Essential Requirements for Reinforced Concrete Buildings

This document, based on ACI 318-02, provides the engineer with simple, conservative rules for quickly designing low- and midrise structures. Features include:

• - Mandatory language for clarity of intent;
• - Code requirements that are given in the approximate order needed for design;
• - Three-dimensional drawings and graphs that help explain various provisions;
• - Minimum member dimensions that replace sophisticated deflection checks;
• - A chapter that further explains design load conditions;
• - A direct approach for resolving seismic forces by using shearwall systems; and
• - A simplified analysis procedure that can be performed with a handheld calculator.

A Colombian technical committee, chaired by Luis Garcia, a member of ACI Committee 318, authored the Essential Requirements publication. It is the first document in ACI¿s International Publication Series.