Simplified design for reinforced concrete buildings

Q. What is ACI 314 “Guide to simplified design for reinforced concrete buildings” and can it be used instead of ACI 318?

A. ACI 314 presents simplified methods and design techniques that facilitate and speed the engineering of low-rise buildings within certain limitations. Much of the information presented in this guide is derived from ACI 318, ASCE7, and the International Building Code (IBC); thus, buildings designed using this guideline are compliant with the ACI 318 building code.

Note that this guide is intended for the planning, design, and construction of reinforced concrete structures in new low-rise buildings of restricted occupancy, number of stories, and area. Although the information presented was developed to produce, when properly used, a reinforced concrete structure with an appropriate margin of safety, this guide is not a replacement for a licensed design professional’s experience and working knowledge. For the structure designed by this guide to attain the intended margin of safety, the guide should be used as a whole, and alternative procedures should be used only when explicitly permitted.

References: ACI 314R-16; ACI 318-19

Topics in Concrete: Design; ACI 318 Building Code