Technical Committee Manual

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2020 TECHNICAL COMMITTEE MANUAL

Description

The purpose of ACI, as stated in the 1904 Charter, is: To organize the efforts of its members for a nonprofit public service in gathering, correlating, and disseminating information for the improvement of the design, construction, manufacture, use, and maintenance of concrete products and structures.

By adhering to this purpose, professionals in the concrete industry recognize ACI as a neutral platform for producing reliable technical information.

Each committee member willingly contributes his or her training and knowledge for the benefit of the public at large. By maintaining a high standard of professional and technical ability in its committee memberships, ACI publishes reliable information on concrete and its applications.

ACI has over 110 technical committees, and each has a unique mission related to a specific knowledge area, but all committees are expected to serve the public consistent with the 1904 chartered purpose.

The characteristics of ACI technical committee operations include:

(a) Open committee membership

(b) Balance/lack of dominance

(c) Coordination and harmonization of information

(d) Transparency of committee activities to public

(e) Consideration of views and objections

(f) Resolution through consensus process

The technical committee documents of the American Concrete Institute represent the consensus of the committee and ACI. Technical committee members are individuals who volunteer their services to ACI and specific technical committees.

ACI technical committee members are expected to:

(a) Hold the safety, health, and welfare of the public as their top priority

(b) Be truthful in presenting information and data during discussions, debates, and ballots concerning technical issues

(c) Act in a professional manner

(d) Conduct themselves in a manner that will bring credit to the Institute

(e) Not state that they are official representatives of an ACI committee unless authorized by the Technical Activities Committee (TAC), nor state they are official representatives of ACI unless authorized by the Board of Direction

By adhering to these characteristics, ACI committees have a reputation for operational integrity.

TAC is always looking for ways to improve and streamline committee procedures.

 

Document Details

Author: ACI Technical Activities Committee

Publication Year: 2020

ISBN:

Formats: PDF

Table of Contents

Preface

PART 1—ORGANIZATION AND OPERATION OF TECHNICAL COMMITTEES

CHAPTER 1—ORGANIZATION

1.1—Technical Activities Committee (TAC)

