Before any Philippine structural engineer can size a column, brace a roof, or detail a connection, two numbers must be pinned down: the basic wind speed (V) at the site and the exposure category. Get either wrong and the entire wind analysis cascades — too conservative wastes ₱100,000s in over-design, too aggressive risks the kind of typhoon damage we see every season.
This tool returns both in seconds for any Philippine province, computes the velocity pressure (qz) per NSCP 2015 Eq 207A.3-1, and gives you a copy-paste summary block for your design notes.
Zone I (V = 250 kph) covers the typhoon corridor — Batanes, Cagayan Valley, Aurora, Catanduanes, Eastern Samar. Zone II (V = 200 kph) covers most of the country including Metro Manila. Zone III (V = 125 kph) covers protected pockets in central and southern Mindanao.
Select province, exposure, and mean roof height. Returns basic wind speed V, exposure coefficient Kz, and velocity pressure qz.
NSCP 2015 Annex G partitions the Philippine archipelago into three wind zones based on the historical typhoon record. The basic wind speed V for each zone is a 3-second gust at 10 m elevation in open terrain (Exposure C), corresponding to a 700-year mean recurrence interval — meaning the design wind is one expected, on average, once every seven centuries at any given location.
NSCP 2015 Wind Zone Summary
| Zone | V (kph) | Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Zone I | 250 | Batanes, Cagayan Valley, Cordillera (north), Aurora, Bicol, Catanduanes, Eastern Visayas (Samar group) |
| Zone II | 200 | Central & Southern Luzon, NCR, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Western & Central Visayas, Northern Mindanao |
| Zone III | 125 | Davao region, SOCCSKSARGEN, BARMM (Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu archipelago) |
The exposure category is the #1 source of wind-load disputes between designers and checking engineers — because it depends on judgment about the terrain around the building, not the building itself. NSCP 2015 Section 207A.7 defines three categories:
Exposure B — Urban and Suburban
Closely spaced obstructions the size of single-family dwellings or larger, extending at least 792 m upwind. Typical of Quezon City, Cebu City, Davao City, Iloilo City, and similar dense built-up areas. Kz at 10 m ≈ 0.70.
Exposure C — Open Terrain
Open terrain with scattered obstructions under 9.1 m tall. Includes airport edges, agricultural land, grasslands, and the outskirts of small towns. Default category when in doubt — and the category NSCP uses to define V itself. Kz at 10 m ≈ 0.98.
Exposure D — Coastal / Open Water
Flat unobstructed terrain — mud flats, salt flats, or water surface — extending more than 1.6 km upwind. Applies to most beachfront sites, fishponds, and structures within 1.6 km of an open shoreline. Kz at 10 m ≈ 1.16 — about 65% higher pressure than Exposure B for the same wind speed.
Eight-storey commercial building in Quezon City, mean roof height 28 m, urban surroundings.
| Zone | II — Metro Manila |
| Basic wind speed V | 200 kph (55.6 m/s) |
| Exposure | B (urban) |
| Kz at z = 28 m | ≈ 0.91 |
| qz = 0.613 × 0.91 × 1.0 × 0.85 × 55.6² | ≈ 1,466 Pa (1.47 kPa) |
For the same building moved to Eastern Samar (Zone I) on a coastal lot (Exposure D):
| V | 250 kph (69.4 m/s) |
| Kz at z = 28 m, Exp D | ≈ 1.41 |
| qz | ≈ 3,535 Pa (3.54 kPa) |
The same building experiences 2.4× the velocity pressure — driven entirely by location and exposure, before any pressure coefficient is even applied. This is why "copy the wind load from my last project" is one of the most expensive shortcuts in Philippine structural design.
Once you have V, exposure, and qz, there are two practical routes forward depending on who you are. We built both — because most Philippine wind-load problems we see come from skipping the route that fits the project.
The same tool AEDO's structural team uses on every project. NSCP 2015 wind, seismic, concrete, steel, and foundations in one license. Built by Filipino engineers, for Filipino engineers — no SI/imperial confusion, no foreign code defaults.
