Description:
ASCE 7 is an integral part of the building codes of the United States, and its provisions are adopted by reference by the International Building Code. Structural engineers, architects, and those engaged in preparing and administering local building codes will find the structural load requirements essential to their practice.
The new ASCE Standard 7-10 provides requirements for general structural design and includes means for determining dead, live, soil, flood, wind, snow, rain, atmospheric ice, and earthquake loads, and their combinations that are suitable for inclusion in building codes and other documents. A detailed commentary containing explanatory and supplementary information to assist users of ASCE 7-10 is included.
Major revisions have taken place from the 2005 edition of ASCE 7 in both the wind design and the seismic design provisions. Wind design has changed more drastically than at any time since the publication of ASCE 7-95. Changes include a major reorganization of the wind provisions, changes to the wind maps and corresponding changes to wind load factors. In addition, a new simplified version of the general analytical procedure under Method 2, which is applicable to buildings of all heights, has been introduced.
In seismic design, four major changes to the seismic maps have taken place. Other significant changes to the ASCE 7 seismic provisions include changes to Table 12.2-1 (the R-values table).
Among other significant changes, performance-based design procedures are introduced, occupancy categories are replaced with risk categories, and the general structural integrity requirements are enhanced.
