Major Concrete Standard Gets Overhaul
Capping nearly a decade in development, the American Concrete Institute has updated its seminal structural concrete standard, now organized from an engineer's perspective.
The new ACI 318-14: Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete is the first reorganization of the standard since 1971.
The United States and more than 22 other countries base their national building codes on all or part of ACI 318.
The 2015 International Building Code will also reference the updated code, ACI notes.
Features and Availability
The new code features more tables and charts, new chapters on structural systems, a chapter on construction requirements, and a format that will accommodate new topics in the future.
The code’s structure also follows a hierarchy of methods—with simplest followed by more complex alternatives—and a logical flow of chapters so that users can find the information they need more quickly and more comprehensively, the organization says.
ACI 318-14 is available now, in book and digital editions via www.concrete.org. Spanish and Chinese versions of the code are set for publication in 2015.
Also in 2015, ACI says it will host webinars and seminars on the new standard, and will publish a companion manual with further explanations, analyses and examples.