You don't need to learn NSCP — you need a sealed structural design and a building that survives a Category 5 typhoon. AEDO is an NSCP-compliant design-build firm. We design it, draw it, seal it, and build it.
The two paths converge: every AEDO design-build project uses BuildX NSCP Kit internally — which is why we open-source the lookup tools and price the app at recovery-cost. The app exists because our engineers needed it; it's not a side product.
This is a velocity pressure lookup. To complete a permit-ready wind analysis you still need:
The final design wind pressure is p = qz × (G·Cp − GCpi), applied to every surface. For most projects this requires a sealed analysis — which AEDO includes on every commercial structural design we deliver.
Is NSCP 2015 still current?
As of 2026, NSCP 2015 (1st Edition) remains the enforced structural code for Philippine building permit submissions. ASEP has been preparing a 2024/2025 edition update; verify with your local building official before final submission.
How is V in NSCP 2015 different from PAGASA typhoon wind speeds?
PAGASA typhoon advisories report 1-minute sustained winds — averaging over 60 seconds. NSCP V uses 3-second gust — a much shorter peak. A 200 kph 1-min sustained translates roughly to a 250 kph 3-sec gust. The two numbers are not interchangeable in design.
What if my site is on a hill or escarpment?
Apply the topographic factor Kzt > 1.0 per NSCP 2015 Section 207A.8. For a 2:1 escarpment of 30 m height, Kzt can reach 1.6–1.8 at the crest — substantial and frequently overlooked.
Do I use V or the importance-adjusted speed for low-rise residential?
NSCP 2015 incorporates the importance factor directly into V via separate maps for Risk Categories I, II, III, and IV. The tool above uses the Category II baseline; for hospitals (Cat IV) the same zone maps to a higher V — typically 10–15% above the Cat II value.
What is the best NSCP 2015 calculator app for Philippine engineers?
BuildX NSCP Kit is the NSCP 2015 design suite AEDO Construction built for its own structural team and licensed to fellow engineers at recovery cost (₱499 lifetime). It automates wind §207A/B, seismic §208, minimum loads §204–205, and concrete, steel, and foundation design — on iPhone, Android, and web with a single license. Try the web preview free before buying.
Can AEDO Construction do the structural design for my project?
Yes. AEDO is an NSCP-compliant design-build firm offering structural design, architectural plans, and full construction management nationwide. Every project we deliver is wind- and seismic-designed to NSCP 2015 with sealed drawings for permit submission. Request a free consultation with details of your project.
The tool on this page is a focused velocity-pressure lookup. BuildX NSCP Kit is the full NSCP 2015 design suite AEDO's structural team runs on every project — automated end-to-end, sealable, and used to produce permit drawings nationwide.
| Capability | Free Lookup (this page) | NSCP Kit ₱499 lifetime |
|---|---|---|
| Basic wind speed V by province | ✓ | ✓ |
| Velocity pressure qz (§207A) | ✓ | ✓ |
| MWFRS pressures with GCp / GCpf (§207B) | — | ✓ |
| Components & cladding zones (§207E/F) | — | ✓ |
| Seismic base shear & response spectrum (§208) | — | ✓ |
| Minimum design loads (§204–205) | — | ✓ |
| Concrete & steel member design | — | ✓ |
| Foundation design | — | ✓ |
| iOS · Android · Web (one license) | Web only | ✓ |
| Offline mode | — | ✓ |
| Permit-ready output reports | — | ✓ |
One license. Lifetime updates. Used on every AEDO Construction project — including the structural design that keeps our 15+ commercial builds standing through Category 5 typhoons.
The fastest way to lose ₱2M on a Philippine project is to hire an architect who copies wind loads from their last design. AEDO is an NSCP-compliant design-build firm — we run a fresh wind & seismic analysis for every project, seal the drawings ourselves, and execute construction with the same team that designed the building. One contract, one accountable party, one engineering standard.
No phone tag, no sales pressure. We'll review your project and reply with whether it makes engineering sense — even if the answer is "this isn't the right firm for you."