What are the ASCE 7-22 wind speed maps?

ASCE 7-22 provides four separate basic wind speed maps, one per Risk Category. Each map gives the ultimate 3-second gust speed at 33 feet in Exposure C and is tied to a mean recurrence interval: 300-year for Category I, 700-year for Category II, 1,700-year for Category III, and 3,000-year for Category IV.

How is the wind importance factor handled in ASCE 7-22?

There is no wind importance factor in ASCE 7-22, just as in 7-16. The old velocity-pressure factor was eliminated. Instead, your Risk Category selects which of the four wind speed maps you read your basic wind speed from, so a higher category points to a longer return period and a higher design speed.

How do I find the design wind speed for my site?

Pin your project by coordinates or address, pick the Risk Category (I, II, III, or IV) for your occupancy, then read the matching map. The actual mph varies by location and rises toward the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. Use the ASCE Hazard Tool or a velocity finder to pull the exact value without interpolation errors.

What changed in the ASCE 7-22 maps compared to 7-16?

ASCE 7-22 keeps the same separate-maps-by-Risk-Category framework as 7-16, with no importance factor. The 2022 maps were re-derived using newer hurricane and climate datasets, and some coastal contours were refined for finer resolution along hurricane-exposed shorelines. The ASCE Hazard Tool returns site-specific values by coordinates.

How does the basic wind speed relate to velocity pressure?

The basic wind speed V from the map feeds the velocity pressure equation qz = 0.00256 x Kz x Kzt x Kd x Ke x V squared, where the wind directionality factor Kd equals 0.85 for buildings. The ASCE 7-22 maps already give ultimate (strength-level) speeds; multiply by 0.6 if a nominal, service-level value is needed.

ASCE 7-22 · WIND SPEED MAPS

ASCE 7-22 wind speed maps, refined by risk category

Four separate maps, one per Risk Category, each tied to a mean recurrence interval. Ultimate 3-second gust speeds at 33 ft in Exposure C.

4RISK-CATEGORY MAPS

700-yrRISK CATEGORY II MRI

7-22LATEST ASCE EDITION

ONE MAP PER CATEGORY

Four maps, four return periods

ASCE 7-22 keeps the 7-16 structure: Risk Category selects which map you read V from, with no importance factor multiplier. Higher category means a longer return period and a higher design speed.

Risk Category I

Low hazard to human life: minor agricultural and storage structures.

300-YR MRI

Risk Category II

Standard occupancy: homes, offices, retail, and most buildings.

700-YR MRI

Risk Category III

Substantial hazard: large assembly, schools, jails, and key utilities.

1,700-YR MRI

Risk Category IV

Essential facilities: hospitals, fire and police, EOCs, and shelters.

3,000-YR MRI

These are mean recurrence intervals (return periods), not importance-factor multipliers. The actual mph varies by location on each map.

HOW THE MAP READS

Contours of basic wind speed

Speeds rise toward the hurricane-exposed Atlantic and Gulf coasts and stay lower across the interior. The map below is illustrative, not a code map.

Read your site between the labeled contours and interpolate. Sites in a Special Wind Region need site-specific analysis.

7-16 → 7-22

What the 2022 edition refined

Same separate-maps-by-Risk-Category framework as ASCE 7-16. The 2022 maps were re-derived with newer data and finer detail; described qualitatively below.

Updated hurricane data

Maps re-derived using newer hurricane and climate datasets than the 7-16 basis.

NEWER DATA

Refined coastal detail

Some coastal contours were refined for added resolution along hurricane-exposed shorelines.

FINER DETAIL

ASCE Hazard Tool integration

The online ASCE Hazard Tool returns site-specific values for the 7-22 maps by coordinates.

SITE-SPECIFIC

No importance factor is applied for wind in ASCE 7-22, just as in 7-16. The old velocity-pressure I_w was eliminated; Risk Category instead selects a different map.

GET YOUR V

Find your site-specific speed

Three steps from project address to a defensible design wind speed for the right Risk Category.

1 · Set your location

Pin the project by coordinates or address so the right map region is used.

STEP 1

2 · Pick the Risk Category

Choose I, II, III, or IV to read the matching MRI map for your occupancy.

STEP 2

3 · Pull the value

Use the ASCE Hazard Tool or our velocity finder for the exact V, no interpolation errors.

VELOCITY FINDER

START YOUR CALCULATION

From map to finished wind loads

Pull your ASCE 7-22 design wind speed and run the full pressure analysis in one place.

Wind Load Calculators Wind Speed by Zip Code

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