ACI 318M/318RM-02

Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete (ACI

318M-02) and Commentary (ACI 318RM-02) (metric version)

Reported by ACI Committee 318

Structural Building Code
James R. Cagley Basile G. Rabbat
Chairman Secretary

Craig E. Barnes S. K. Ghosh Cary S. Kopczynski Jack P. Moehle

Florian G. Barth Hershell Gill James Lefter Glen M. Ross
Roger J. Becker David P. Gustafson H. S. Lew Charles G. Salmon
Kenneth B. Bondy James R. Harris James G. MacGregor Mete A. Sozen
John E. Breen Neil M. Hawkins John A. Martin, Jr. Dean E. Stephan
Anthony P. Chrest C. Raymond Hays Leslie D. Martin Richard A. Vognild*
W. Gene Corley Richard E. Holguin Robert F. Mast Joel S. Weinstein
Robert A. Epifano Phillip J. Iverson Robert McCluer James K. Wight
Catherine W. French James O. Jirsa Richard C. Meininger Loring A. Wyllie, Jr.
Luis E. Garcia Gary J. Klein

Voting Subcommittee Members

Ronald A. Cook Terence C. Holland Gerard J. McGuire Julio A. Ramirez Stephen J. Seguirant
Richard W. Furlong Kenneth C. Hover Peter P. M. Meza Gajanan M. Sabnis* Roberto Stark
William L. Gamble Michael E. Kreger Denis Mitchell John R. Salmons Maher K. Tadros
Roger Green LeRoy A. Lutz Suzanne D. Nakaki David H. Sanders John W. Wallace
Scott A. Greer Joe Maffei Randall W. Poston Thomas C. Schaeffer Sharon L. Wood
D. Kirk Harman Steven L. McCabe

Consulting Members
Richard D. Gaynor Edward S. Hoffman Richard A. Ramsey
Jacob S. Grossman Francis J. Jacques† Irwin J. Speyer
John M. Hanson Alan H. Mattock
*
Retired from committee before the final ballot.
†
Deceased.

The code portion of this document covers the proper design and construction of buildings of structural concrete. The code has been written in such form that
it may be adopted by reference in a general building code and earlier editions have been widely used in this manner.
Among the subjects covered are: drawings and specifications; inspection; materials; durability requirements; concrete quality, mixing, and placing; form-
work; embedded pipes; construction joints; reinforcement details; analysis and design; strength and serviceability; flexural and axial loads; shear and torsion;
development and splices of reinforcement; slab systems; walls; footings; precast concrete; composite flexural members; prestressed concrete; shells and folded
plate members; strength evaluation of existing structures; special provisions for seismic design; structural plain concrete; strut-and-tie modeling in Appendix
A; alternative design provisions in Appendix B; alternative load and strength-reduction factors in Appendix C; and anchoring to concrete in Appendix D.
The quality and testing of materials used in construction are covered by reference to the appropriate ASTM standard specifications. Welding of reinforcement
is covered by reference to the appropriate ANSI/AWS standard.
Because the ACI Building Code is written as a legal document so that it may be adopted by reference in a general building code, it cannot present background
details or suggestions for carrying out its requirements or intent. It is the function of this commentary to fill this need.
The commentary discusses some of the considerations of the committee in developing the code with emphasis given to the explanation of new or revised
provisions that may be unfamiliar to code users.
References to much of the research data referred to in preparing the code are 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); building codes; cements; cold weather construction; col-
umns (supports); combined stress; composite construction (concrete and steel); composite construction (concrete to concrete); compressive strength; concrete
construction; concretes; concrete slabs; construction joints; continuity (structural); contraction joints; cover; curing; deep beams; deflections; drawings; earth-
quake resistant structures; embedded service ducts; flexural strength; floors; folded plates; footings; formwork (construction); frames; hot weather construction;
inspection; isolation joints; joints (junctions); joists; lightweight concretes; loads (forces); load tests (structural); materials; mixing; mix proportioning; modulus
of elasticity; moments; pipe columns; pipes (tubing); placing; plain concrete; precast concrete; prestressed concrete; prestressing steels; quality control; rein-
forced concrete; reinforcing steels; roofs; serviceability; shear strength; shearwalls; shells (structural forms); spans; specifications; splicing; strength; strength
analysis; stresses; structural analysis; structural concrete; structural design; structural integrity; T-beams; torsion; walls; water; welded wire fabric.

*This code is the metric companion to ACI 318/318R.

ACI 318-02 was adopted as a standard of the American Concrete Institute Novem-
ber 1, 2001 to supersede ACI 318-99 in accordance with the Institute’s standardization
procedure.
318M-1