American Concrete Institute releases Spanish edition of structural concrete code

The American Concrete Institute (ACI) has released the Spanish edition of ACI 318-14: Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete.

The 2015 International Building Code references 318-14. A Spanish language inch-pound version has also been released. The reorganized 318-14 is structured from an engineer’s perspective.

By focusing on member design, ACI 318 requirements flow more intuitively and have fewer cross-references, ACI says. The document has greater ease of use; improved logic and flow of information; member-based organization to quickly locate relevant code information; and construction requirements centralized in one chapter.

Publication of ACI 318-14 is the first major reorganization of ACI 318 since 1971 and represents nearly a decade of work. Updates include new chapters on structural systems and diaphragms, and a consistent structure for each member chapter. The U.S. and more than 22 countries around the world base their national building codes on all or part of ACI 318, and the document is used globally.

(http://www.concrete.org/News/NewsDetail.aspx?f=51687651)

New York City last year adopted the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) recommendation to require additional exit stairways in high-rise buildings.

Since stairwells count as part of a building’s floor, an amendment to the city’s Zoning Resolution is also required and city government is considering the measure. The amendment exempts space used for the additional emergency stairwells from counting toward zoning floor area in new, non-residential buildings 420 feet high or taller.

The International Building Code (IBC) adopted the NIST’s findings in 2009, following a review of high-rise safety after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. A major recommendation was to increase exit capacity of buildings with additional exit pathways.

The zoning measure applies primarily to office buildings and hotels in Midtown and Lower Manhattan, Downtown Brooklyn, and Long Island City, Queens. The 11 community boards in those neighborhoods and borough presidents in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens have 60 days to review the amendment, followed by reviews at the City Planning Commission and the City Council.

(http://www.qgazette.com/news/2015-01-07/Features/Making_Tall_Buildings_Safer.html)