwindloadingisusedtodetermine
maximumsupportsspandistancesandmethodsforsecuringcovers.

TodeterminewindloadsthedesignermustfirstestablishtheareaoftheSnapTracktray.To
determinethetotalareatheformulais:

AreaCalculation:
WidthXLengthordistanceoftray.
2
2
60ft.of6tray=4320in=30ft.

Withtheareadeterminedthewindforceorimpactpressurecanbedeterminedasfollows:
WindForceCalculation
FormulaUsed:F=A*(Ce*Cq*Qs)Where:
F=Force
A=Area
Ce=ElevationFactor(015used)
Cq=UnifiedBuildingCodeFactor(1.3ExposureareaB)
Qs=WindSpeedfactor

Theresultsfora60ft.runof6traywitha75mphwindwouldbe:

RESULTS
FORMULA F = A * (Ce * Cq * Qs)
USED:
SQ FT: 30 sq. ft.
WIND 26.021 lbs. per sq. ft.
PRESSURE:
TOTAL FORCE: 780.62 lbs.
ELEMENTS:

Ce = 1.39
Cq = 1.3
Qs = 14.4

Note:windforcecalculationbasedonUniformBuildingCodeUBCExposureareaB,
(Exposure B has terrain with buildings, forest or surface irregularities, covering at least 20 percent of
the ground level area extending 1 mile (1.61 km) or more from the site.)
anofelevation015,and60ft.ofverticalcovered6trayareused.

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ThewindloadonSnapTracktrayiscalculatedasfollows:

PXW
WL=
Where:

12

WL=WindLoad

P=WindPressure
W=Width

Usingthesecalculationsthefollowingvaluesareprovidedfor6traytoassistdesignersin
determiningwindloadeffectsonSnapTracktray.

Wind
Speedmph
75
110
129
156

Resulting
WindPressure
26.02lbs./Sq.Ft.
55.97lbs./Sq.Ft.
76.98lbs./Sq.Ft.
112.57lbs./Sq.Ft.

TotalForce
48.16lbs.
1,679.20lbs.
2,309.39lbs.
3,377.29lbs.

Lbs./Ft.
13.01lbs./Ft.
27.98lbs./Ft.
38.49lbs./Ft.
56.28lbs./Ft.

TechlineMfg.recommendsconsideringwindloadingeffectsONLYwhendesigningsupport
systemsinhurricanepronezones.WhendesigningforhurricanepronezonesTechline
recommendsthefollowingmaximumsupportspansregardlessoftraywidthsororientation.

SaffirSimpsonScale
WindSpeed
MaximumSupportSpans
Category
1
7495mph
10ft.
2
96110mph
8ft.
3
111129mph
6ft.
4
130156mph
6ft.

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WhencoversareinstalledonSnapTracktrayoutdoorsanotherwindfactortoconsideristhe
aerodynamiceffectwhichcanproducealiftsufficienttoseparatethecoverfromthetray.
Similartoanairplanewingthewindmovingacrossacoveredtraycreatesapositivepressure
insidethetrayandanegativepressureabovethecover.Seetheaccessorysectionofthis
manualforcoverclamprecommendationsforSnapTrackcoversinareaswithstrongwind.

Seismic
Aswithice,snowandwind,designersandengineersshouldconsiderpotentialseismicdynamic
loadsinearthquakepronezones.Theseseismicorshearingforcesaredependenton
earthquakeintensity,soilconditions,andtherigidityofthestructure.Basedonthenumberof
variablesandthemultiplecalculationsrequiredTechlineMfg.recommendsdesignersand
engineersalsorefertoASCE7forcalculatingseismicforcewhenconsideringinstallationsin
potentialseismiczones.

Engineersanddesignersshouldnotethatagreatdealofseismictestingofcabletraysystems,
andtheirsupports,hasbeenperformed.Theconclusionreachedfromtheseevaluationsisthat
cabletrayisgenerallystrongerlaterallythanvertically,sinceitactsasatrussinthelateral
direction.

Whenconsideringseismiceffectsitshouldalsobenotedthattheconcernisnotthetray
systembutratherthesupportsystem.Inmanyseismicapplicationsthesupportsystem
requiresadditionalbracing.WhenseismicbracingisrequiredfortheSnapTracksystem,it
shouldbeappliedtothesupportsandNOTtheSnapTacktraysystem.

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TechlineMfg.designscabletraysystemsandrecommendssupportspansonthebasisof
maximumallowablestressforthesegmentsoftrayunderIEC61537.Therefore,theallowable
loadswillvarywithspan,andwidthoftray.TechlineMfg.providesSnapTrackdesignloads,
basedonthecapabilityofthesystemundertotalloadconditions,windloads,spanlengths,and
resultingdeflection.Theresultingloaddatashouldbeusedtodesignthestandardsforsupport
structurestoresultinthestrength,stability,anddeflectiondesiredBASEDONTHETOTALLOAD
andWindLOAD,IFINAHURRICANEZONE.WindLoadshouldbeconsideredindependently.

Thesuitability,oftheSnapTracksystem,foruseundertheadditionalloadsappliedbyice,
snow,wind,orseismicconditionsisnotlimitedbytheSnapTracksystembutratherthebythe
adequatedesignofthesupportstructure.ItisthesupportsystemthatsupportstheloadNOT
theSnapTrackTraysystem.

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