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Let’s talk a bit about wind speed and how it figures into what is known as “wind-loads.” First, there is a design wind speed that is expressed in miles per hour for any given area of the country. The new indicator for this wind speed at any given location is measured during a maximum three second wind gust (this is the same way the National Weather Service measures wind gusts). The wind speed that is measured in that three second period is then converted to a figure expressed in pounds per square foot (psf) velocity pressure by a standardized formula. The needed design wind pressure factors that will affect a specific structure can then be determined by a working formula involving the height and exposure of the building to the local ground surface readings. Obviously, each area of the country will measure different wind measurements. For that reason, there is no “cookie-cutter” design. In other words, the wind-loads of Colorado may not be sufficient for an area along the Gulf Coast which can receive annual wind gusts during hurricane season.