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Quantifying Heavy Snowfall in NFPA 58

Fire Protection Research Foundation report: "Quantifying Heavy Snowfall in NFPA 58" (PDF, 8 MB)
Author: Michael O'Rourke, Pro. Civil Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Date of issue: June 2014

Introduction

This report presents the results of a research project directed at properly quantifying various triggers for snow load provisions in the NFPA 58 Liquefied Petroleum Gas Code. Specifically, the project involved a literature search, telephone interviews with key propane industry personnel and a review of available propane gas incident case history information. These activities were directed at a determination of the most common snow load related damage mechanisms for propane systems, as well as the geographic location of the corresponding case histories.