Lateral force design (LFD) software for wind and seismic loads per IBC 2003 and ASCE 7-02

This thesis presents a software as teaching tool to help students of architecture study building code theory regarding wind and seismic loads.; This thesis includes three parts. Part I is the background research of building structural design for wind and seismic forces. Part II is the building code study regarding wind and seismic loads based on International Building Code (IBC) 2003 and American Society Civil Engineers (ASCE) 7-02. Part III describes the software.; The software, Lateral Force Design (LFD), describes the concepts and procedures to determine wind and seismic loads based on IBC 2003 and ASCE 7-02. The software generates wind and seismic loads applicable to regular-shaped buildings, including base shear and distribution for each level of force, shear and overturn moment, as well as overall length of shear walls if shear walls are used as lateral force resisting systems.