Wind Pressure, Allowable Stresses, and Materials.
Milwaukee Code of Ordinances § 244-5
in effect244-5. Wind Pressure, Allowable Stresses, and Materials.
1. WIND PRESSURE. a. All signs and billboards shall be constructed, erected, and maintained to safely withstand a wind pressure of not less than 30 pounds per square foot.
b. The exposed area subjected to wind pressure shall be the total area of all parts of the sign or billboard, including structural framing projected on a plane perpendicular to the direction of the wind. In determining the stress in any member, the wind shall be assumed to blow from that horizontal direction and from the inclination of the vertical (but not to exceed 20o above or below the horizontal) which produces the maximum stress in such member. No shielding effect of one element from another shall be considered where the distance between such elements exceeds 4 times the smaller projected dimension of the windward element.
2. ALLOWABLE STRESSES, MATERIALS. a. All materials used in structural members of signs or billboards, and the allowable stresses for such materials, shall be in conformity with the applicable regulations of this code.
b. The allowable stresses in chains, wire ropes and steel guy rods and their fastenings shall not exceed one-quarter of their ultimate strength.
c. All ferrous chains, wire ropes, guy rods, their fastenings and anchor bolts shall be galvanized or be of other approved equivalent protection. All other ferrous parts of signs or billboards subject to corrosion shall be protected and maintained free from corrosion by approved corrosion-resistant coating.
Source: City of Milwaukee Legislative Reference Bureau, Milwaukee City Charter and Code of Ordinances (city.milwaukee.gov master PDFs)URL: https://city.milwaukee.gov/ImageLibrary/Groups/ccClerk/Ordinances/Volume-2/CH244.pdf#page=3Fetched: 10/26/2026