ACI Code Advocacy at Work during the ICC Hearings

ACI members and staff rallied for the third round of International Code Council (ICC) hearings for the adoption of ACI CODE 318-25 Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete without modifications. Expert testimony and rebuttal have been crucial throughout the process.

Opposition heard by the International Building Code - Structural Code Committee (SCC) during Committee Action Hearings (CAH) #1 held in the Spring of 2025 resulted in a recommendation to disapprove the proposed modifications. Based on subsequent ACI member participation during CAH #2 held in the Fall of 2025, the SCC upheld the position for disapproval. At the Public Comment Hearings (PCH) held April 19-24, 2026, in Hartford, CT, government officials and other qualified voting members upheld the committee recommendation.

The result is that ACI CODE 318-25 will be included in the 2027 International Building Code (IBC) and International Residential Code (IRC) without modifications.

Thank you to the ACI members who actively engaged in code advocacy, and to those who supported their efforts in achieving this accomplishment, a great team effort that demonstrates how ACI members can and need to be effective code advocates.

Dr. Kenton McBride, Director, Codes and Standards, Hilti Corp.

Dr. Keith Kesner, Project Director, Simpson Gumpertz & Heger, Inc. Chair of ACI 318 Subcommittee B on Anchorage and Reinforcement.

Mrs. Andra Hoermann-Gast, Chair of ACI Committee 355 on Anchorage to Concrete.

Mrs. Shamim Rashid-Sumar, Senior Vice President, Codes and Standards, National Ready Mixed Concrete Association