Wind Regions

Overview

All wind regions are determined based on Figure 3.1(A) in AS 1170.

The wind region is automatically assigned to the quote based on the address entered when beginning a quote. Shed Safe will confirm the wind region based on the pinned site location.

For coastal regions, boundaries are smooth lines set in from the coastline by 50, 100, 150, and 200 km intervals.

Note: Islands within 50 km of the coast are designated in the same region as the adjacent coastline.

Why this is important

Wind regions determine the regional wind speed applied in structural design.
Accurate identification of the wind region ensures buildings are designed to meet Australian standards.
Incorrect region selection can compromise safety and compliance.

Regional wind speed (Vr)

Regional wind speeds are used to calculate gust wind speeds appropriate to the region where a structure is to be built.

Measured in metres per second (m/s).
Calculated for all directions based on 3-second gust wind data.
Values are given in Table 3.1 of AS/NZS 1170.2.

The importance level (IL) of the building significantly affects the correct regional wind speed:

IL1 = 1/100 (V100)
IL2 = 1/500 (V500)
IL3 = 1/1000 (V1000)
IL4 = 1/2000 (V2000)

Example:
A building constructed in Region B with:

Importance level 1 (IL1): Regional wind speed = 48 m/s (172.8 km/h).
Importance level 3 (IL3): Regional wind speed = 60 m/s (216 km/h).

This results in a 25% increase in regional wind speed due to the higher importance level.

Tips, best practices & troubleshooting

Always pin the site accurately in SMS to ensure the correct wind region is assigned.
Double-check coastal proximity when quoting jobs in coastal or island areas.
Refer to AS 1170 and AS/NZS 1170.2 when in doubt about classification.

Site Specific Engineering

Request Engineering (Site Check)