They Don't Build Houses Like They Used To Do

[Flyfisher]

Am I the only one finding this news report hard to believe?

There's no doubting the actual collapse, of course, but I'd be amazed if "a few centimetres of snow" was really the primary cause.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-21212792

 

[MdB]

I would also doubt that the additional weight would take the end wall out rather than the roof itself. My guess it was a wind load rather than snow that caused the issue.

 

[88v8]

Ummm, don't see how snow had owt to do wi it. The gable appears to have fallen outwards, maybe suction caused by wind swirl, or a loft overstuffed with pasties?
Either way, I guess the wall was not tied to the roof as it should have been. Black mark for BC?

Ivor

 

[DJH]

I can't see any ties there that are required to be fixed to the roof trusses and the gable end wall, mind you I saw a soffit on here the other day when there wasn't one.
If there were ties I would have expected more of the roof to have been damaged or pulled across than it is. If there were some I suspect that their fixings in the wall pulled out but if that was the case then why aren't they visible, still screwed to the trusses?

It looks as though the trusses have been cross braced although that Isn't clear.

Doug

 

[Flyfisher]

All pretty much my own thoughts. Another example of 'bad weather' hysteria perhaps? I see that the weather people are now forecasting 'possible' flooding as the snow melts. Well, perhaps, if it all melted overnight, but it doesn't tend to do that does it, so it's surely not much worse than a bit of extra rain. Perhaps I'm just having a 'bah humbug' moment. :lol:

 

[Keith Bowman]

But, to be fair to the forecasters, they are indeed saying that it might all melt with overnight rain! (Frederick Drift rules OK?)

 

[Flyfisher]

Fair point, though I still suspect it's a case of being over-cautious these days. Perhaps they're all running scared after those Italian geologists were imprisoned for saying there was nothing to worry about regarding an earthquake. :shock:
Though I don't recall Michael Fish being imprisoned for his hurricane gaff.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=italian-scientists-get

As is often the case, I reckon Ian Hislop can provide some useful insight:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-21195257

 

[Gareth Hughes]

Though I don't recall Michael Fish being imprisoned for his hurricane gaff.

Funny how every time they dig that clip out from the archives they cut it off after "a woman phoned the BBC to say she'd heard there was a hurricane on the way. There isn't", which as far as it goes is completely accurate, as what happened in 1987 was not a hurricane. But they never go on to show Michael Fish's next sentence, which was "having said that, it is going to get very windy indeed in the next 24 hours, with the possibility of some structural damage". That may have been an understatement, but it wasn't exactly the total failure to give any sort of warning that it's always remembered as being.
Mind you, I was north of Watford in October 1987, and we had a fairly quiet night with nothing at all being blown down over a large part of the country...

 

[Owain]

If you look at Google streetview you will see that there was a large carport cantilevered out from the wall, with no other means of support.

Snow loading could easily cause a few bricks to pull out with the weight of snow on the carport pulling at the fixings, the rest of the wall would then drop and fall out.

goo.gl/maps/DIy4b

According to Metro this is what happened:

People living in the street said snow had piled onto a car port at the side of the house, which gave way and brought the gable end of the council property down.

http://metro.co.uk/2013/01/26/family-evacuated-after-house-caves-in-under-heavy-snow-3367946/

 

[Keithj]

That makes sense. Weight of snow on unsupported roof. No surprise, is it!

 

[plasticpigeon]

that's a stupid design

Just like my neighbours who have knocked out their chimney breasts and have supported the stack on a cantilevered bracket from the party wall. Not my party wall thankfully but on the other side.

 

[JoceAndChris]

I am so glad BC weathers all the gales that lash it about, all the tons of water that pour down from the hilltop.

Very smug and happy to be in a period property.

 

[88v8]

Ah, yes, snow, guilty as charged. A strange design though, a couple of pillars or posts would have been so much simpler.

Ivor

 

[Penners]

snow, guilty as charged.

To be more accurate: idiot who hung a large cantilevered carport on the outer leaf of a cavity wall, guilty as charged.

 

[Feltwell]

I agree entirely Penners. What a stupid design - a couple of slim steel square box columns would be very unobtrusive and would have supported the far side of that carport perfectly well. Clearly the owners don't possess a lawnmower either, judging by that summer photo!

As is often the case, I reckon Ian Hislop can provide some useful insight:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-21195257

He's spot on. Part of my job these days is managing the supply of food and other goods to a national chain of 650 shops. As soon as the snow hit the bread and milk sales went off the scale - purely panic buying, nothing else, hyped up by the media reports. The primary reason any store will have shortages in those conditions is due to panic buying. On the worst day of all for snow our bread supplier managed to deliver to all bar 9 of those 650 shops, and the milk supplier to all bar 6.

Still, at least our wonderful Government didn't advise everyone to rush out and stock up now, like they did when there was a threat of a fuel crisis not long ago :roll:

 

[tycarregydwr]

That is a ridiculous design, hardly a surprise that it ended in tears.

As to the flooding though - we still had well over 10 cm of snow when I went to bed on Friday night, by the time I woke up Saturday morning it was down to a few cm, and by Saturday afternoon it was gone completely. So it did indeed melt very quickly. And caused quite a bit of flooding -especially as it was simultaneously raining - some people had to be evacuated in south Pembs and there are surprisingly large rocks strewn all over the roads.

 

[Penners]

Feltwell, just a friendly warning: you're jnching awfully close to sounding like a grumpy old man.

I should know - it takes one to know one. :wink:

 

[Flyfisher]

Thanks to Owain for thinking about streetview. That photo makes the collapse far easier to understand. Looking at the leverage involved, a couple of adventurous children could easily have had the same effect as a bit of snow!

 

[Owain]

Clearly the owners don't possess a lawnmower either, judging by that summer photo!

According to the Metro article, it's a council property.

I wonder if the tenants didn't get permission for the carport they'll be liable for the full costs of reinstatement?

 

[Feltwell]

Feltwell, just a friendly warning: you're jnching awfully close to sounding like a grumpy old man.

:lol:

I'm in training Penners - thought I'd have a crack at "grumpy middle-aged man" first. More Jack Dee than Geoffrey Palmer at the moment, but I'll get there.

By the way - it's "inching". :wink: