Russian scientists have developed a way to rid roofs of icicles. Icicles on the street, the threat of ice falling from the roofs The main culprit is a warm attic and the rays of the sun

MOSCOW, February 5 - RIA Novosti. Scientists from the State Oceanographic Institute of Roshydromet (GOIN) have proposed a simple and cheap way to prevent the formation of icicles and ice on the roofs - a small modification of the roof structure is enough to make the fight against icicles unnecessary, which every winter creates a lot of inconvenience, causes damage to citizens and takes away from the budgets of cities Russia significant sums.

One of the authors of the development, Deputy Director of the State Inspectorate Alexei Paley, in an interview with RIA Novosti, noted that so far the proposed methods of dealing with icing come down either to constant heating of the roof, or to the use of special methods for removing icicles and ice. However, this is costly.

"The most common method remains the removal of frost and icicles manually using shovels and crowbars. Roofs suffer from this, people's lives are at risk, significant funds are spent on paying for these works. Even larger sums are spent on repairing roofs damaged by entrenching tools in winter. In addition , people often suffer from icicles falling from rooftops," says Paley.

According to him, only in Moscow, the roofs of several thousand houses need to be cleared of ice in winter.

The main culprit is a warm attic and the rays of the sun

Scientists have studied the mechanism of ice formation on pitched roofs and found that the snow on the roofs melts even in the coldest weather due to heat from the attic and from solar radiation. Water flows to the edge of the roof (overhang), where, in contact with a cold surface blown by air, it freezes and forms an ice "border". Here, ice gradually accumulates, ice is formed and icicles begin to "sprout" from it.

Contributes to the formation of ice and the design of downpipes - bending the pipe at the eaves inevitably leads to the formation of an ice plug. Melt water begins to flow over the drainpipes, forming powerful icicles.

Scientists have formulated three main ways to prevent the formation of icicles: prevent melt water from getting to the cold edge of the roof, reduce the intensity of snow melting on the main plane of the roof, and reduce the mass of snow that can accumulate on roof overhangs.

Don't let the water freeze

The technology proposed by GOIN scientists provides for a simple and cost-effective structural modification of the roof: in order for water not to get to the edge of the roof, the drainpipe must "meet" it earlier, not bypassing the ledge of the eaves, but passing through it.

"In this case, melt water immediately flows down the downpipe, without falling on the overhangs. By installing the downpipe vertically directly on the wall, penetrating all protruding structural elements, to the underground drainage system, we will minimize the time of water drainage, and thereby reduce the possibility of its freezing. By the way, there is no special originality in the proposed design. Similar structures are found on many roofs of buildings in the Czech Republic and Germany, "explains Paley.

Gutters should be installed along the warm area of ​​the roof surface, and downspouts penetrating the eaves should be pressed against the warm wall of the building, he adds. Pipes should go directly into the city drainage system to prevent melt water from freezing in them, as well as the formation of puddles and ice on the sidewalks.

The developers also propose to reduce the intensity of snow melting by adjusting the temperature regime of attic spaces. To reduce the accumulation of snow on the roof overhangs, they offer a number of design solutions, in particular, the use of a special coating.

According to scientists, the cost of re-equipping the roof of one typical five-story building in Moscow can be increased to 1,000 rubles per linear meter of roofing.

The technology developed by GOIN scientists is protected by five RF patents for the invention.

Roof cleaning from snow and icicles duty of management companies(UK).

After all, the Housing Code of the Russian Federation (Article 161.1) obliges those who manage an apartment building to create favorable and safe conditions for common property.

However balconies do not belong to common property, as stated in article 290 of the Civil Code (CC) of the Russian Federation.

Therefore, the duty to clean balconies from icicles lies on tenants.

In this article, we will cover:

• who is responsible for the icicles on the balcony,
• what to do when they appear
• how to get help from the management company or utilities.

You will also learn how to prevent the formation of frost on the roof of the balcony.

Ice and icicles create two serious dangers:

• fall threat;
• huge load on the carrier plate.

Icicles hanging on the balcony, under the influence of positive temperature and sunlight melt and fall rushing towards the ground.

A large icicle or a layer of ice from the balcony roof can kill even an adult or seriously damage the vehicle below.

Who is responsible for the icicles on the balcony if they fall?

If the management company can prove that the icicle did not fall from the roof, then the owner of the apartment will have to answer.

