Standards & Codes
ASCE 7 (Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures)
Also known as: ASCE 7-22, ASCE Standard 7, Minimum Design Loads
What ASCE 7 contributes to shelter design
- Wind speed maps used by general buildings (separate from the 250 mph tornado design wind)
- Exposure categories B, C, D for terrain roughness
- Load combination equations for combining wind with dead and live loads
Why shelters need more than ASCE 7
ASCE 7 designs for survivable damage at code-level wind. A storm shelter must survive a 250 mph EF5 with debris impact and no structural failure. ICC 500 and FEMA P-320 fill that gap.
Authority: ASCE/SEI 7-22. Last reviewed 2026-06-07.
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