Anchorage SBS facility suffers a large-scale roof collapse

Spenard Builders Supply’s dispatch center, located on West 46th Avenue in the Spenard neighborhood, suffered a large roof collapse shortly before 11:00 p.m. Wednesday evening.

The building, which primarily serves as material and vehicle storage and assorted supplies, and according to Anchorage Fire Department Assistant Chief Alex Boyd, was empty at the time, and that no injuries have been reported.

Anchorage and Mat-Su has seen record-breaking snow in November and is on track for another heavy snowfall as December draws to a close. Boyd has said that the heavy snowfall and ice loading are believed to be factors in the collapse, noting that winds and freeze-melt cycles can gather snow in drifts or form ice dams that increase weight at particular points on a roof.

He also said the building was severely damaged by the collapse, but offiicials have not called it a total loss until further assessments are conducted by structural engineers.

A large portion of the building’s roof seems to have buckled, leaving sections of the building exposed and visible, while a broken water main spilled onto the roads.

The roof collapse comes 10 months after a similar collapse at the Palmer Library Alaska last winter, in which heavy snow was a contributing factor to that roof collapse. An investigation is ongoing to determine the exact cause of the building’s collapse.