The second danger is associated with a huge mass of ice and icicles. After heavy snowfalls and frequent temperature fluctuations, their weight can reach hundreds of kilograms, and this dangerous for the balcony slab.

In the old "Stalinka" and "Khrushchev" buildings, a person's exit to such a balcony often ends in collapse, because a crumbling balcony slab with rusty fittings inside can't handle the load.

Can you clean it yourself

A well-trained person with a strong vestibular apparatus and extensive experience in dealing with ice and icicles will be able to independently clean the balcony slab from icicles.

Most Russians do not fall under these definitions, so an attempt to independently clean the balcony from frost may end serious trouble.

One of them is the collapse or decrease in the strength of the balcony slab, because the slab is already under heavy load, and then there are also blows with a heavy crowbar, because large icicles cannot be beaten off with a stick or a light crowbar.

Therefore, self-cleaning is effective only against small icicles, which can be easily broken off with an ordinary mop.

If the icicles hang on the visor or roof of the balcony, then remove them much more difficult than those on the plate. After all, it is necessary to knock down not only icicles, but also frost on the visor, and without damaging it.

The situation is even more complicated with glazed balconies or loggias, because the rate of formation of icicles on them is several times higher.

It has to do with coming from the room warm air, which rises and heats the canopy or balcony roof. As a result, the snow begins to melt intensively, then flows down and freezes, turning into icicles.

At the same time, a thick layer of ice often accumulates on the very roof of the balcony, which, during a thaw or in spring, can come down one large and heavy layer.

This process occurs not only on warm or sunny days, but almost constantly. Therefore, on such balconies it is necessary completely clean the roof removing snow and ice from it. In addition, glazed balconies are also necessary prepare for winter just like regular roofs.

Read more about such preparation in the article How to prepare roofs for winter.

What to do if the balcony is in icicles

If you saw large icicles on your balcony, but you can't beat them yourself, then we suggest that you first of all leave the house and under your balcony install fences so that there are no people or machines in the danger zone.

After that, you need to find a performer or contractor who will clean your balcony from icicles.

Most likely, no one will undertake this work for free, so you will have to pay for the work of specialists.

Where to apply?

Often, residents or owners of apartments, on whose balconies icicles appeared, after contacting the Criminal Code, they hear in response that since balconies are not common property, then the company should not deal with them.

Therefore, employees of the Criminal Code recommend that such residents independently look for ways to clean snow and roofs from balconies. This is especially true for balconies, which owners unauthorized glazed without having received any permissions for this action.

All this is confirmed by employees of management companies with references to various documents and regulations, therefore, residents who have not received a legal education or extensive experience in communicating with public utilities, get lost and go.

Who should knock down or remove icicles from balconies?

Despite the fact that the responsibility for balconies lies with the residents and owners of apartments, icicles from balconies must be removed employees of management companies or the contractors they hire. This is directly stated in the resolution of the Gosstroy of the Russian Federation of September 27, 2003 N 170 "On approval of the Rules and norms for the technical operation of the housing stock", clause 4.6.1.23.

When applying to the UK, you must do the following:

• make a written statement e in a free form (required in two copies), in which to state the situation and ask to clean the balcony from icicles;
• submit an application to the CC and wait until it is accepted and entered in the journal, and on the second copy they put the date and time of receipt of the application, as well as the initials of the one who accepted it, after which they put a seal;
• if within two days the icicles have not been removed, contact the regulatory authorities.

What to do if an icicle falls from your balcony

If an icicle fell from your balcony and damaged the car underneath then immediately call the management company and the police.

If you know the phone number of the owner of the car, then call him too.

Wait for the arrival of the district officer and show him the letter that you sent to the management company, and also make sure that the district officer wrote down the data from the letter in the protocol.

This letter relieve you of all responsibility, because you informed the Criminal Code about the danger in a timely manner, therefore there can be no claims against you. This applies even to those balconies where the glazing or installation of the visor is illegal.

If the icicle fell on a person immediately call an ambulance and the police. In more detail, we described the entire sequence of actions in this case in the article.

If you saw icicles on the balcony, but did not even try to fight them, that is, officially contact the management company, then you have to go through court, which will take a long time to figure out who was responsible for what.

In this case, illegal glazing of the balcony or installation of a canopy without obtaining permission will be a serious argument in favor of the management company.

With a probability of 50 percent, the court can both find the owner of the apartment guilty, and divide the blame, and hence the compensation for damages, between the Criminal Code and the owner. In this case, only good lawyer.

