A solar carport is not a shade structure. It is a building-class steel assembly exposed to full wind, snow, and seismic loads over a 25-year service life. The structural code it was designed to determines whether it survives those loads or fails — and which code applies depends entirely on where the project sits.
This guide covers the major structural codes across every key region for solar carport projects, what each code governs, and how to verify a supplier is actually using the right one.
Americas: ASCE 7-16 and the IBC Framework
In the United States and most of Latin America, solar carports fall under ASCE 7-16 (Minimum Design Loads and Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures), enforced through the International Building Code (IBC).
For wind loads, Chapter 27 of ASCE 7-16 covers the Main Wind Force Resisting System (MWFRS) for buildings and open structures. Solar carports qualify as open or partially enclosed structures, which produces different pressure coefficients than fully enclosed buildings. The edge zones carry higher uplift than the interior — often 30 to 50 percent more. A calculation that ignores edge-zone differentiation will undersize the perimeter connections.
The critical exposure categories are Exposure B (suburban/wooded), C (open terrain), and D (coastal/waterfront). A carport sited in a coastal parking lot sits in Exposure D and must use the highest velocity pressure coefficients in the code. This is a common source of underdesign when suppliers apply inland exposure assumptions to coastal projects.
Florida HVHZ. Florida's High Velocity Hurricane Zone (Broward and Miami-Dade counties) imposes requirements beyond standard ASCE 7-16. Products must carry Miami-Dade NOA or Florida Product Approval listing. Wind speed design values in the HVHZ regularly exceed 180 mph (3-second gust). Any solar carport proposed for South Florida without local product approval is non-compliant from day one.
California seismic. California falls under Seismic Design Category D and E in most urban areas. Under IBC/ASCE 7-16 Chapter 12, seismic forces must be combined with wind loads in the governing load case. Column base plates, anchor bolts, and foundation embedment depth are sized to resist horizontal seismic demand. Projects in high-seismic zones that only show wind calculations are missing a required design check.
Europe: Eurocode EN 1991 and EN 1993
European solar carports are designed to the Eurocodes, specifically:
- EN 1991-1-4 — Wind actions on structures
- EN 1993-1-1 — Design of steel structures, general rules
- EN 1993-1-8 — Design of joints
- EN 1990 — Basis of structural design (load combinations)
EN 1991-1-4 divides wind terrain into Terrain Categories 0 through IV. Coastal and open terrain sites (Category 0 and I) produce the highest dynamic pressures. The code uses a fundamental wind velocity map across Europe, with national annexes specifying the country-specific basic wind velocity and terrain parameters. A carport project in Denmark uses different peak wind pressures than an identical structure in Portugal, even if the Eurocode framework is the same.
National annexes matter. Each EU member state publishes its own annex to EN 1991-1-4 with country-specific wind speed maps, terrain roughness multipliers, and procedure choices. France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Poland all have distinct annexes. A generic "Eurocode-compliant" carport with no national annex applied to the site location is only partially designed.
EN 1993-1-8 governs connection design. This includes bolt grade, weld throat, joint classification, and rotation capacity. For solar carports, the critical joints are the column base plate to anchor bolt group, the beam-to-column flange connection, and the purlin-to-beam cleat. These connections must satisfy the partial factor approach in EN 1990 with the appropriate load combination factors (ψ values).
Snow loads for European projects are covered in EN 1991-1-3, with characteristic ground snow loads tabulated by country in the national annexes. Carports in Poland, Romania, or alpine France can carry significant snow accumulation, especially on low-slope monopitch canopies where snowdrift provisions apply.
Asia-Pacific: JIS, AS/NZS, and Southeast Asian Codes
JIS B 8955:2017 (Japan). Japan's solar mounting standard is the most specific to PV systems in the APAC region. It covers load calculation methodology, wind pressure determination, snow load (critical in Tohoku and Hokkaido), seismic response, and member design checks specific to solar racking. JIS B 8955:2017 replaced the 2011 edition with updated wind pressure coefficients for ground-mounted systems and roof-mounted arrays. For solar carports, the code provides design wind pressure maps and building shape coefficients directly applicable to open canopy structures. Solaracks uses JIS B 8955:2017 as one of its primary design standards.
