Wind design resource
AS4055 vs AS/NZS 1170.2 for wind classification and design
Both Standards address wind, but they do not produce the same deliverable. AS4055 provides a housing-focused classification and loading pathway for suitable buildings. AS/NZS 1170.2 is the general pathway for determining project-specific wind actions.
By Dominic (Son Hai) Nguyen, Senior Structural Engineer · Last reviewed
NER 4070460 · NSW Design Practitioner DEP0003685 · RPEQ 23510
Direct answer
Choose QuickFrame10 when you need complete structural documentation for a suitable Class 10 building; the applicable wind basis is resolved within the design. Choose QuickWind when you only need a standalone AS4055 site wind classification certificate. Neither product is a standalone AS/NZS 1170.2 pressure report.
What AS4055 provides
AS4055 is commonly used for suitable housing and related Class 10a buildings that fit its scope and geometric limits. It expresses the site wind classification in the familiar N or C format. That classification helps designers, builders and product suppliers coordinate wind-resistant construction.
QuickWind provides the AS4055 Site Wind Classification Certificate for a nominated site. Before ordering, confirm that the building is Class 1 or Class 10a and suitable for AS4055; QuickWind does not determine those matters.
What AS/NZS 1170.2 provides
AS/NZS 1170.2 is used to determine project-specific wind actions from the location, terrain, shielding, topography, building geometry and other relevant factors. The resulting design actions are then applied to the structure and its components. This is not the same as ordering an AS4055 certificate.
A wind classification is not the structural design
The wind classification or wind actions are inputs. Structural design still needs to establish members, connections, bracing, tie-down and a continuous load path to the ground. Product suppliers may also use the wind information to select appropriately wind-rated windows, doors, cladding, roofing or other components within their own scope.
Which weBeta pathway fits?
- Class 10 structural design: use QuickFrame10 for a suitable building with its own structural system and load path to the ground. The applicable wind pathway is resolved as part of the design.
- AS4055 certificate: use QuickWind for a suitable Class 1 or Class 10a project when the certificate is the requested deliverable.
- Other wind engineering: standalone AS/NZS 1170.2 pressures and broader existing-building review are outside the prepaid products. Confirm the exact deliverable first, then use the fee proposal form for other wind engineering.
Wind within the broader loading basis
Wind is one of several actions considered in structural design. Permanent, imposed, snow, ice and earthquake actions are explained in the Class 10 structural loads guide.