Instructor information: William L. Coulbourne, P.E., F.SEI, F.ASCE

Course Length: 1.5 Hours

Sponsored by ASCE Continuing Education and ASCE’s Structural Engineering Institute (SEI) 

Purpose and Background

ASCE 7-10 Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures has been recently revised. These revisions will affect every engineer who has used ASCE 7 in the past and those who are just beginning to use it for determining wind loads on structures. Some of the differences include, the determination of the basic wind speed with new wind speed maps, the classification of buildings, and simplified procedures have new methods for determining wind pressures for buildings as tall as 160 ft.

The presentation will include information about the primary changes and some of the background about the changes to help the practicing engineer understand the basis for the changes. There will not be coverage of how to determine wind pressures on buildings specifically since this webinar material is developed assuming the basics of wind load design is understood by the practitioner. The impacts of the changes on the designer will be covered so there is some appreciation for how these changes may impact normal wind engineering practice.

This webinar is being offered early in the outreach process to give engineers a chance to get familiar with the new provisions before their local community adopts a building code that requires the use of these new provisions. Engineers may want to practice the use of these new provisions to determine the real effects on designs and on client requirements. 

Learning Outcomes

This webinar will provide engineers with information about the changes in wind design that will be in ASCE 7-10. This material is being presented early in the building code cycle to allow time for the practitioner to be become thoroughly acquainted with this new material before it becomes the building code required engineering standard.

Webinar Benefits

• Learn what the significant changes are in the ASCE 7-10 wind provisions
• Examine how the changes will impact your practice
• Gain an understanding of these changes and how they may impact your interaction with your clients on wind load design issues
• Learn what other outreach tools are available to better understand the ASCE 7-10 changes
• Gain an understanding that wind pressures will not be very different – just the method for determining the pressures
• Learn about a new simplified method for determining wind pressures for buildings up to 160 feet tall

Intended Audience

The level of instruction will be technical in nature and covers the specific wind provisions of ASCE 7-10. The primary audience is structural engineers who have some experience in performing wind designs for buildings and other structures.

Webinar Outline

• Introduction
  - The primary changes in the wind provisions
  - Re-organization changes (how to find provisions)
  - Other important changes not covered
• The new maps
  - Understanding differences between ASCE 7-05 and ASCE 7-10 maps
  - Affect on pressures between the maps
  - Importance factors and load combinations
  - Building classification changes
• Re-organization and nomenclature revisions
• Guidance on building appurtenances and other structures
• New simplified procedures for buildings over 160 ft tall
  - Limitations
  - Torsion requirements
  - Rigid or flexible diaphragms

View Important Policies and System Requirements for this course.

Assessment of Learning Outcomes

Students' achievement of the learning outcomes will be assessed via a short post-assessment (true-false, multiple choice and fill in the blank questions).

How to Earn your CEUs/PDHs and Receive Your Certificate of Completion

To receive your certificate of completion, you will need to complete a short on-line post-test and receive a passing score of 70% or higher within 1 year of purchasing the course.

How do I convert CEUs to PDHs?

1.0 CEU = 10 PDHs [Example: 0.1 CEU = 1 PDH]