The application of a uniform radial ice thickness to structural sections

Equivalent uniform radial ice thicknesses accreted from freezing rain on wires, conductors, guys and cables with round cross sections are determined for the design of ice sensitive structures from field measurements or from simulations using historical weather data. Ice thicknesses on non-round structural shapes may also be required in the design of communication towers, towers for power transmission lines, and other ice-sensitive structures. In this paper the uniform radial ice thickness on a wire is shown to be different from the uniform ice thicknesses on other structural shapes in the same icing conditions. Consistent ice thicknesses are calculated for a variety of structural shapes including angles, bars, and channels. Finally a simple method, which is used in ASCE Standard 7 Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures, is presented for determining ice loads on arbitrary structural shapes from the uniform radial ice thickness on a wire.