News Detail

Building Codes Protect Citizens

4/25/2017

May is Building Safety Month, organized by the International Code Council.

As a major sponsor, ACI supports the organizers’ statement - “All communities need building codes to protect their citizens from disasters like fires, weather-related events, and structural collapse.”

Building Safety Month is a public awareness campaign to help individuals, families and businesses understand what it takes to create safe and sustainable structures. The campaign reinforces the need for adoption of modern, model building codes, a strong and efficient system of code enforcement and a well-trained, professional workforce to maintain the system.

As a leading authority and resource worldwide for the development and distribution of consensus-based codes and standards, ACI concurs with the campaign message.

The United States and more than 22 countries around the world base their national building codes on all or part of ACI 318-14 Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete, and the code is referenced in the 2015 International Building Code.

ACI 562-16 Code Requirements for Assessment, Repair, and Rehabilitation of Existing Concrete Structures, was specifically developed to work with the International Existing Building Code (IEBC) or to be adopted as a stand-alone code.

Building specifically on the 2013 edition of ACI 562, revisions to definitions in ACI 562-16 bring this document into conformance with the International Existing Buildings Code and other standards for existing structures. ACI 562-16 also includes the addition of specific criteria requirements for assessment and design of repair and rehabilitation for varying levels of damage, deterioration, or faulty construction.

The ACI 562 code requirements represent a major milestone in the industry—not only is it the first material-specific set of requirements for repair materials, but it also serves as ACI’s first code specifically for repairing reinforced concrete. Included in the requirements are all aspects of concrete repair, from conception to completion, including the basis for compliance, evaluation and analysis, design of structural repairs, durability, and construction.

Developed to provide design professionals involved in the assessment of existing concrete structures a code for the assessment of the damage and deterioration, and the design of appropriate repair and rehabilitation strategies, the code provides minimum requirements for assessment, repair, and rehabilitation of existing structural concrete buildings, members, systems and where applicable, nonbuilding structures.

Based on nearly one century of content from ACI, the new code requirements combine the Institute’s historical knowledge with state-of-the-art resources on the evaluation, repair, and rehabilitation of concrete buildings. ACI 562-16 provides minimum performance requirements that address the unique nature of existing building construction, rather than specific formulas that must be followed in any situation. 

ACI’s strategic plan vision specifically states that, “ACI envisions a future where everyone has the knowledge needed to use concrete effectively to meet the demands of a changing world.” With ACI codes, ACI is a global force in protecting people.