Gable End Bracing and the FORTIFIED Program Gable end walls are a well-documented weak point in high-wind events. When a gable end fails, wind and rain can enter the attic and interior, often leading to extensive structural and water damage. The FORTIFIED® Home program specifically addresses this risk by requiring improved gable end bracing and …
Reinforcing Steel in Footings, Pads, and Equipment Foundations Concrete is one of the most widely used construction materials due to its excellent compressive strength—its ability to resist crushing forces. However, concrete on its own is weak in tension . That’s where reinforcement comes in. Reinforcing steel bars—commonly called rebar—are embedded in concrete to carry tensile loads …
Reinforcing Steel in Footings, Pads, and Equipment Foundations Read More »
Installing A Railing Around Mechanical Equipment? It could be easier than you think. Railings around mechanical equipment, as opposed to general use pedestrian railings, can be designed to a different standard. These types of railing include those that protect: • Roofs of commercial buildings • Industrial facilities • Mechanical rooms Railing systems of all kinds …
Differences Between Designing a Railing For General Use vs. Rooftop Mechanical Equipment Read More »
Canopies & Wind Uplift – An Introduction First, Understand This A backyard canopy or pergola, trellis, or a lightweight sunroom/screen room attached to the back of your house are of relatively very little weight and are typically lighter in construction than the structure to which they are attached to. Also, consider that a house wall …
How To Determine Uplift Reactions For Canopies-Carports-Pergolas Read More »
How To Determine The Design Wind Speed For Your Project To determine the wind speed to use for your project, visit the ASCE Hazard Tool. This tool allows input of a project address and also returns flood, snow, ice & seismic information. visit the asce hazard tool What You Need To Know Risk Categories About …
Wind Exposure Category Overview ASCE-7 is the governing referenced standard for design loads on buildings & other structures for building codes throughout the US. ASCE 7 (26.7 of ASCE 7-16) describes the process to which wind speed is converted into wind pressure to design such structures. The formula is based on many variables. One of …
ASCE 7 WIND EXPOSURE CATEGORIES AND HOW EXPOSURE ‘D’ WORKS Read More »
Overview of Missile Impact Levels As adopted in the 2023 Florida Building Code and the 2021 International Building Code, ASTM E1996-17 defines how exterior glazing systems (windows, doors, curtain walls) for habitable structures should resist windborne debris during hurricanes. The Five Missile Impact Levels Level A — Small Missile Impact A 2 g steel ball …
A canopy is an overhead structure that offers protection from weather elements like rain, snow, and sunlight. Canopies can come in various types and configurations, whether attached to an existing building or standing independently on their own supports. With materials ranging from steel and concrete to aluminum, wood, or fabric, the design possibilities are extensive. …
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First, it needs to be said that there is a complicated formula that converts wind velocity to wind pressure. Many wind pressure values can exist from a single wind velocity which vary based on roof height, topography, terrain, even code version, and more. The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale is a 1 to 5 rating based …
From the 5th, 6th &7th Edition of the Florida Building Code (2014, 2017, 2020) section 1603.1.4 as well as from section 1603.1.4. of the 2012, 2015, & 2018 International Building Code, construction documents shall show the following: Ultimate design wind speed, Vult (3-second gust), miles per hour and nominal design wind speed (Vasd) as …
What wind information is required for construction documents? Read More »
This topic has been merged with our main ASCE 7 Risk Category Knowledge Base Article. See this page and scroll to the bottom for an explanation of deciding which risk category to be used with signs & fences.
Glossary of Building Component Engineering Terms & Abbreviations These terms are published by Engineering Express to coincide with help menus for our online tools & published articles and as they relate to the Building Component Design industry. See also our FLOOD ENGINEERING GLOSSARY for more terms related to flood engineering. See Also SUNROOM TERMINOLOGY for …
Many don’t understand how wind works & state that a product is rated to a specific wind speed. This is false advertising & not true. There’s no such thing as “Rated to XXX MPH wind” This is frequently seen in marketing materials which is a false & misleading statement that comes with many unwritten …
Per the Aluminum Design Manual (ADM) 2015, the allowable bending stress of round tubes shall be determined for the limit states of yielding, rupture, and local buckling: that given by section F.6.1 (compressive yielding), or that given by section F.6.1 (tensile yielding), or that given by section F.6.1 (tensile rupture), or that given by …
Procedure For Calculating Aluminum Box Beams For Bending Read More »
Enclosed Structures Explained Determining whether a structure is classified as an enclosed building is a key step in wind-load design. The enclosure classification determines the internal pressure coefficient (GC pi) and therefore affects how much internal wind pressure is considered when sizing components like walls, windows, doors, roofs, and connections. Definition (ASCE 7-16 ) An …
Open Structures Explained Determining if a structure qualifies as an open building is a fundamental step in wind design. The classification directly affects how internal pressures (GCpi) are applied per ASCE 7-16 Section C26.2, ensuring that the correct wind load assumptions are used for safety and performance. Definition(ASCE 7-16 / FBC Reference) A building is …
