Posts Tagged ‘MecaWind’
Custom Roof
The Custom Roof option in MecaWind Ultimate will not solve all of your custom building problems, but it will handle some specific challenges that designers may face. The Custom Roof option is available for gabled, monoslope, and flat roofs in the Ultimate version of MecaWind. To summarize, the Custom Roof option allows you to design…
Read MoreComponents & Cladding Zone Graphics
The image above is NOT the Jamaican flag; it is actually a graphical representation of the Components and Cladding (C&C) zones for a hipped roof. ASCE 7 has figures that define the C&C and the zones that are applicable for various roof types. The relative dimensions of those zones are based on parameters that are…
Read More2023 Florida Building Code 8th Edition
The Florida Building Code (FBC) has released the 2023 8th Edition, and the most significant change is that it now references ASCE 7-22 rather than ASCE 7-16. We have already summarized the major changes made in ASCE 7-22 in this article link. There were some minor changes in FBC 2023, and we will summarize those in this article.…
Read MoreWind Loads at Elevations
In designing structures we typically want to calculate wind loads at elevations that are important for the structure. Some tall buildings have each floor being the same height and other structures such as the Sagrada Familia Cathedral in Barcelona which is completely unique and has no two floors the same height. Please don’t ask me…
Read More2020 Florida Building Code 7th Edition
It was Benjamain Franklin that said “..in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes and code changes“. Ok, maybe I added that part about code changes, but it is true. Just about the time you think you understand the code and how to apply it to your designs, they change it. Usually…
Read MoreFastest-Mile Wind Speed
Many times we have the difficult task of analyzing a structure that was designed long ago. In such cases, you may find that the wind speed used may appear significantly lower than the wind speed you would expect for that location using today’s standards. In these situations, it’s always important to understand the definition of…
Read MoreBase Reactions in MecaWind
Base Reactions in MecaWind Feb 7, 2020 There can be confusion from users on how to read and interpret the MecaWind Base Reactions that are provided by the MecaWind software program. There is a lot of data presented, and it can become overwhelming. This article is intended to help explain how MecaWind calculates base reactions and how…
Read MoreI Feel the Need to Change Wind Speed
I Feel the Need to Change Wind Speed Nov 8, 2019 It was Tom Cruise in “Top Gun” who once said, “I feel the need, the need for speed”. I sometimes wonder if Tom Cruise is on the ASCE 7 committee, because it feels like they have the need to change the wind speed basis…
Read MoreTornado Alley
Tornado Alley Oct 18, 2019 I live in Oklahoma and during the Spring and Fall seasons we tend to have a lot of tornadoes, and that’s why this part of the country is part of the region dubbed “Tornado Alley.” Since our company sells the MecaWind software, we sometimes get asked whether MecaWind calculates wind loads for tornadoes. Does…
Read MoreShining light on Windows and Doors
Shining light on Windows and Doors Sep 19, 2019 Calculating pressures on windows and doors is one of the most common operations performed in MecaWind, and so we thought we would make a brief video to explain the way to calculate Components and Cladding (C&C). We also show some tips for new features in C&C. Calculate…
Read MoreGetting High on Wind
Getting High on Wind Jul 26, 2019 I am an amateur cyclist, and I typically ride my bike on trails in my home of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma at an elevation of 700 ft [213 m]. One year I took my bike on a vacation to Breckenridge, Colorado at an elevation of 9,000 ft [2743 m]. …
Read MoreMecaWind is like Driving a Car
MecaWind is like Driving a Car Apr 5, 2019 The new MecaWind release provides a new way to select the method used for the Main Wind Force Resisting System (MWFRS) and the Components and Cladding (C&C). The results can be different based upon the MWFRS method and C&C method selected. The question now is which…
Read MoreIt’s not my Default
It’s not my Default May 31, 2019 There is a feature in MecaWind that is seldom used, but can be very helpful. It’s a feature under the File Menu called “Save Current File as Default”. What does it do? When this feature is is selected, it takes the current file and sets it up as the…
Read MoreASCE 7-16 Wind Changes
ASCE 7-16 Wind Changes Apr 8, 2019 The ASCE 7-16 Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures was released in the Summer of 2017, and some jurisdictions are starting to reference this standard. MecaStack has a built in calculator for ASCE 7 wind loads on the stack, but Meca also offers a program called MecaWind which calculates wind…
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