1.1.1 TAC (Secretary)

1.1.2 TAC Construction Standards Committee (TCSC)

1.1.3 TAC Repair and Rehabilitation Committee (TRRC)

1.2—Technical committees

1.2.1 Number designations

1.2.2 Comparison of subcommittee and task groups

1.2.3 Subcommittees

1.2.3.1 Editorial subcommittee

1.2.3.2 Steering subcommittee

1.2.3.3 Liaison subcommittee

1.2.4 Task groups

1.3—Committee establishment, reorganization, and discharge

1.3.1 Establishment

1.3.1.1 Request to establish a new technical committee

1.3.1.2 Request to establish an Innovation Task Group (ITG)

1.3.2 Reorganization

1.3.2.1 Reorganization with discharge of members

1.3.2.2 Reorganization with retention of members

1.3.3 Discharge

1.4—Joint committees and committee cooperation with other organizations

1.4.1 Cooperation

1.4.1.1 Seminars or workshops with cosponsoring organizations

1.4.2 Joint committees

1.5—Membership categories

1.5.1 Voting members

1.5.1.1 Qualifications

1.5.1.2 Requirements

1.5.1.3 Privileges

1.5.1.4 Term

1.5.1.5 Appointment

1.5.2 Associate members

1.5.2.1 Qualifications

1.5.2.2 Requirements

1.5.2.3 Privileges

1.5.2.4 Term

1.5.2.5 Appointment

1.5.3 Consulting members

1.5.3.1 Qualifications

1.5.3.2 Requirements

1.5.3.3 Privileges

1.5.3.4 Term

1.5.3.5 Appointment

1.5.4 Liaison members

1.5.4.1 Qualifications

1.5.4.2 Requirements

1.5.4.3 Privileges

1.5.4.4 Term

1.5.4.5 Appointment

1.6—Committee membership

1.6.1 Application for membership

1.6.2 Appointments and membership changes

1.6.3 Appointments to joint committees

1.6.4 Overlap of membership between committees

1.6.5 Appointment not approved

1.6.5.1 Committees with restricted membership

1.6.6 Membership termination

1.6.7 Resignation from membership

1.6.8 Appeal of membership action

1.7—Balance of interests

1.7.1 Interest categories

1.7.1.1 Producer

1.7.1.2 User

1.7.1.3 Supplemental categories

1.7.1.4 General interest

1.7.2 Safety- and non-safety-related standards and documents

1.7.3 Criteria for committee balance

1.7.4 Membership termination to achieve balance

1.8—Committee officers

1.8.1 Chair

1.8.1.1 Chair qualifications

1.8.1.2 Chair term

1.8.1.3 Chair candidates

1.8.1.4 Chair appointment

1.8.1.5 Chair resignation

1.8.2 Vice chair

1.8.3 Secretary

CHAPTER 2—TECHNICAL COMMITTEE OPERATIONS

2.1—Mission and title

2.2—Goals

2.2.1 Develop new documents

2.2.2 Maintain existing documents

2.2.3 Sponsor convention sessions and related publications

2.2.4 Develop seminars

2.2.5 Develop video information

2.3—Meetings

2.3.1 Conducting committee meetings

2.3.2 Quorum

2.3.3 Administrative actions

2.3.4 Convention committee meetings

2.3.5 Interim committee meetings

2.3.5.1 Physical interim meetings

2.3.5.2 Virtual interim meetings

2.3.6 Closed meetings

2.3.7 Visitors

2.3.8 Agenda

2.3.9 Minutes

2.4—Communication

2.4.1 Correspondence within a committee

2.4.2 Correspondence between committees

2.4.3 Correspondence with TAC and ACI headquarters

2.4.4 Discussion in outside publications

2.4.5 Coordination among committees

2.4.6 Committee reporting and webpage management

2.4.7 Questionnaires

2.5—Breakfast meeting for technical committee chairs

2.6—Technical committee certificates

2.6.1 Chair certificates

2.6.2 Outstanding service by committee members

2.6.3 Del Bloem Distinguished Service Award

2.7—Committee-related finances

2.7.1 ACI Foundation funding

2.7.2 Concrete Research Council (CRC)

2.7.3 Strategic Development Council (SDC)

2.7.4 Committee work expenses

2.8—Staff assistance

CHAPTER 3—BALLOTING

3.1—Voting methods and rules

3.1.1 Administrative ballots

3.2—Letter ballots

3.2.1 Passage of letter ballot items

3.2.2 Initiation and format

3.2.3 Time frame

3.2.4 Distribution

3.2.5 Votes

3.2.5.1 Affirmative votes

3.2.5.2 Affirmative votes with comments

3.2.5.3 Negative votes with reason

3.2.5.4 Abstentions

3.2.5.5 Ballots not returned

3.2.5.6 Comments from nonvoting members

3.2.6 Analysis and further action

3.2.6.1 Updating results

3.2.6.2 Revising and reballoting

3.2.7 Subcommittee letter ballots

3.2.8 Patented items

3.3—Meeting ballots

3.3.1 Passage of item by meeting ballot

3.3.2 Exception to the 40 percent rule

3.4—Consideration of negative votes

3.4.1 Withdrawal of negative vote (no change to document)

3.4.2 Unrelated to ballot item (no change to document)

3.4.3 Nonpersuasive (no change to document)

3.4.4 Persuasive (technical change to document)

3.4.5 Appeals

3.5—Ballot summaries

3.6—Procedures when ACI is the minor sponsor

PART 2—ACI STANDARDS

CHAPTER 4—DEVELOPMENT OF STANDARDS

4.1—Description

4.1.1 Standards

4.1.1.1 Code requirements

4.1.1.2 Code cases

4.1.1.3 Acceptance criteria

