New Guide Available for Building Designers

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A new HUD publication, Structural Design Loads for One- and Two-Family Dwellings, provides residential building designers and engineers with a practical and technically sound model for determining design loads for townhouses and low-rise detached houses. A load is a force or pressure acting on a building component or system that originates from the weight of the building (dead load), occupants and contents (live loads), and environmental effects (soil, wind, snow, or earthquake loads). Residential designers and engineers assess load factors to ensure structural safety and integrity. The guide advances residential building design by unifying the current practice of applying design loads, improving the level of efficiency in the design effort, and promoting cost-effective results. Readers will find relevant technical information from several resources, including existing and past research, property standards, local and national building codes, and similar international documents.

Based on a compilation and simplification of best practices for residential design and construction, the guide supplements national model building codes and design standards. These models typically include such a wealth of information that engineers and designers often have difficulty applying them to residential buildings. Similarly, generalized design criteria often overlook unique technical considerations for residential buildings.

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Structural Design Loads for One- and Two-Family Dwellings examines a variety of loads placed on residential structures, including dead and live loads, soil loads, wind loads, snow loads, and earthquake loads. The guide begins with a useful glossary of terms and symbols used throughout the book. An appendix contains maps indicating the number of days of freezing air (degree F) for a 100-year period, basic wind speeds, ground snow loads, and earthquake ground motion. Two additional appendixes provide supplemental design references and a chart of metric conversion factors. While written in a regulatory style, the guide is not currently referenced in any existing local, state, or national U.S. model building codes. Therefore, the authors caution building designers to be aware of variations from local regulations prior to using this guide as an alternate means or method of design.

Order Structural Design Loads for One- and Two-Family Dwellings from HUD USER for $5. Use the order form. The report can also be downloaded from the HUD USER website at www.huduser.gov.