ASCE 7 Wind Load Analysis

ASCE 7 wind load provisions determine the design wind pressures on buildings and structures based on the basic wind speed, exposure category, building geometry, and component and cladding zones. AI automates these calculations, which are straightforward in concept but tedious in execution because they must be performed for multiple surfaces, multiple zones, and multiple load cases.

For the main wind force-resisting system (MWFRS), AI calculates the wind pressures on each building face for each wind direction, generates the load combinations, and provides the forces to the structural engineer for the lateral system design. For components and cladding (C&C), AI maps the pressure zones (corners, edges, and field areas) onto the building envelope and calculates the design pressures for each zone — information that directly drives the curtain wall design, roofing attachment, and exterior cladding specification.

The C&C analysis is where AI saves the most time because the pressure zones vary for each component size and the pressures vary at each building location. A facade engineer designing a curtain wall system needs to know the design pressure at every panel location — which depends on the panel's position relative to corners and edges, the floor elevation, and the effective wind area of each panel. AI generates these location-specific pressures automatically from the building geometry and ASCE 7 wind maps.