4.1.1.4 Design specifications

4.1.2 Construction standards

4.1.2.1 Construction specifications

4.1.2.2 Material specifications

4.1.2.3 Test methods

4.1.2.4 Inspection services specifications

4.1.2.5 Testing services specifications

4.2—Procedures

4.2.1 New standard

4.2.2 Revising existing standards

4.2.2.1 Reapproval

4.2.2.2 Revision

4.2.2.3 Withdrawal

4.2.3 Maintenance of the content of ITG standards

4.2.4 Committee editorial review

4.2.5 Circulating draft standards

4.2.6 Coordination of ACI standards

4.2.6.1 Industry standards

4.2.6.2 Interaction among standards-writing committees

4.2.6.3 Proposed changes from outside of committee

4.2.6.4 Coordination among technical committees

4.2.6.5 Standards sponsored with other ACI technical committees

4.2.6.6 Coordination with the Construction Liaison Committee (CLC)

4.2.6.7 Coordination with TAC

4.2.6.8 Coordination of terminology

4.2.7 Translation of ACI standards

4.2.8 Patented items

4.2.9 Errata

4.3—Writing standards

4.3.1 Format

4.3.2 Units

4.3.3 Notation

4.3.4 Style

4.4—TAC review

4.4.1 Submission package

4.4.2 Staff editorial review

4.4.3 TAC review

4.4.3.1 TAC review group

4.4.3.2 Review comment classifications

4.4.4 TAC decision

4.4.4.1 Standard approved

4.4.4.2 Responding to TAC comments

4.4.4.3 Standard not approved

4.5—Public discussion process

4.5.1 Release for public discussion

4.5.2 Public discussion

4.5.2.1 Code case

4.5.2.2 Provisional standard

4.5.3 Committee closure

4.5.4 Release for publication

4.5.5 Adoption as an ACI standard

4.5.6 Approval as an American National Standard

4.6—Appeal of committee actions related to standards development

4.6.1 Appeal requirements and procedure for submittal

4.6.2 Appeal review and adjudication process

CHAPTER 5—FORMAT AND LANGUAGE FOR CODES

5.1—General

5.2—Organization

5.2.1 Front matter

5.2.2 Code chapters

5.2.3 Back matter

5.2.4 Article titles

5.2.5 Section and subsection titles

5.2.6 Provision numbering

5.3—Language

5.3.1 Verb usage

5.3.2 Adjectives and adverbs

5.3.3 Comparative phrases

5.3.4 Preferred words or phrases

5.4—References

5.4.1 References to provisions and chapters

5.4.2 Compliance phrases

5.4.3 Referenced standard style

5.5—Commentary to a code

5.5.1 General

5.5.2 Commentary references

5.5.3 Cited reference style

CHAPTER 6—FORMAT AND LANGUAGE FOR CONSTRUCTION SPECIFICATIONS

6.1—General

6.2—Format

6.2.1 Single-item specifications

6.2.2 Numbering within single-item specifications

6.2.3 Multi-item specifications

6.2.4 Numbering within multi-item specifications

6.2.5 Description of title page

6.2.6 Description of Part I, General

6.2.6.1 Scope

6.2.6.2 Interpretation

6.2.6.3 Definitions

6.2.6.4 Referenced standards

6.2.6.5 Personnel certification programs

6.2.6.6 Plant certification programs

6.2.6.7 Submittals

6.2.6.8 Delivery, storage, and handling

6.2.6.9 Quality assurance and quality control

6.2.7 Description of Part 2, Products

6.2.7.1 Materials

6.2.7.2 Mixtures

6.2.7.3 Fabrication

6.2.7.4 Source quality control

6.2.8 Description of Part 3, Execution

6.2.8.1 Preparation

6.2.8.2 Sequence

6.2.8.3 Installation

6.2.8.4 Post-installation testing

6.2.8.5 Repair

6.2.8.6 Protection

6.2.9 Description of Notes to Specifiers

6.2.9.1 General notes, foreword to checklists, and list of references

6.2.9.2 Mandatory requirements checklists

6.2.9.3 Optional requirements checklists

6.2.9.4 Checklist format

6.2.9.5 Referral phrases and Checklists

6.3—Language

6.3.1 Tolerances

6.3.2 Verb usage

6.3.3 Gender-specific language

6.3.4 Subjective language

6.3.5 Time-related requirements

6.3.6 Qualitative requirements

6.3.7 Repetition of items

6.3.8 Jargon and slang

6.3.9 Approved

6.3.10 Responsibilities

6.3.11 Referral phrase

6.3.12 Compliance phrases

6.3.13 Article use

6.3.14 Pronouns

6.3.15 Options

6.3.16 Conditional phrases (use of “it,” “when,” and “where”)

6.4—Referenced standards

6.4.1 Standards in specification text

6.4.2 References in checklists

6.4.3 Reference to other ACI construction specifications

6.4.3.1 Referencing entire specification

6.4.3.2 Referencing sections of multi-item specifications

6.5—Guide for specifying concrete construction

6.5.1 Format

6.6—Appendixes

PART 3—GUIDES AND REPORTS

CHAPTER 7—DEVELOPMENT OF GUIDES AND REPORTS

7.1—General

7.2—Description of guides and reports

7.2.1 Guides

7.2.1.1 Handbooks and manuals

7.2.1.2 TechNotes

7.2.2 Reports

7.2.2.1 Emerging Technology Report (ETR)

7.2.3 Errata

7.3—Development

7.3.1 New guides and reports

7.3.2 Existing guides and reports

7.3.2.1 Reapproval

7.3.2.2 Revision

7.3.2.3 Withdrawal

7.3.2.4 ITG guides and reports

