Coastal Construction: Determining Site Specific Loads

This course provides guidance on determining site-specific loads from high winds, flooding, and seismic events. The loads determined in accordance with this guidance are applied to the design of building elements described in our other Coastal Construction courses (based on Chapters 9 through 15 of the FEMA Guide).

The guidance is intended to illustrate important concepts and best practices in accordance with building codes and standards and does not represent an exhaustive collection of load calculation methods. Examples of problems are provided to illustrate the application of design load provisions of ASCE 7‑10. For more detailed guidance, see the applicable building codes or standards.

Topics: Dead and Live Loading Concept of Tributary or Effective Area Application of Loads to a Building Snow and Flood Loads Design Floods and DFE Design Stillwater Flood Depth Wave Setup Contribution to Flood Depth Design Breaking Wave Height Design Flood Velocity Wave and Hydrodynamic Loads Debris Impact Loads Localized Scour Flood Load Combinations Tsunami and Wind Loads Main Wind Force Resisting System Components and Cladding Tornado and Seismic Loads

Intended Audience: This course is intended for Coastal, Geotechnical, Civil, Environmental, Water Resources, and other engineers whose job description requires a general knowledge of coastal construction.

Publication Source: US FEMA, Coastal Construction Manual, 4th Edition