Scope and Purpose

At a system level, the comprehensive desktop application will automate and streamline the process of determining environmental loads for wall cladding and curtain walls of high-rise buildings by the NBCC 2020. The application is intended to be used by any Canadian engineer to design cladding systems and glass-wall (or curtain-wall) systems. From our understanding, SEEDA employees will be maintaining and re-testing it but they will not be the main users.

This application will be a valuable tool for specialty structural engineers designing buildings anywhere in Canada, streamlining the design process for cladding components in simple prism buildings. The structural design industry in Canada lacks an automated system for defining environmental loads for cladding. Currently, commercial Finite Element Analysis (FEA) programs are used for primary structural elements, but there is a significant gap in the market for a system dedicated to supporting facade elements. Designing a desktop application for cladding components will bridge the gap in engineering society, and standardize the design procedure by reducing risk, misinterpretation of building codes, and the possibility of overly conservative designs with excessive loads. The application will enhance efficiency and accuracy in load calculations for non-structural components, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards. The next section provides an in-depth description of the project at a component level.