AGENDA ITEM: 650-608 Design Loads for Aluminum Dome Roofs

DATE: June 7, 2006

CONTACT: Randy Kissell, TGB Partnership

PH: 919-644-8250 FX: 919-644-8252, email: randy.kissell@tgbpartnership.com

PURPOSE:
1) To allow reduced live loads for aluminum domes where allowed by ASCE 7
2) To revise snow and wind loads on aluminum domes to those in ASCE 7

SOURCE: Committee member request

REVISION: 0

IMPACT:
1) Reduce cost where reduced live loads are allowed by ASCE 7
2) Reduce the likelihood of failures when aluminum domes are subjected to snow or wind loads.

RATIONALE:

General
API 650 aluminum dome roofs loads are given in G.4.2. These differ, however, from the national load
standard ASCE 7 (Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures) and the International
Building Code (IBC). Dome roofs are sensitive to unbalanced loads; drifting snow loads have failed
several aluminum dome roofs, as well as cone roofs. This ballot proposes to update the API 650
aluminum dome roof loads to those in ASCE 7 to reduce the likelihood of failures, and provide an option
to use reduced live loads where allowed by ASCE 7.

Minimum Roof Live Load

ASCE 7 section 4.9.1 prescribes minimum roof live loads as a function of the tributary area of a structural
member and the rise-to-span ratio of dome roofs. The maximum ASCE 7 roof live load value of 20 psf is
conservatively prescribed by API 650 3.2.1(d). This value may be reduced to as little as 12 psf for
structural components with large tributary areas in domes with large rise-to-span ratios. This ballot
proposes to allow lower minimum roof live loads where allowed by ASCE 7, but no less than 15 psf.
(AWWA D100 specifies 15 psf where the snow load doesnt govern.) This would only reduce the design
load in regions where the ground snow load was small.

Wind Loads
ASCE 7-02 (Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures) provides wind pressures for
dome roofs in Figure 6-7. Dome pressures are a function of the tank-height-to-diameter ratio, distance
from the windward edge, and roof profile. These were used in agenda item 650-472 to provide the wind
pressure for doubly curved surfaces, and this ballot proposes to apply these to aluminum domes, since the
ASCE 7 pressure is more accurate than the current G.4.2.2.1 provisions. The ASCE 7 dome wind
pressure approach is briefly reviewed below.

For typical profiles permitted by API 650 (for steel domes, see 3.10.6.1 and for aluminum domes, see
G.6.2) on an 80 diameter, 48 tall tank, ASCE 7 Figure 6-7 gives an approximate average Cp = -0.97, so

650-608 Design Loads for Aluminum Dome Roofs 6/7/06 1