code developments and announcements
Significant Changes between ACI 318-11 and ACI 318-14
Part 1: Organizational Changes
By S. K. Ghosh, Ph.D.
T
he American Concrete Institute
(ACI) published the Building
Code Requirements for Structural
Concrete (ACI 318-14) and
Commentary (ACI 318R-14) in the Fall of
2014. ACI 318-14 has been adopted by ref-
erence into the 2015 International Building
Code (IBC). Adoption of the 2015 IBC by
cities, counties, and states has been rather
slow. However, major adoptions are scheduled
to follow. The 2016 California Building Code
(CBC), based on the 2015 IBC, will be effec-
tive in California on January 1, 2017. As of
that date, ACI 318-14 will be law within the
State of California.
There are very significant organizational
as well as technical changes between ACI
R
318-11 and ACI 318-14. This is the first
T
of a two-part article on these changes. This
part is devoted to the organizational changes.
S
Part 2 will describe the technical changes.
Organization of ACI 318-11
As is fairly well known by now, ACI 318 has
undergone a complete reorganization from
its 2011 to its 2014 edition. The organiza-
tion of ACI 318-11 followed the framework
of ACI 318-71, which remained essentially
unchanged through eight more editions dated
1977, 1983, 1989, 1995, 1999, 2002, 2005,
and 2008.
ACI 318-11 started with chapters on
materials and construction aspects.
Analysis and design, general considerations
and strength and serviceability require-
ments were dealt with in two succeeding
chapters. Three behavior-based chapters
followed: on flexure and axial loads, shear
and torsion, and development and splices
of reinforcement. A switch was then made
to member-based chapters: on two-way
slab systems, walls, and footings. The last
few chapters were on precast concrete,
composite concrete flexural members, pre-
stressed concrete, shells and folded plate
members, strength evaluation of existing
structures, earthquake-resistant structures,
and structural plain concrete. There were
also four appendices, including one on
strut and tie models and one on anchor-
ing to concrete.
STRUCTURE magazine
Code Updates
Member-Based Organization
for ACI 318-14
While the ACI 318 cycle that produced ACI
318-05 and -08 was still in full swing, it was
decided, after long deliberation within ACI, that
ACI 318 should be reorganized to be a member-
based document. External input was actively
sought and considered in the course of those
deliberations. The idea was that, within each
chapter devoted to a particular member type
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such as beam or column, ht the user will find all the
yrig
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requirements necessary to design that particular
member type. According to Cary Kopczynski,
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a member of the ACI 318 committee that pro-
e
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duced ACI 318-14 , “This will eliminate the
need to flip through several chapters to comply
i n
with all of the necessary design requirements for
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a particular structural member, as was necessary
a
with the old organization format. The codes’
g
new design can be compared to a cookbook: all
a
the ingredients for baking a cake such as eggs,
m
flour, sugar, oil – along with the baking instruc-
tions – are in one chapter, instead of individual
chapters on eggs, flour, and sugar.”
Toolbox Chapters
One challenge in converting to a member-
based organization was where to place the
design information that applies to multiple
member types, such as development length
requirements. To repeat essentially the same
information in multiple chapters did not
sound like a good idea. So the decision was
made to place such information in so-called
“toolbox” chapters and to reference the infor-
mation from the member-based chapters.
Chapters 21 through 25 are the toolbox chap-
ters in ACI 318-14.
Overall Changes
There are some overall changes in the makeup
of ACI 318-14 that should be noted.
There are two new chapters: 4, Structural
System Requirements and 12, Diaphragms.
Appendix B of ACI 318-11, Alternative
Provisions for Reinforced and Prestressed
Concrete Flexural and Compression Members,
and Appendix C, Alternative Load and Strength
Reduction Factors, have been discontinued.
53 April 2016
Appendix A, Strut-and-Tie Models is now
Chapter 23 and Appendix D, Anchoring to
Concrete, is Chapter 17 in the reorganized
document. No changes of any significance
have been made in the provisions of these two
appendices/chapters. Two additional chapters
have been relocated
® without change of con-
E
tent: Chapter 20, now 27, Strength Evaluation
of Existing Structures, and Chapter 22, now
R
14, Structural Plain Concrete.
Chapter 21, now 18, Earthquake-Resistant
Structures, has been relocated with change of
content; significant technical changes have
been made in this chapter. The first three
chapters have also remained intact, but with
technical changes. These are: Chapter 1,
General Requirements, now General; Chapter
2, Notation and Definitions, now Notation and
Terminology; and Chapter 3, Materials, now
Referenced Standards.
Chapter 16, Precast Concrete, and Chapter 18,
Prestressed Concrete no longer exist as separate
entities. The provisions of those chapters are
now spread over several of the new chapters.
Chapter 19, Shells and Folded Plates, is no
longer part of the reorganized document. ACI
Committee 318, in collaboration with ACI-
ASCE Committee 334, Concrete Shell Design
and Construction, has developed ACI 318.2-
14, the contents of which match those of ACI
318-11 Chapter 19. The reader may wonder
why this document was designated ACI 318.2,
rather than ACI 318.1. This is because it was
initially planned that ACI 318-11 Chapter 22
on plain concrete would become a separate
standard: ACI 318.1. The number was reserved
for that purpose. It was later decided to place
the contents of ACI 318-11 Chapter 22 in
ACI 318-14 Chapter 14.
The Table shows a side-by-side comparison
of the organizations of ACI 318-11 and
ACI 318-14.
Construction Documents
and Inspection
A unique chapter that will probably require
some time to get used to is Chapter 26,
Construction Documents and Inspection. The
chapter starts with the following:
26.1.1 This chapter addresses (a)
through (c):
Reorganization of ACI 318-14.
ACI 318-11 ACI 318-14
Description of Description Comment
Chapter and Title Chapter and Title
Provisions of Provisions
1 – General Requirements 1 – General
Introductory 2 – Notation and Definitions Introductory 2 – Notation and Terminology
3 – Materials 3 – Referenced Standards
4 – Durability Requirements 4 – Structural System Requirements New
5 – Concrete Quality, Mixing, and Placing 5 – Loads
Materials/ Other
Construction 6 – Formwork, Embedded Pipes, and
6 – Structural Analysis
Construction Joints
7 – Details of Reinforcement 7 – One-Way Slabs
8 – Analysis and Design – General Considerations 8 – Two-Way Slabs
Other
9 – Strength and Serviceability Requirements 9 – Beams ®

