Wind loads (ASCE 7)
Wind wizard loading
The Wind wizard (ASCE 7) can be used to assess wind loading on your building structure via a choice of methods:
- Directional Procedure Part 1 - Rigid Buildings of All Heights (Chapter 27)
- Envelope Procedure Part 1 - Low-Rise Buildings (Chapter 28)
In order to run the wind wizard the following assumptions/limitations exist:
- The shape of the building meets the limitations allowed for in the code.
- It must be a rigid structure.
- The structure must be either enclosed or partially enclosed.
- Parapets and roof overhangs are not explicitly dealt with.
Rigid Buildings of All Heights or Low-Rise Building wind loadcases can then be created and combined with other actions due to dead and imposed loads in accordance with Section 2.3.2 of ASCE 7
Minimum design wind loads
ASCE 7 requires that minimum design
wind loads should be considered.
- If working to ASCE 7-05 these should not be less than 10 lb/ft2 (0.479 kN/m2) against the entire building.
- If working to ASCE 7-10 or -16 these should not be less than 16 lb/ft2 (0.766 kN/m2) on the walls and 8lb/ ft2 (0.383 kN/m2) on the roofs.
These loads can be automatically applied to windward wall and roof panels and open structure wind load members by running the wind wizard. To find out more, see: Create minimum design wind loadcases.
Simple wind loading
If use of the wind wizard is not appropriate for your structure then wind loads can be applied via element or structure loads instead.