Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete (ACI 318-19)

The "Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete” ("Code”) provides minimum requirements for the materials, design, and detailing of structural concrete buildings and, where applicable, nonbuilding structures. This Code was developed by an ANSI-approved consensus process and addresses structural systems, members, and connections, including cast-in-place, precast, shotcrete, plain, nonprestressed, prestressed, and composite construction. Among the subjects covered are: design and construction for strength, serviceability, and durability; load combinations, load factors, and strength reduction factors; structural analysis methods; deflection limits; mechanical and adhesive anchoring to concrete; development and splicing of reinforcement; construction document information; field inspection and testing; and methods to evaluate the strength of existing structures.

The Code was substantially reorganized and reformatted in 2014, and this Code continues and expands that same organizational philosophy. The principal objectives of the reorganization were to present all design and detailing requirements for structural systems or for individual members in chapters devoted to those individual subjects, and to arrange the chapters in a manner that generally follows the process and chronology of design and construction. Information and procedures that are common to the design of multiple members are located in utility chapters. Additional enhancements implemented in this Code to provide greater clarity and ease of use include the first use of color illustrations and the use of color to help the user navigate the Code and quickly find the information they need. Special thanks to Bentley Systems, Incorporated, for use of their ProConcrete software to produce many of the figures found in the Commentary.

Uses of the Code include adoption by reference in a general building code, and earlier editions have been widely used in this manner. The Code is written in a format that allows such reference without change to its language. Therefore, background details or suggestions for carrying out the requirements or intent of the Code provisions cannot be included within the Code itself. The Commentary is provided for this purpose.

Some considerations of the committee in developing the Code are discussed in the Commentary, with emphasis given to the explanation of new or revised provisions. Much of the research data referenced in preparing the Code is cited for the user desiring to study individual questions in greater detail. Other documents that provide suggestions for carrying out the requirements of the Code are also cited.

Keywords: admixtures; aggregates; anchorage (structural); beam-column frame; beams (supports); caissons; cements; cold weather; columns (supports); combined stress; composite construction (concrete to concrete); compressive strength; concrete; construction documents; construction joints; continuity (structural); contraction joints; cover; curing; deep beams; deep foundations; deflections; drilled piers; earthquake-resistant structures; flexural strength; floors; footings; formwork (construction); hot weather; inspection; isolation joints; joints (junctions); joists; lightweight concretes; load tests (structural); loads (forces); mixture proportioning; modulus of elasticity; moments; piles; placing; plain concrete; precast concrete; prestressed concrete; prestressing steels; quality control; reinforced concrete; reinforcing steels; roofs; serviceability; shear strength; shotcrete; spans; splicing; strength analysis; stresses; structural analysis; structural design; structural integrity; structural walls; T-beams; torsion; walls; water; welded wire reinforcement.

Chapter 1—General
Chapter 2—Notation and Terminology
Chapter 3—Referenced Standards
Chapter 4—Structural System Requirements
Chapter 5—Loads
Chapter 6—Structural Analysis
Chapter 7—One-Way Slabs
Chapter 8—Two-Way Slabs
Chapter 9—Beams
Chapter 10—Columns
Chapter 11—Walls
Chapter 12—Diaphragms
Chapter 13—Foundations
Chapter 14—Plain Concrete
Chapter 15—Beam-Column and Slab-Column Joints
Chapter 16—Connections Between Members
Chapter 17—Anchoring to Concrete
Chapter 18—Earthquake-Resistant Structures
Chapter 19—Concrete: Design and Durability Requirements
Chapter 20—Steel Reinforcement Properties, Durability, & Embedments
Chapter 21—Strength Reduction Factors
Chapter 22—Sectional Strength
Chapter 23—Strut-and-Tie Method
Chapter 24—Serviceability
Chapter 25—Reinforcement Details
Chapter 26—Construction Documents and Inspection
Chapter 27—Strength Evaluation of Existing Structures
Appendix A—Design Verification Using Nonlinear Response History Analysis
Appendix B—Steel Reinforcement Information
Appendix C—Equivalence Between SI-Metric, MKS-Metric, And U.S. Customary Units of Nonhomogenous Equations in the Code