ASCE 7-22 · WIND DESIGN METHODS
Which wind procedure do I actually use?
ASCE 7 routes every building through two questions: the whole structural system (MWFRS) or individual elements (C&C) — each with its own chapter and pressure coefficient.
START HERE
The decision tree
Pick the system, then the chapter. Most buildings run both an MWFRS path and a C&C path.
PROCEDURES AT A GLANCE
The main methods
Three building procedures plus the other-structures path — what each covers and where it lives in the standard.
Directional Procedure
MWFRS for buildings of all heights, using wall and roof pressure coefficients.
CH 27 · CpEnvelope Procedure
MWFRS for low-rise buildings, using pseudo-external coefficients across the envelope.
CH 28 · GCpfComponents & Cladding
Localized peak pressures on individual elements — windows, doors, roof panels, fasteners.
CH 30 · GCpOther Structures
Signs, rooftop equipment, chimneys, tanks and towers that are not enclosed buildings.
CH 29THE CORE SPLIT
MWFRS vs C&C
The same building is designed twice — once as a whole system, once element-by-element.
| Aspect | MWFRS | Components & Cladding |
|---|---|---|
| What resists the wind | The overall structural system | Individual elements & their attachments |
| Pressure source | Directional (Ch 27) or Envelope (Ch 28) | C&C pressures (Ch 30) |
| Coefficient | Cp or GCpf | GCp |
| Captures | Whole-building force & sway | Localized peak suction at edges & corners |
ONE PRESSURE EQUATION
The shared inputs
Every procedure starts from the same velocity pressure: qz = 0.00256 Kz Kzt Kd Ke V². These are the terms that feed it.
PUT THE METHOD TO WORK
Run the right procedure, automatically
WindLoadCalc.com applies the correct ASCE 7-22 procedure, coefficients and shared inputs for your building — MWFRS and C&C.
KEEP READING
Related guides
C&C vs MWFRS
System loads versus element loads, side by side.
METHODSDirectional vs Non-Directional
How the directional path differs from the envelope path.
METHODSKd Factor Explained
The 0.85 wind directionality factor and when it applies.
INPUTComplete Wind Load Guide
End-to-end MWFRS pressure analysis and calculations.
GUIDE