SPRI offers in-depth seminar on Wind Design

Needham, MA, April 2002 -- SPRI, the organization representing sheet membrane and component suppliers to the commercial roofing industry, is proud to announce that it has developed a comprehensive, day-long program on factors to consider regarding the wind resistance of low-slope roofing systems.

mportant but often misunderstood aspect of design. To fill this void, SPRI has drawn on its member companies' extensive resources to develop this seminar on wind design.

This well-illustrated course covers a wide range of topics, from wind effects on buildings and how they act on different types of roof systems to the ways that wind loads are referenced by industry organizations like Factory Mutual (FM) Research Corp., Norwood, MA, and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). SPRI's own publications on wind issues, which include the SPRI Wind Design Guide as well as its ANSI/SPRI RP-4 and ES-1 standards, are also discussed.

An interactive portion of the program leads seminar participants through real-world examples, step by step. In this way, SPRI's program conveys both the science and the practice of calculating wind loads.

About 300 slides thoroughly showcase these design concepts. A course manual reinforces the topics discussed during the seminar and includes copies of all these slides.

SPRI Technical Director Dave Roodvoets explains, "Our goal is to educate people who are involved in roof design, whether they are architects, consultants, specification writers or contractors, so that they fully understand wind loads and their designs comply with local building codes. Instead of arbitrarily specifying FM 1-90 roofs, whether they're needed or not," Roodvoets continues, "this program aims to help people avoid over-engineering their roofs, which makes them cost more than they should, as well as to prevent roofs from being under-engineered."

"There really isn't anyth Wind loading on roofs is an iing around like this program," says Ken Wolford, chairman of the task force that developed the program. "Wind design can be a confusing science. We've put a lot of effort into simplifying these confusing issues with graphics and sample problems based on actual conditions," Wolford says. "We've tried to make this program as user-friendly as possible."

In fact, Wolford continues, "This program showcases the talent of SPRI. It is a true product of the association, having been conceived by SPRI staff and developed by its members."

This program is now available for presentation to interested associations and related industry groups. For more information, contact SPRI's headquarters at 781-444-0242 or e-mail info@spri.org.