ISO Releases Standard for Calculating Structural Wind Loading
July 8, 2009

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has published ISO 4354, Wind Actions on Structures, designed to help ensure the reliability of structures in areas exposed to strong winds and cyclones. The standard describes the actions of wind on structures and specifies methods for calculating characteristic values of wind loads.

"Perhaps one of the biggest advantages of ISO 4354 is that it allows you to bridge the gaps of all wind loading codes around the world," says Prof. William Melbourne, convenor of the working group that developed the standard. "The standard provides methodology for calculating wind loads on structures, some of which have never been available in this form before. It cancels and replaces the first edition of the standard, originally published in 1997, with a full technical revision."

The standard covers design methodologies for three main storm types:

• Synoptic winds (large-scale winds);
• Thunderstorms; and
• Topical cyclones (hurricanes, typhoons).

It provides the basic methods for determining wind loading analytically for simple structures and guidance for the design of more complex structures.

According to ISO's announcement, because wind is just one of the elements to be considered when designing structures, in addition to, for example, the weight of the structure, load of occupants or seismic actions, ISO 4354 is also intended as a bridge between existing ISO International Standards dealing with the subject. This standard can be used in conjunction with ISO 2394, General principles on reliability for structures, as well as other ISO International Standards on design of structures.

CLICK HERE for more information on the standard.

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