ASCE 7 wind and seismic load review

Load criteria are easy to state once and contradict somewhere else. PlanFlag checks that the ASCE 7 design parameters are present and agree across the set.

What PlanFlag checks against ASCE 7

• Design wind speed: stated on the structural notes and consistent wherever it reappears.
• Exposure and risk category: present and carried consistently across sheets.
• Seismic parameters: the seismic design criteria a set should state are present.
• ASCE 7 edition: the cited edition is consistent and matches the governing IBC reference.

Related discipline: Structural plan review.

Three tiers of depth

Essential runs a single best-in-class pass for a fast, affordable first read. Professional adds a reasoning pass that weighs findings against each other and drops false positives. Flagship layers cross-sheet reasoning, table/schedule analysis, and visual verification on top: the deepest coverage for high-stakes sets. The same findings get a deeper verdict as you move up; depth means coverage, not more noise.

Where the engineer stays in control

PlanFlag surfaces candidate findings for a licensed professional to evaluate. It does not perform engineering, and it does not seal, stamp, or approve anything. The engineer of record remains solely responsible for the design, and the reviewing professional remains responsible for every decision to act, or not act, on a finding. A clean or short report is not evidence that a set is complete or compliant; it describes only what was assessed.

The goal is the disciplined review a good reviewer already does: "here is what should be on this sheet, let me find it, and let me investigate the unexpected," run consistently and fast, with receipts.

Related