Audience
Engineers seeking a tool to calculate wind loads and wind pressures on the main wind force resisting system of buildings
About MecaWind
MecaWind is a wind load calculator software used to calculate wind loads and/or wind pressures on the main wind force resisting system (MWFRS) of buildings and many other structures (chimneys, tanks, towers, open signs, closed signs, solar panels, rooftop equipment, canopy, bins, tanks, silos, and free-standing walls). It is based upon the ASCE 7 standard used throughout the United States for design loads, which is published by the American Society of Civil Engineers. The MecaWind wind load calculator software contains multiple versions of the ASCE 7 standard as well as the Florida Building Code (FBC). For instance, it includes ASCE 7-05, ASCE 7-10, and ASCE 7-16, each being a different release of the same standard. The latest version is ASCE 7-16, and many of the changes found from the ASCE 7-10 version to ASCE 7-16 can be found in this article. ASCE 7-05 is also included in MecaWind, but this older version of the standard is used less frequently in jurisdictions.