7.3.3 Documents sponsored with other ACI technical committees

7.3.4 Restrictions on circulating drafts

7.3.5 Coordination of information

7.3.5.1 Technical committees

7.3.5.2 Construction Liaison Committee (CLC)

7.3.5.3 Terminology

7.3.6 Translation of ACI documents

7.3.7 Guides and reports authored by ACI chapters

7.4—Writing guides and reports

7.4.1 Format

7.4.2 Units

7.4.3 Notation

7.4.4 Style

7.4.5 Editorial review

7.5—TAC review

7.5.1 Submission package

7.5.2 Staff editorial review

7.5.3 TAC review

7.5.3.1 TAC review group

7.5.3.2 Review comment classifications

7.5.4 TAC decision

7.5.4.1 Document approved

7.5.4.2 Responding to TAC comments

7.5.4.3 Document not approved

7.6—Appeal processes

7.6.1 Guides and reports under development

7.6.2 Published guides and reports

7.6.3 Technical grounds

7.6.4 Procedural grounds

CHAPTER 8—FORMAT AND LANGUAGE FOR GUIDES AND REPORTS

8.1—Format

8.1.1 Outline

8.1.1.1 Guide and report outline example

8.1.1.2 TechNote outline example

8.1.2 Description of required front matter

8.1.3 Description of chapters

8.1.4 Description of back matter

8.1.5 Numbering and titles

8.2—Language

8.2.1 General principles

8.2.2 Clarity

8.2.3 Gender-specific language

8.2.4 Vague language

8.2.5 Active versus passive voice

8.3—References

PART 4—STYLE

CHAPTER 9—ACI TECHNICAL WRITING STYLE

9.1—Units

9.2—Equations

9.2.1 Equation numbering

9.3—Figures

9.3.1 Figure captions

9.3.2 Figure captions

9.3.3 Figure quality and copyright

9.4—Tables

9.4.1 Table footnotes

9.4.2 Table formatting

9.5—Lists

9.6—Grammar

9.6.1 Gender-specific language

9.6.2 Conditional phrases (use of if, when, and where)

9.6.3 Acceptable and unacceptable terminology

9.6.4 Numbers

9.6.5 Hyphens

9.6.6 Serial comma

9.6.7 Footnotes

9.6.8 Parentheses and brackets

9.6.9 Abbreviations

9.6.10 Capitalization

9.6.11 Per versus “/”

9.6.12 And/or

CHAPTER 10—NOTATION AND DEFINITIONS

10.1—Notation

10.1.1 General

10.1.2 Rules for making notation

10.1.3 Format

10.1.4 Notation use in text

10.2—Definitions

10.2.1 ACI Concrete Terminology

10.2.1.1 Process for submitting terminology

10.2.1.2 Referencing the CT

10.2.3 Format

CHAPTER 11—UNITS OF MEASUREMENT

11.1—Policy

11.2—Inch-pound units

11.3—SI units

11.4—Hard versus soft conversion

11.4.1 Soft metric conversion

11.4.2 Hard metric conversion

11.5—Format for unit names and abbreviations

11.5.1 General

11.5.2 Percentages, decimals, and fractions

11.5.3 Degrees

11.6—Conversion of units

11.6.1 Conversion factors

11.6.2 Significant digits

11.6.3 Rounding

11.6.4 Reinforcing bar designations

11.6.5 Degree of precision

11.6.6 Mass versus weight

11.6.7 Decimal point and implied tolerances

PART 5—SESSIONS AND VIDEO PRODUCTS

CHAPTER 12—CONVENTION SESSIONS AND RELATED PUBLICATIONS

12.1—Committee planning

12.2—TAC approval

12.2.1 Session moderator training

12.3—Sponsorship of technical sessions at non-ACI conventions

12.4—Convention session procedures

12.4.1 Initiating a session

12.4.2 Preliminary TAC approval

12.4.2.1 Deadlines for preliminary TAC approval

12.4.3 Time allotted for presentations

12.4.4 Sessions honoring prominent ACI members

12.4.5 Speakers

12.4.5.1 Calls for papers

12.4.5.2 Selecting speakers

12.4.5.3 Notifying speakers

12.4.6 Final TAC approval

12.4.6.1 Deadlines for final TAC approval

12.4.7 Staff assistance

12.4.8 Presentation materials

12.5—Publication of session papers in an ACI Special Publication

12.5.1 SP from conferences outside ACI conventions

12.5.2 SP honoring an individual

12.5.3 Preliminary TAC approval

12.5.4 Preparation of papers

12.5.5 Review of papers

12.5.6 Final TAC approval

CHAPTER 13—DEVELOPMENT OF VIDEO PRODUCTS

13.1—Initial approval

13.2—Funding request

13.3—Secondary approval

13.4—Final approval

13.5—Revision

PART 6—POLICIES

CHAPTER 14—DOCUMENT-RELATED INSTITUTE POLICIES

14.1—Publication

14.1.1 Stand-alone document

14.1.2 ACI Collection

14.2—Legal and directional statements

14.2.1 Disclaimer on first page of guides and reports

14.2.2 Disclaimer on inside front cover

14.2.3 Statement describing ITG reports

14.2.4 Statement describing Emerging Technology Reports

14.2.5 Translation disclaimer

14.2.6 Metric unit conversion disclaimer

14.2.7 Patent disclaimer

14.2.8 Certification statement

14.3—ACI metrication policy

APPENDIX A—TAC’S INTERNATIONAL OUTREACH

INDEX

ERRATA INFO

Any applicable errata are included with individual documents at the time of purchase. Errata are not included for collections or sets of documents such as the ACI Collection. For a listing of and access to all product errata, visit the Errata page.

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