Conflict with the management company

One of the arguments that the employees of the Criminal Code use to absolve themselves of responsibility is illegal glazing balconies and installation on it of peaks not provided for by the design.

It doesn’t matter if you bought an apartment with a balcony already glazed and covered with a canopy or did the work yourself, this does not relieve the management company of the obligation to clean the canopies and balconies from snow and icicles.

However, the management company may oblige you dismantle glazing and visor because they are not provided for by the project of the house.

In this case, we recommend contacting Bureau of Technical Inventory(BTI) of your area to obtain permission to redevelop the balcony. BTI employees will give you a list of documents that you need to collect, as well as the address of the organization that designed your house.

In this organization it is necessary to obtain a conclusion on the possibility of glazing. Then you will need draw up a glazing plan in an organization authorized to perform such work.

After receiving the project, it will be necessary to fix the balcony in accordance with the project and invite representatives of the management company, as well as collect a large number of other permits.

In some regions, the procedure for legalizing balcony glazing and installing a canopy may differ from this one. In addition, BTI employees can tell you the address of an organization that will do all of this for a fee., saving you from the need to collect certificates and various documents.

After obtaining all the necessary permits, BTI employees will make changes to the technical passport of the apartment and the Criminal Code will no longer be able to present you with any claims.

If you have not yet legalized the glazing of the balcony and the installation of a visor, then we recommend that you address this issue without waiting for winter.

Otherwise, you may be fined in the amount of 2–2.5 thousand rubles, as stated in article 7.21 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation (CAO).

Summarize

Icicles hanging on balconies represent serious threat, so cautious apartment owners try to deal with them in advance.

Highly It is important to know:

• who is responsible for the damage caused by icicles falling from the balcony;
• who should clean the balcony from icicles and ice;
• where to go if the management company does not clean your balcony from ice;
• how to legalize the glazing of a balcony and the installation of a visor in order to avoid problems with the management company.

Despite the fact that the owner of the apartment is obliged to monitor the condition of the balcony, in the event of an incident, he can by law shift the blame to the management company.

After all, it is UK is obliged to clean balconies from icicles or hire specialists for this, master the same apartment is obliged on time inform the CC about the danger.

In contact with

In winter, you can always expect a catch from the weather to one degree or another, especially when the car owner has a habit or, due to certain circumstances, parks his iron horse under the canopy of the roof of a multi-storey building. As paradoxical as it sounds, there have been more and more such cases lately. Your necessary and specific actions will be discussed in the event of a fall of icicles or snow blocks on the body of your car. This situation allows you to acquire the right to compensate for the damage caused to your own vehicle due to an icicle that fell from the roof of the house.

The first actions of the car owner

Any car owner needs to know what needs to be done immediately in this situation. It will not work to start resolving the issue through the insurance company or the traffic police. Since the rules of the road provide for a definition that states that events that occurred during the movement of the vehicle on one of the highways are subject to consideration by the road service. As a result of this incident, people died or material damage was caused only directly to the vehicle or to the existing cargo inside the vehicle. Fallen icicles or compressed snow in large quantities on vehicles does not fall under this definition, which means that this is not a traffic accident, so there is no need to call the traffic police.

In these cases, you must first calm down, and then proceed to photograph the scene. For these purposes, you can use your mobile phone, then process everything on a computer. It is necessary to shoot in such a way that other nearby cars are fixed in the frames, the name of the street and the number of the house from where the icicles fell from the roof onto your transport are required. Further actions include calling the Russian police officers, calling them to the scene where your damaged car is located. Do not forget that when using your mobile phone, the emergency dial is represented by the number one hundred and twelve, then press the number two and wait for confirmation of the call from the police officer on duty.

Out of vehemence, do not commit rash acts, such as getting behind the wheel of your car and if the engine starts, then immediately drive to the nearest police station, there will be no gain in time. Since in the future there will be great difficulties with proving that your vehicle was parked exactly here at this place and at this house. It can reach the point of absurdity, you yourself may be suspected of breaking the roof yourself and in a completely different place. Therefore, the car must remain in its original place, and the police officers who arrive must draw up an accident report, which will indicate that the damage to the car was caused by snow or icicles that fell from the roof of the house. You should receive one of the copies.