AS/NZS 1170 (Australia and New Zealand). AS/NZS 1170.2 governs wind loads in Australia and New Zealand. The code uses a regional wind speed classification (Regions A through D, with D being tropical cyclone coast) and applies terrain-height multipliers and shielding factors. Cyclone-prone northern Australia (Region C and D) requires significantly higher design wind speeds — up to 69 m/s ultimate for Region D. Connection design follows AS/NZS 4600 (cold-formed steel) or AS 4100 (hot-rolled steel) depending on member type. The New South Wales and Queensland planning frameworks require certified engineering documentation for building-permit applications on carport structures.
Philippines NSCP 2015. The National Structural Code of the Philippines uses a wind speed map derived from historical typhoon data. Basic wind speeds for Metro Manila are 200 kph, and coastal regions in the Visayas or eastern Mindanao can reach 250 kph. The NSCP uses ASCE 7-inspired load factors and load combinations, making it broadly compatible with ASCE 7-16 methodology. However, the local wind speed input and exposure category assignments must follow the NSCP map, not the U.S. wind speed contours.
Vietnam TCVN 2737:2023. Vietnam's structural load standard specifies wind pressure zones across the country. Zone V (central and northern coastal Vietnam) carries the highest wind pressure values. TCVN 2737 uses a wind pressure coefficient approach broadly similar to ISO-derived methods, but the numerical inputs for zones and terrain roughness are country-specific. Projects in Da Nang, Hue, or Quang Ngai must apply Zone V pressures with appropriate gust factors for open structures.
Middle East: Saudi Building Code and Abu Dhabi Standards
Saudi Building Code (SBC 301/302). Saudi Arabia's structural codes are derived from ASCE 7 with local amendments for the Arabian Peninsula's specific conditions. SBC 301 covers load requirements including wind, with wind speed maps calibrated for Saudi terrain. While wind speeds are moderate in most inland areas, the combination of sand erosion, thermal cycling (+60°C in summer), and seismic activity in the western Hejaz region creates a demanding combined loading environment. Base plate and anchor design must account for concrete quality variations common in Saudi construction.
Abu Dhabi International Building Code / ADSM. Abu Dhabi follows the International Building Code framework under the Abu Dhabi Department of Municipalities and Transport guidelines. Wind pressure maps are referenced to the Gulf region, with coastal Exposure D applying to most waterfront developments. Thermal expansion is a significant design consideration — steel members in the UAE see temperature swings exceeding 70°C between night minimums and peak summer exposure, requiring slotted holes in purlin connections and expansion joints at regular intervals.
Global: ISO 4355 Snow Loads
For projects in high-altitude or northern markets, ISO 4355:2013 (Bases for design of structures — Determination of snow loads on roofs) provides an internationally referenced basis for snow load determination. It is particularly relevant for projects where no local standard exists or where a multinational EPC company needs a consistent design basis across multiple countries. ISO 4355 covers characteristic ground snow loads, roof snow load reduction factors, and drift provisions for low-slope structures — all relevant to solar carport canopies in Poland, Romania, Turkey, or high-altitude sites in Chile and Argentina.
Which Code Applies to Your Project?
The rule is simple: the code that governs is the one required by the local authority having jurisdiction (AHJ). In practice:
- Americas → ASCE 7-16 / IBC, plus local amendments
- Europe → EN 1991-1-4 + relevant national annex
- Japan → JIS B 8955:2017
- Australia/NZ → AS/NZS 1170
- Southeast Asia → national standard (NSCP, TCVN, SNI) or ASCE 7-16 by reference
- Middle East → SBC or ADSM, both IBC-derived
A supplier that quotes a standard carport design without specifying which code and which site inputs were used has not done a structural design. They have done geometry.
How Solaracks Handles Structural Compliance
Solaracks designs to JIS B 8955:2017 and ASCE 7-16 as primary standards, and can apply EN 1991-1-4, NSCP, TCVN, and regional Middle East codes for specific markets.
Every project receives a site-specific structural calculation note, not a generic catalog reference. The load chain — from design wind speed through pressure coefficients to member utilization ratios and connection capacity — is documented in full. SAP2000 is used for structural analysis of non-standard configurations, large spans, or high-wind regions.
Quote and structural design within 24 hours. If your project requires permit-ready documentation or a specific local code, state it in your inquiry and it will be addressed in the first submission.
Get in touch at solaracks.com.