EngineerHub.orgHow to use this calculator
Follow the three steps below. Start with the example values, replace them with your own data, and read the result together with the assumptions and limitations.
Inputs
Results
Background
Engineering basis, equations, assumptions, interpretation and practical limitations for this calculator.
q = ½ρV²
p = q × Cₚ × factor
F = pA
A pressure coefficient above 1 can represent a bluff surface. Negative coefficients and uplift require direction-specific design, which this simple calculator does not perform.
Frequently Asked Questions
Practical questions about assumptions, inputs, interpretation and limitations.
No. It is a physics-based screening calculator. It does not replace ASCE 7, Eurocode or another governing wind-loading standard, which may require terrain, height, gust, directionality, importance and pressure-zone factors.
Use the projected area normal to the wind direction for the simplified force calculation. Complex structures may require separate pressure zones or aerodynamic treatment.
Dynamic pressure is proportional to ½ρV². Therefore, before other coefficients are applied, doubling wind speed produces four times the dynamic pressure.
The pressure coefficient represents how shape, orientation and flow interaction modify the basic dynamic pressure acting on a surface. Appropriate values depend on geometry and the governing design method.
Use it for education and preliminary screening only. Final structural wind loads should be determined using the applicable code, site wind speed, exposure, height, pressure zones, load combinations and structural system.