Having done with the inspection of the scene by the police, further events can develop in various ways. If you have CASCO insurance, you can contact the insurance company on the issue of repairing the vehicle. In another case, a protracted one-on-one fight begins with a communal office in court proceedings. Public utilities are not yet accustomed to admitting their guilt right away, thereby increasing the payments associated with such an incident by paying legal costs, if their guilt is proven in court.

Possible nuances of preparation for trial.

And at the first stage of this path, you need to start with the competent preparation of a claim and an application to the courts. Dropping accumulated snow, causing ice icicles to break, is the immediate responsibility of the housing management companies or HOA, in charge of the house next to which your vehicle was parked. Most often, such stories take place in the old part of the city, where, as a rule, houses of the old housing stock are located. A third party housing inspectorate or housing committee may also be a defendant, but it will be enough to confine itself to the management company and the HOA.

The fall of an ice block or icicle on the roof of a car and causing specific damage is grounds for going to court. Your task is to describe in the statement of claim all the circumstances of what happened and make a claim for compensation for the damage caused. To assess the damage caused, it is necessary to provide the expert with all the documentary evidence of the damage inflicted by that time in the form of damage to the car body and its components. Since the inspection report reflects the fact that such damage was caused by falling icicles or a large amount of snow from the roof of the house.

All documents submitted to the court will be carefully examined. In this connection, you must first familiarize yourself with their content. If necessary, ask for more detailed clarifications. If there are witnesses of what happened when an icicle fell on the roof of a vehicle, then it is necessary to record their telephone number, first and last name and ask for a factual testimony during the trial and, if necessary, also directly at the trial.

You can submit your claims either to the HOA or to the management company, presenting a demand for voluntary payment of compensation, that is, the entire amount of damage caused to your vehicle. If there is no agreement on compensation for damage, then there is only one way left - this is the filing of a statement of claim in court. You have the right to choose the court that will deal with your claim, located in the area where the defendant is located or in the area where you live.

Today, announcements began to appear in a number of areas of large cities in Russia, the essence of which boils down to the following, you are warned of the danger, urging citizens themselves to be prudent and observe all their safety measures, including their own property, which includes a car. Thus, management companies and homeowners associations are trying to relieve themselves of responsibility for what is happening. The appearance of such announcements does not remove the legal responsibility for the fact that a number of works that are part of their functional duties are not being performed to ensure the safety of citizens and their property.

A car owner who is awaiting a trial will not be out of place to take note of the following postulates of Russian legislation and by-laws of public utilities. In the event that the housing company refers to the one hundred and seventieth resolution, which states the standards for the housing stock during its operation. Reference should be made to paragraph 4.6.1.23 indicating that icicles and snow should be removed as needed and not when they already pose a specific threat to both people and personal vehicles. The document contains a clause that does not allow the accumulation of snow cover with a thickness of more than thirty centimeters. Soft roof cleaning provides for the removal of icicles and snow on a pitched roll roof with an external drain, as well as from snow canopies and from all types of roofs.

Icicles, snow caps accumulated on the roofs of buildings, and ice remain one of the traditional winter problems in cities, as well as in cottage settlements.

The danger posed by ice and snow caps accumulated on the roofs of buildings and in courtyards is obvious to everyone. In winter, pedestrians and motorists suffer from ice in cities. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for people to die under "avalanches" falling from the roofs of houses.
Everyone needs to know and follow the precautions, and prevent an unpleasant situation than to get into it.
Safety rules in case of the threat of snow and ice falling from the roofs of houses:

. before you pass under the eaves of a building with icicles, carefully look at the state of icing;
. do not stand under the eaves of buildings on which icicles have formed; if possible, free the eaves of the building from the resulting icing;
. if you need to pass under the icy eaves of the building, try to overcome this area as quickly as possible;
. you should also not go beyond the established fences;
. it is also necessary to remember that most often icicles form over gutters, so these places on the facades of houses are especially dangerous. They need to be bypassed. It is worth being careful and, if possible, do not come close to the walls of buildings;
. if while driving along the sidewalk you heard a suspicious noise upstairs - you can’t stop, raise your head and consider what happened there. Perhaps this is the melting of snow or ice blocks. You can't run away from the building either. It is necessary to press against the wall as quickly as possible, the roof peak will serve as a shelter;
. motor vehicle owners are not recommended to park cars near houses.

If you find icicles hanging on the roof of the house, you must contact the utilities or call 112.

Memo on safety measures when snow melts and icicles fall from the roofs of buildings:

BEWARE OF SNOW FROM THE ROOFS!

