Microclimate Ice and Snow Inc.

Services

Ice and Snow

We are the leaders in the sliding Ice and Snow consulting industry focusing on hazard identification, design mitigation and operational management strategies!

Microclimate Ice and Snow Inc. (MI&S) is a specialty consulting firm that works with developers, owners and architects to identify ice and snow collection on buildings and structures and understand its behaviour. We provide recommendations tailored to reduce the potential for falling, sliding or wind-released ice and snow from roofs, façades, and structural elements. This service is provided for both proposed and existing buildings or structures with the key goal of preventing any injury to people or damage to property. Our services are based on a general design evaluation and vary to include design or risk assessment, mock-up testing, site reviews and much more. For our full range or solutions, visit Our Services  page.

DOES YOUR NEXT BUILDING PROJECT
NEED AN ICE & SNOW CONSULTANT?
DOES YOUR NEXT BUILDING PROJECT
NEED AN ICE & SNOW CONSULTANT?
DID YOU KNOW?

The interaction, influence and performance of a building’s design within the surrounding microclimate is complex and requires experience-based analysis and review in order to identify and mitigate potential risks and hazards related to falling, sliding or wind-released ice and snow.

Sloped or Stepped Facades

Sloping or stepped façades pose complications to the collection and behavior of precipitation. A sloped facade’s horizontal vector increases the collection of ice, snow and rain water compared to a vertical façade, this is further complicated by the compounding effect of sliding snow and draining rain or melt water on the façade surface. The resulting increased accumulation and compounding volumes of snow and water intensifies the potential for falling ice or icicles.

Curved Sloped and Complex Roofs
Buildings with complex roof surfaces such as those that are curved, sloped, contain roof steps or have other complex geometries can be sensitive to hazardous ice and snow movement and release. It is our experience that the combination of roof slope, size, complexity of design often produce sliding, slumping and drifting snow, as well as the migration of melt water, that result in unanticipated or unidentified occurrences of static and impact loading, damage or release of significant volumes of ice and snow.
Exterior Structures

Exterior structures constructed on rooftops, mounted to façades or situated on building sites are exposed to the elements and can pose a hazard from ice and snow accumulation and release. These structures include: spires, towers, pedestrian bridges, structural supports, wing walls, signage, artwork, monuments, vehicular bridges, etc.

Reduce Operational Presence

A building or structure that is situated near high-density pedestrian or vehicular traffic, requires accessibility 24/7/365 or has limited operational presence to monitor and maintain the building and site, may require stringent assessment criteria or mitigation planning to maintain a safe environment for people and property.

Complex Building Geometries

Complex building geometries or added features on a building’s envelope can result in increased ice and snow accumulations on façade and roof surfaces. These complex geometries and their potential risk and hazards need to be identified in order to mitigate the risk during the building design stage and the identification of operational procedures for management during severe or unusual winter weather events.

High Performance or Complex Facade designs

High-performance characteristics or complexity within a building envelope or in its design have been shown to produce unanticipated and increased ice and snow accumulation that has the potential to be hazardous or onerous to building operations.
Façade complexities of a façade include: double façades, rain screen façades, articulated façades, façades with integrated or protruding solar shade devises, dynamic façades, etc.

Benefits
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CONFIDENTIALITY


We maintain a confidential approach throughout the entire consultation and reporting process.
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Tailored
Recommendations
We ensure that our expert recommendations are tailored to be effective, practical, implementable and integrated within the design aesthetic of the building or structure.
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Collaboration


We provide a design-assist approach, where we support the design team through all construction phases.
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Leading Industry
expertise
Microclimate Ice & Snow Inc. founder Michael Carter, C.E.T., is the leading expert in this industry with more than 20 years of experience in the field.
APPROACH
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01

Design assessment

Through an assessment of the building or structure’s design, in combination with a microclimate assessment based on local historical meteorological conditions and site surroundings, we identify current or potential issues, then offer a wide range of mitigation options for consideration.
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02

Consultation

We work with the client to communicate our findings, the mitigation options available and the associated design risk, determining the most effective and practical mitigation and operational strategies that align with the project requirements and intent.
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03

Recommendations

Once the overall mitigation plan has been decided through the consultation process, detailed and dimensioned recommendations focused on minimal design modification and/or integration of customized strategies will be developed and finalized for the project.
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04

Reporting

Understanding the sensitive nature of design or project-related risk, our reporting process is structured to maintain client confidentiality. All procedures, results and recommendations are provided in the format of the client’s choosing which can be through oral presentations, marked draft or confidential documentation.
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05

Winter operational guidelines

Preventing falling, sliding or wind released ice and snow from buildings and structures requires mitigation through both design and operational means. To address this requirement, we develop project specific winter operational guidelines which inform, educate and guide owners and operators on the best practice procedures that anticipate, prepare for and manage ice and snow related risk potential for people and property.
CLIENTS
We work closely with building owners, developers, architects, design consultants and building managers. We operate out of Cambridge in Ontario, Canada, but our services extend to clients around the world. Our consultants have worked on projects in a wide range of locations which include, but are not limited to the arctic region, Antarctica, Atlanta, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, Seattle and New York City in the U.S., London, England, Beijing, China and Seoul, South Korea.
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MI&S Icon
      sliding or falling ice & snow     
Our numerous services have been developed based on industry requirements and are structured to mitigate both design and operational risk. Typical service packages range from a basic design evaluation to more extensive risk assessments, design consultations, mock-up performance tests, site inspections. Visit our LinkedIn page to find out more.
MI&S Icon
   sliding   
   or falling  
   ice & snow   
Our numerous services have been developed based on industry requirements and are structured to mitigate both design and operational risk. Typical service packages range from a basic design evaluation to more extensive risk assessments, design consultations, mock-up performance tests, site inspections. Visit our LinkedIn page to find out more.

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