News Detail

318-14 Will Be Available Soon…(Guest Author Sharon L. Wood, ACI First Vice President)

10/1/2014

By now, I am sure that every ACI member is aware the ACI 318-14 will be the first major restructuring of the "Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete" in more than 40 years. ACI 318-14 has been completely reorganized for greater ease of use—with more tables and charts, a consistent structure for each member chapter, a dedicated chapter on construction requirements, new chapters on structural systems and diaphragms, and a format that will more easily accommodate new topics well into the future. The document has been sent to the printer, and electronic files are being finalized for access on desktop, tablet, and mobile devices. The English version should be available shortly after the ACI Convention in Washington, DC, and versions in Spanish, Chinese, and other languages are expected soon.

Rather than focus on the benefits of the revised Code, I would like to talk about the people who have served our community over the past 6 years in developing this document. Approximately 90 ACI members serve on Committee 318, Structural Concrete Building Code, or one of its standing subcommittees. The current committee met for the first time at the Los Angeles, CA, Convention in March 2008 (though Committee 318 was formed back in 1929), and concluded their work during a meeting in Charleston, SC, this past August. It was not uncommon for the committee to meet outside the convention—they held 19 multi-day meetings during this code cycle. It has been estimated that the committee members contributed more than 100,000 hours to the development of ACI 318-14, and ACI staff devoted at least 50,000 hours.

The reorganization process included 38 main committee ballots and countless subcommittee ballots. Documentation of committee actions totals more than 12,000 pages of correspondence. If the subcommittee ballots and responses had been included in these totals, the correspondence would have easily exceeded 50,000 pages.

It is important to note that more than 30 individuals submitted suggestions and ideas during the public comment period. The technical merits of many of the 350 comments will be evaluated in depth during the next code cycle.

It is also important to look beyond the numbers and recognize the extraordinary contributions of a few committee members:

• Basile Rabbat will conclude his 30-year term as Secretary of Committee 318 with the publication of ACI 318-14. He has documented every action taken by the committee during this period in his detailed minutes, and his level of dedication to the concrete industry is unparalleled;
• Loring Wyllie cannot be thanked enough for his 42 years of service on Committee 318. Loring is well known for his thorough reviews, his contributions to thoughtful and rigorous deliberations, and his genuine desire to improve the building code;
• Robert Frosch was recognized with the Committee 318 service award during this code cycle. Robert embraced the reorganization concept from the start of the cycle, pushed the committee to improve the usability of the document, and strived for consistency among chapters; and
• Randy Poston served as the Committee Chair during this code cycle. Not only did he have the difficult job of orchestrating the overall process among eight standing subcommittees, a steering committee, the main committee, and various groups outside ACI, he was frequently reminded that the overall financial health of the Institute depended on the successful completion of ACI 318-14.

It has often been said that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. This is clearly true for ACI 318-14. The entire Institute should be proud of the efforts of so many dedicated volunteers to develop this landmark document. Please join me in congratulating the committee for their efforts!

Sharon L. Wood
ACI First Vice President