1. Heavy snowfalls and warming temperatures can cause icicles to form and snow to fall off building roofs.

2. The snow mass accumulated on the roof is very dangerous!

3. As a rule, such a mass is heterogeneous in composition and contains both loose masses of melted snow and pieces of packed ice, often of significant volume and mass.

4. Remember: most often icicles form above, so these places on the facades of houses are especially dangerous. They need to be bypassed.

5. Observe: be careful and, if possible, do not come close to the walls of buildings. If, while driving along the sidewalk, you hear a suspicious noise upstairs, you cannot stop, raise your head and consider what happened there.

6. Perhaps this is a meltdown of snow or an ice block. You can't run away from the building either. It is necessary to press against the wall as quickly as possible, the roof peak will serve as a shelter.

7. One of the factors preventing the formation of icicles and snow masses is the regular and timely removal of snow from roofs. In the absence of snow, icicles simply have nothing to form from, which means that people below are safe.

8. After the fall of snow, ice (icicles) from the edge of the roof, snow and ice can also come off the other parts of the roof. Therefore, if traces of previously fallen snow or ice fragments are visible on the sidewalk, this indicates the danger of this place.

1. When leaving buildings, pay attention to the accumulation of snow masses, ice

and "icicles" on the roofs, if possible, avoid the place of their possible collapse;

2. Go around places fenced with warning signs;

3. Look ahead for footpaths, go around solid places

black ice;

4. Wear low-heeled shoes with large notches on the sole.

BEWARE - ICUCLES!

1. The sun begins to gradually melt the snow and ice.

2. At this time, icicles on the roofs of houses are of great danger, because they fall from time to time.

3. It is absolutely impossible to guess the very moment when the icicle decides that she is already tired of hanging. And if you think that an ice icicle cannot cause great harm, then you are very much mistaken.

4. Therefore, always pay attention to the fenced sections of the sidewalks and in no case go into dangerous areas.

5. Most often, icicles form over gutters, these are the places on the facades of houses that are especially dangerous. Also, pay attention to the icing of the sidewalks. Usually a thicker layer of ice forms under the icicles.

6. Even if there is no fence, you should be careful and, if possible, do not go close to the walls of buildings.

7. If you are walking along the sidewalk and hear a suspicious noise upstairs, you must not stop, raise your head and consider what is making noise there. You can't run away from the building either. On the contrary, you need to press against the wall as quickly as possible so that the roof peak serves as a shelter.

Be careful and careful when near buildings and on sidewalks!

Reducing the negative consequences associated with a fall. Ice-covered inclined surfaces covered with snow are a particular danger to pedestrians. Many falls occur during the thaw, when the ice is covered with a thin layer of water. Contributes to the fall of the presence in the hands of various objects.

The process of falling occurs in a very short period of time, usually unexpectedly, so it is often very difficult to take effective security measures.

The main measures to prevent falls:

· Stay at home if possible;

· Increase the coefficient of friction of the soles of shoes and ice by using: sand, ash, salt;

Use shoes with anti-slip soles or special

devices: felt, spikes, stops;

Use the opportunity to hold onto or lean on a fence, wall, structure,

· Choose a safe route and focus on every step.

Pedestrian movement on icy surfaces should be carried out with a shortened step, carefully and slowly. You need to step on the entire sole, slightly relax your legs at the knees. Hands should not be occupied with bags and other items. Particular care should be taken when walking on slippery surfaces at night, during snowfall, rain, in windy weather, and when working on slippery roofs. Accelerated walking, running, sharp turns contribute to falling on icy surfaces.

Falling on an icy surface occurs forward, backward, sideways. Typical injuries in this case are: bruises, dislocations, fractures, concussion. In order to reduce the negative consequences associated with the fall of a person, it is necessary to be able to group and fall safely. A serious danger for pedestrians is the crossing of the carriageway during icy conditions.

BE ESPECIALLY CAREFUL WHEN CROSSING THE ROAD! NO WAY

CASE DO NOT BREAK THE RULES OF CROSSING THE STREET!

On the ice, the car can skid, and he will not have time to slow down in time. And the braking distance of a car on an icy road is much longer than on dry and even wet asphalt. It is not at all necessary to know the exact formula of what ice is, the main thing is to remember that you can slip on the ice surface, and then according to the scenario - “fell, lost consciousness, woke up - gypsum”.