Several significant updates have been added to the new edition of Minimum Design Loads and Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures, Standards ASCE/SEI 7-16.
The recently released document helps determine design loads including dead, live, soil, flood, tsunami, snow, rain, atmospheric ice, earthquake, wind, and fire, as well as how to assess load combinations. This new edition of ASCE 7 supersedes ASCE/SEI 7-10.
Significant changes include:
- New seismic maps reflecting the updated National Seismic Hazard Maps
- New wind speed maps, including new Hawaii maps, that result in reduced wind speeds for much of the United States, clarified special wind study zones, and separate Risk Category IV from Category III
- New snow load maps incorporating regional snow data for areas that previously required site-specific case study zones
- Updated rain duration provisions that align design requirements with International Plumbing Code provisions for drainage
- Entirely new chapter covering tsunami design provisions, which are important to Alaska, Hawaii, California, Oregon, and Washington
- New appendix provisions for fire design
Structural engineers, architects, and those engaged in preparing and administering local building codes should consult the updated code. To purchase online, visit the ASCE Bookstore.
Related Stories
| Jun 14, 2012
USGBC co-founder launches rating system for building product manufacturers
U.S. Green Building Council co-founder David Gottfried’s new venture, Regenerative Ventures, has established a rating system for building product manufacturers.
| Jun 14, 2012
Green standard set for single-ply roofing membrane
A sustainability standard has been established for single-ply roofing membranes used on commercial buildings.
| Jun 14, 2012
Minnesota Vikings stadium plan gets legislative go-ahead
Legislation that approved the construction of a new billion dollar stadium for the Minnesota Vikings passed the Minnesota legislature.
| Jun 14, 2012
Report alleges New York’s prevailing construction wages are miscalculated, costing billions
A miscalculation in how prevailing wages are calculated in New York reportedly costs the state $3 billion a year in public-infrastructure projects.
| Jun 14, 2012
AGC, other business groups oppose hiring rules for disabled
Business groups have asked the U.S. Department of Labor to reconsider a proposed hiring quota aimed at federal contractors pertaining to people with disabilities.
| Jun 5, 2012
HP Labs aims for net-zero energy data centers
Building sustainable data centers is one of the goals of HP Labs, and it believes technology, combined with the right building techniques, could result in the construction of energy-efficient data centers.
| Jun 5, 2012
USGBC delays LEED 2012; renames it LEED v4
In response to concerns by LEED users, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced that it will delay the ballot on LEED 2012 until June 1, 2013.
| Jun 5, 2012
Baltimore officials vow to block $1.8 billion urban renewal project
Baltimore officials want to block a $1.8 billion urban renewal project until more neighborhood residents and minority contractors are hired and displaced residents can benefit from the revitalization.
| Jun 5, 2012
OSHA launches campaign to warn of heat dangers in outdoor work
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has begun a campaign to warn outdoor workers about the dangers of heat exposure.