Applied Wind Load Design for Rooftop, Wall-Mounted, and Freestanding Structures — ASCE 7-22 Based Procedures

Applied Wind Load Design for Rooftop, Wall-Mounted, and Freestanding Structures — ASCE 7-22 Based Procedures, you'll learn ...

• The complete framework for wind load determination on rooftop, wall-mounted, and freestanding structures using ASCE 7-22
• The interaction between velocity pressure, pressure coefficients, and enclosure classification in wind design
• The translation of wind pressures into design forces, anchorage demands, and load paths
• How to apply code-compliant methodologies to prevent common wind design deficiencies and failures

Overview

Preview a portion of this course before purchasing it.

Credit: 3 PDH

Length: 26 pages

Rooftop equipment, wall-mounted appurtenances, and freestanding structures routinely govern wind design outcomes in real projects, despite being treated as secondary elements during analysis. In practice, plan review comments, permit delays, and post-construction retrofits are far more likely to originate from these components than from primary structural framing.

Post-event investigations and forensic evaluations consistently reveal the same pattern. Failures of rooftop units, equipment screens, canopies, and sign supports are rarely the result of inadequate material strength. They arise from procedural deficiencies: misapplied pressure coefficients, incorrect enclosure classification, improper roof zone identification, inconsistent velocity pressure application, or incomplete translation of wind pressures into anchorage and connection forces. Individually minor, these oversights collectively govern liability exposure and structural performance under extreme wind events.

This course is developed specifically for practicing structural engineers who design, review, and verify wind-loaded components under ASCE 7-22. It establishes a disciplined, code-based methodology for evaluating wind demands on rooftop units, parapets, solar arrays, louvers, wall-mounted supports, canopies, and freestanding sign structures. Emphasis is placed on procedural consistency, load-path verification, and anchorage design in accordance with ASCE 7-22 and ACI 318-22.

Wind pressures are carried systematically from velocity pressure determination through coefficient selection, enclosure effects, tributary area definition, and final design forces governing anchors and supporting members. Integrated worked examples reflect conditions routinely encountered in commercial, industrial, and infrastructure projects across the United States, with focused treatment of edge and corner amplification, partial enclosure behavior, and combined uplift and torsional effects.

The material is structured as a professional desk-side reference rather than a conceptual overview. It is intended for direct application in active design projects, peer reviews, jurisdictional responses, and forensic assessments. Each analytical step is aligned explicitly with governing code provisions to ensure technical defensibility during plan review and construction verification.

Upon completion, engineers will not only compute wind pressures, but confirm load-path continuity, substantiate anchorage decisions under governing load combinations, and address wind-related review comments with documented procedural clarity. The objective is disciplined application of ASCE 7-22, reduced redesign cycles, and greater reliability in wind-critical structural decisions.

Specific Knowledge or Skill Obtained

This course teaches the following specific knowledge and skills:

• How to determine velocity pressure in accordance with ASCE 7-22 Chapter 26, including proper selection of exposure category, topographic factor, directionality factor, and height-dependent coefficients using consistent SI units
• How to correctly distinguish between Main Wind-Force-Resisting System (MWFRS) and Components and Cladding (C and C) behavior, and select the appropriate design procedure under ASCE 7-22 Chapters 27, 29, or 30 based on actual load-path mechanics
• How to classify buildings as enclosed, partially enclosed, or open in accordance with ASCE 7-22, and evaluate the influence of internal pressure on net uplift and lateral wind demands
• How to select and apply external pressure coefficients (GCp) and force coefficients (Cf) for rooftop equipment, parapets, solar arrays, louvers, wall-mounted supports, canopies, monopoles, and freestanding sign structures, including edge and corner zone amplification effects
• How to perform complete, start-to-finish wind load calculations through fully developed numerical design examples that mirror real engineering office practice — beginning with velocity pressure determination and continuing through coefficient application, tributary area evaluation, and final governing design forces
• How to convert calculated wind pressures into resultant design forces and systematically verify load-path continuity from equipment or appurtenance through anchors, brackets, supporting members, and foundations
• Functional recovery design (hazard level, expected functional recovery time, desired or acceptable functional recovery time)How to design and verify anchorage in accordance with ACI 318-22 Chapter 17, including checks for steel strength, concrete breakout, pullout, pryout, edge distance reductions, and combined tension–shear interaction
• How to apply governing load combinations from ASCE 7-22 Chapter 2 under both LRFD and ASD methodologies, including uplift-controlled stability combinations such as 0.9D + 1.0W
• How to analyze eccentric anchor groups and torsional effects in rooftop, wall-mounted, and freestanding configurations
• How to determine wind loads on circular poles, monopole-supported signs, and other freestanding structures using the ASCE 7-22 Chapter 29 force coefficient procedure
• How to recognize situations where serviceability limits, dynamic response, or slenderness effects may influence the design of freestanding structures
• How to identify and correct common wind design errors observed in professional practice and plan review, including misclassification of enclosure, improper zoning application, inconsistent velocity pressure evaluation, and incomplete anchorage verification
• How to confidently reproduce the demonstrated worked examples independently and apply the same methodology to real projects immediately after completing the course

Certificate of Completion

You will be able to immediately print a certificate of completion after passing a multiple-choice quiz consisting of 18 questions. PDH credits are not awarded until the course is completed and quiz is passed.