Designing for High Winds

This continuing education course provides an overview of wind-resistive design issues in wood buildings with a focus on compliance with the 2015 International Building Code (IBC) and American Society of Civil Engineers/ Structural Engineering Institute (ASCE/ SEI) Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures (ASCE 7-10). The information on code conforming wood design contained in this course is based on the American Wood Council’s (AWC’s) 2015 National Design Specification® (NDS®) for Wood Construction, the 2015 Special Design Provisions for Wind and Seismic (SDPWS) and the 2015 Wood Frame Construction Manual (WFCM).

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the basic parameters for determining wind loads on buildings in accordance with the 2015 IBC and ASCE 7-10.
• Consider the effects of topography, wind directionality and openings in the structure on calculated wind loads and wind pressures.
• Explain how the exposure category for a building project can vary based on the roughness of nearby terrain.
• Recognize the importance of a continuous load path in minimizing damage to wood buildings in a high wind event.