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10 – Flexure and Axial Loads Member-Based 10 – Columns
Behavior-Based 11 – Shear and Torsion 11 – Walls

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12 – Development and Splices Of Reinforcement 12 – Diaphragms New

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13 – Two-Way Slab Systems 13 – Foundations
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Member-Based 14 – Walls Other yri 14 – Plain Concrete Intact
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15 – Footings 15 – Beam-Column and Slab-Column Joints

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16 – Precast Concrete Connections 16 – Connections between Members

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17 – Composite Concrete Flexural Members 17 – Anchoring to Concrete Intact

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18 – Prestressed Concrete Other 18 – Earthquake-Resistant Structures Intact
19 – Shells and Folded Plate Members 19 – Code Requirements for Thin Shells and Commentary ACI 318.2

T a
Materials
20 – Strength Evaluation of Existing Structures 20 – Steel Reinforcement Properties, Durability, and Embedments

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S a
21 – Earthquake-Resistant Structures 21 – Strength Reduction Factors
22 – Structural Plain Concrete 22 – Sectional Strength

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Other
App. A – Strut-and-Tie Models 23 – Strut-and-Tie Models Intact
App. B – Alternative Provisions for Reinforced Toolbox
and Prestressed Concrete Flexural and 24 – Serviceability Requirements
Compression Members (Discontinued)
App. C – Alternative Load and Strength
25 – Reinforcement Details
Reduction Factors (Discontinued)
App. D – Anchoring to Concrete Construction 26 – Construction Documents and Inspection
Other 27 – Strength Evaluation of Existing Structures Intact

(a) Design information that the licensed Conclusions S. K. Ghosh is President at S. K. Ghosh
design professional shall specify in the con- Associates Inc., Palatine, IL and Aliso
ACI 318 has undergone a complete reorgani-
struction documents, Viejo, CA. He is a long-standing member of
zation from its 2011 to its 2014 edition; the
(b) Compliance requirements that the ACI Committee 318, Structural Concrete
last such complete reorganization was from
licensed design professional shall specify Building Code, and its Subcommittee H,
the 1963 to the 1971 edition of ACI 318.
in the construction documents, Seismic Provisions. He can be reached at
The new organization is member-based. The
(c) Inspection requirements that the skghoshinc@gmail.com.
idea is that, within each chapter devoted to
licensed design professional shall specify
beam or column or some other member type,
in the construction documents,
the user will find all the requirements neces-
Thus, construction and inspection require-
sary to design that particular member type.
ments have been consolidated and they are
Contrary to the fairly widely held perception
now related to construction documents. The
that the reorganization is all that has hap-
construction requirements are designated
pened, ACI 318-14 does contain a number
either as “design information” or “compli-
of significant technical changes, which will be
ance requirements.” These are largely existing
discussed in Part 2 of this article.▪
material that has been rearranged.
The inspection requirements in Section
26.13 are largely taken from Chapter 17 of This article was originally published
the 2015 IBC; much of it was previously not in the PCI Journal (March/April 2016)
part of ACI 318. and this condensed version is reprinted
with permission.

STRUCTURE magazine 54 April 2016

 References
1. American Concrete Institute (ACI). (2014). Building Code Requirements for
Structural Concrete (ACI 318-14) and Commentary (ACI 318R-14). Farmington
Hills, MI.
2. International Code Council (ICC). (2015). International Building Code.
Washington, DC.
3. International Code Council (ICC). (2016). California Building Code, Title 24, Part
2 (Volume 2). Washington, DC.
4. Kopczynski, C. (2014). “Revised structural concrete ‘cookbook’ will follow a sim-
pler recipe,” Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce, Seattle, WA, May 9.
5. American Concrete Institute (ACI). (2014). Building Code Requirements for Concrete
Thin Shells (ACI 318.2-14) and Commentary (ACI 318.2R-14). Farmington Hills.

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STRUCTURE magazine 55 April 2016