BREVe2 (BS6399-2:1997) Software

Introduction

BREVe2 automates the design wind speed and dynamic pressure clauses for any site on the UK National Grid.

ActiveX technology allows you to embed the power of BREVe2 into any compatible application, including Excel spreadsheets.

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Who is using it

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What BREVe2 does

BREVe2 automates the design wind speed methods in British Standard BS6399-2:1997 Loading for buildings. Code of practice for wind loads, 1997 for any site in the UK (excluding Northern Ireland).

BREVe2 reports design wind speed and dynamic pressure from both the standard and directional methods of BS6399-2, the hybrid method of BRE Digest 436, as recommended by DETR, and the full method of the BRE Designer's guide to wind loading of building structures, from which BS6399-2:1997 was derived. BREVe2 also reports the mean wind speed and turbulence intensity for use in dynamic design.

The BREVe2 Application gives the user full site control and reporting of all BS6399-2:1997 methods in a stand-alone program. See example of Hybrid method.

Alternatively, the user may integrate all the BREVe2 functions directly into other applications, including Microsoft Word documents or Excel spreadsheets, using the BREVe2 ActiveX component.

The BREVe2 Application and ActiveX control will list all the intermediate parameters used in obtaining the result

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How BREVe2 does it

From just the National Grid reference, BREVe2 determines the site parameters automatically from extensive databases of ground roughness, altitude and topographic slope to a resolution of 1km for sites anywhere on the UK National Grid. Plymouth Mountbatten example.

The Automatic Wizard adjusts the site exposure and topography to give the optimum safe results within each 1km grid square without any need for the user to enter data. Alternatively, the Manual Wizard offers a series of standard choices to obtain only such additional information as is needed about the site to refine the site location to 100m resolution. The safe choice used by the Automatic Wizard is always pre-selected. See example.

The Site Editor allows all the site parameters to be adjusted individually and parameters for sites outside the UK to be entered by hand.

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Key improvements from Version 1

BREVe2 still uses the BRE database of roughness categories from the Designer's guide, but the rules for significant roughness changes have been upgraded to comply with BRE Digest 436.

Automation has been improved by a new Ordnance Survey database of maximum slope in each 1km square that allows BREVe2 to define the optimum topography for the 1km square, irrespective of direction. The user may refine this by entering the directional topographic parameters using the Site Editor.

BREVe2 now gives a low-cost option of safe results to 1km resolution only.

Reporting has been improved by formatting the report, which may be printed or written to file.

The new "engine" of BREVe2 is an ActiveX component. This component can now be integrated into any compatible software, including spreadsheets such as Excel, allowing the user to integrate BREVe2 into customized applications.

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Instructions and support

BREVe2 comes with a comprehensive on-line context-sensitive HTML Help, covering all aspects of the BREVe2 Application and the ActiveX component.

Support for BREVe2 is provided through a telephone help-line or by email free of charge for currently-registered users. However, we reserve the right to charge an agreed consultancy rate for any additional support and advice that is not directly connected with the operation of BREVe2.

Support for developers holding a Development and Distribution licence will be provided free of charge for the duration of the licence agreement.

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System requirements

BREVe2 requires Microsoft 32-bit Windows NT, ME, XP or Vista. Administrator status is required to install and register but, once this is done, BREVe2 will work of all Users.

BREVe2 should always be installed from the distributed install package to that the essential ActiveX components are properly registered with the Windows system, the databases are initialized for use and the access permissions are properly set.

Install package includes Windows-compliant Uninstall for full removal and complies with the Microsoft requirements of XP and Vista systems.

BREVe2 requires registration if purchased for use on a single PC and this is non-transferable. The licence expires annually, or when the OS databases have been accessed 1000 times, whichever is the sooner.

"BREVe-enabled Applications", developed by developers holding a Development and Distribution licence are registered separately from the BREVe2 Application, and have their own unique access counters.

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Update policy

Although we are not obliged to update BREVe2, our policy will be to correct any defects and to include any amendments to BS6399-2:1997.

We reserve the right to charge a fee for any update that extends the functionality of BREVe2 or is required as a result of a revision of BS6399-2:1997.

BREVe2 uses the fully-automatic mode when the registered licence is current, but reverts to the semi-automatic mode when the licence expires. The semi-automatic mode also applies in the 7-day free trial period.

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Access levels

BREVe2 is available with two levels of data support:

1. Semi-automatic Using BRE ground roughness and safe site wind speed databases (no OS data), requiring manual input of topography information.
2. Fully-automatic Using BRE ground roughness and base wind speed databases, Ordnance Survey altitude and slope databases at 1km resolution.

BREVe2 uses the fully-automatic mode when the registered licence is current, but reverts to the semi-automatic mode when the licence expires. The semi-automatic mode also applies in the 7-day free trial period.

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