Applicable Reinforced Concrete Design Standards

[sjohns4]

My primary area of practice is water & wastewater distribution, treatment, collection, etc.
Within in this field, there is quite a bit of reinforced concrete design & construction: Typically building foundations concrete slabs, and concrete tanks. I don't know that I want to make a career change, but I would like to have a better understanding as to what exactly the structural subs are doing and using as their design guides and such.

It appears to me that reinforced concrete is designed in accordance with the ACI manual of practice, and at times the IBC is used in determining various loads typically associated with building structures? Are there any other applicable standards that you structural guys would use in doing the type of work I've mentioned?

Thanks,

Mike

 

[Ron]

Considering your references, I will assume you are in the US. Reinforced concrete design is done in accordance with ACI 318 "Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete". This is the de facto standard, though analysis is aided by both the applicable building code for the area (Generally the IBC or a state code) and ASCE 7, which is used to determine the structural loadings.

 

[JAE]

Although tanks containing liquids are usually designed under ACI 350. It is very similar to 318 but is more focused on water-tightness, crack width limitations, etc.

 

[BAretired]

Thanks JAE, I knew there was another standard but could not remember what it was. Isn't it true that water retaining structures are designed to what we in Canada call Working Strength Design (WSD) rather than Limit States Design (LSD)?

BA

 

[JAE]

BA - the ACI 350 document is essentially the same as ACI 318 - our general concrete design code. However, it has additional requirements for minimum reinforcement (higher amounts naturally) and also has a section in our strength chapter where the required strength (U = 1.2D + 1.6L etc.) is multiplied by an additional factor that depends upon the amount and spacing of reinforcement. Basically it penalizes you if you use larger bars with larger spacing and is better when you use smaller bars and tighter spacing.

Basically higher crack control - not based on ASD - still factored loads.

 

[kylesito]

I would add to Ron that technically the defacto standard is the IBC (again, assuming US). This is the standard which much be adhered to for any locality that has accepted it. The IBC normally defers the design parameters to the ACI publications but if for whatever reason the IBC differs from the ACI code, it is the IBC which must be adhered to first.

However, I think the point was still valid.

I would also recommend the reinforced concrete book by Macgregor (any edition for your purposes) as it does a good job of summarizing all the practical design of reinforced concrete and is a well written book.

Let me also commend you on looking deeper for more information. I used to work with several guys who were primarly water/wastewater who often professed a deep understanding of concrete based on their experience but would never even know what ACI stood for let alone anything that it contains! I think it's great you are driving beyond your typical base of knowledge to learn something more.



PE, SE
Eastern United States

"If a builder builds a house for someone, and does not construct it properly, and the house which he built falls in and kills its owner, then that builder shall be put to death!"
~Code of Hammurabi

 

[JAE]

Well, yes, the IBC would be for the buildings the OP mentioned, but sanitary tanks don't fall under the IBC.

 

[sjohns4]

Thanks for the good info guys! I've got an ACI 318 manual on the way. Sounds like that's the best place to start, then maybe dive into 350. Then geotech...maybe.

Mike

 

[msquared48]

CRSI too...

Mike McCann
MMC Engineering

http://mmcengineering.tripod.com

 

[IsaacStructural]

You might benefit from a designers guide or a good text book. In my experience, Nawy, Nilson, or Macgregor books are all really well regarded. If you haven't used the ACI 318 before, it can be a bit opaque, it contains more references to stress analysis methods than specific design examples.

M.S. Structural Engineering
Licensed Structural Engineer and Licensed Professional Engineer (Illinois)

 

[JedClampett]

You can buy every textbook printed, but nothing can replace working under people that know what they're doing. I suspect that many of the sewage treatment plant structures that have failed (Binghampton, NY, Gatlinburg, TN) were textbook designed. Listen and observe.
Water pressure is like nothing else. It's easily predictable, but normal safety factors don't do it justice.