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A Beginner's Guide to ACI 318-14 Chapter 1 - Introduction © 2018 T. Bartlett Quimby |
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Section 1.3 An Overview of ACI 318-14 Last Revised: 12/12/2016 Since the intent of this text is to enable you to develop an ability to apply the provision of the Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete (ACI 318-14, the Code), it is essential that you have one readily available. This text will refer to it often! This text is based on the 2014 edition of ACI 318. As you progress through the text, you will become very familiar with much of the Code. For now, we need to introduce you to several of the major sections of ACI 318-14 and help you to find the information that you will soon be needing. You will want to follow along the discussion in your copy of the Code. It is important to note that the organization of ACI 318-14 is significantly different than that of its predecessors. While the essence of many of the provisions of the sections covered in this text have not changed substantially from the prior version of ACI 318, their location in the Code is significantly different. "Transition Keys" can be found on the ACI website at: https://www.concrete.org/tools/318-14portal.aspx. Turning to the Table of Contents for ACI 318-14, you will notice that the chapters are conveniently organized by topics familiar to structural engineers. In specific, the requirements of particular types of structural members (for example: one-way slabs, two-way slabs, beams, columns, etc..) are organized in single chapters while topics which are not particular member dependent (for example: loads, structural analysis, sectional strength, etc) are found in chapters organized by common topic. Another feature of the Code is that the Code and it's relating Commentary are found side by side throughout the document. This is very useful to understanding the provisions. The column of the left side of each page is the Code. The right column always contains the related commentary. Numbered "tabs" are printed on each page to more easily find the chapter that you are seeking. While this text generally follows through the various sections, it is valuable to look at Chapter 2 Notation and Terminology at this time. A standard set of variables and notation are found in discussion and equations throughout the Code. If you are ever unfamiliar with a particular notation, you can go to this chapter to find the definition. You will, undoubtedly, note at there are a lot of variables listed here. They can be very confusing at first, so bookmark this section and return to it often. Other Related Information The ACI website has some other very useful information which will aid you in applying the Code. These can be found at the ACI 318-14 Portal and the 318 Building Code Page. These pages have links to online training as well as related topics.
The concrete industry in the United States has traditionally use the U.S. Customary Units (USCU) of feet, inches, pounds, kips, and so forth. ACI 318-14 continues in that practice. That said, a metric version of ACI 318-14 can be obtain from the ACI website. Appendix B of ACI 318-14 also provides an equivalancy table between USCU and SI units for all equations in the specification. This text sticks with the USCU system since that is what is most convenient in the Code and is the most prevalent system used in the United States. Summary A copy of ACI 318-14 will need to be your constant companion throughout this text since the text is focused on teaching you to apply the provisions of that code. Take some time at this point to familiarize yourself with it. |