Part 3: Special Inspections (Chapter 17)

This five-part series (Part 1, STRUCTURE, November 2021, Part 2, December 2021) includes discussion of significant structural changes to the 2021 International Building Code (IBC) by the International Code Council (ICC). This installment includes an overview of changes to Chapter 17 on special inspections and testing. Only a portion of the total number of code changes to this chapter are discussed in this article. More information on the code changes discussed here can be found in the 2021 Significant Changes to the International Building Code, available from ICC (Figure 1).

Part 2: Foundations (Chapter 18)

This five-part series (Part 1, STRUCTURE, November 2021) includes discussion of significant structural changes to the 2021 International Building Code (IBC) by the International Code Council (ICC). This installment includes an overview of changes to Chapter 18 on foundations and soils. Only a portion of the total number of code changes to this chapter are discussed in this article. More information on the code changes discussed here can be found in the 2021 Significant Changes to the International Building Code, available from ICC.

Part 1: Loads (Chapter 16)

This five-part series discusses significant structural changes to the 2021 International Building Code (IBC) by the International Code Council (ICC). Part 1 includes an overview of changes to Chapter 16 on loads. Only a portion of the total number of code changes to this chapter are discussed in this article. More information on the code changes discussed here can be found in the 2021 Significant Changes to the International Building Code, available from ICC.

The 2021 Edition of Special Design Provisions for Wind and Seismic (SDPWS) was approved as an American National Standard on July 22, 2020, with the designation ANSI/AWC SDPWS-2021 (Figure 1). The 2021 SDPWS was developed by the American Wood Council’s (AWC’s) Wood Design Standards Committee (WDSC) and contains provisions for the design of wood members, fasteners, and assemblies to resist wind and seismic forces. Notable revisions are summarized below (also see Table 1 online for a summary of changes by Chapter):

The next edition of the Masonry Society’s TMS 402/602, Building Code Requirements and Specifications for Masonry Structures, is due to be published in 2022. Some of the anticipated changes are reviewed in this article, including some things that designers can use now. One of the most significant changes is not a technical change but a change in the length of the code cycle. The Masonry Society board approved a trial six-year cycle for updating the code in response to feedback from practicing engineers who are being overwhelmed by the constantly changing codes. The six-year cycle also enabled the committee to tackle larger issues.

Key Considerations and Lessons Learned

Recent media coverage has highlighted the devastation associated with tornado outbreaks in many urban and suburban areas. Rapid population growth and urban sprawl in many cities within the central United States have increased the number of structures located within the potential path of these dangerous storms. Tornadoes generate high winds and extreme loads that are significantly higher than typical building design loads. …

Past, Present, and Future

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Load and Resistance Factor Design code (AASHTO LRFD) guides modern highway bridge design. The code includes prescriptive criteria for vehicular live load covering individual truck loads, lane loads, the likelihood of multiple lanes of traffic containing high truck loads simultaneously, and impact loading. Additionally, state-specific codes allow for special permit vehicles based on local conditions and needs. The current AASHTO live loads were put into practice in 1996, the latest in a series of updates developed to represent modern traffic and design practices. …

Part 2: Seismic and Wind Drift

This article is the second of a two-part article on ASCE 7-16, Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures, and its provisions for lateral drift determination. The first article (STRUCTURE, July 2019) discussed main points influencing seismic drift computation. In this article, the effect of soil flexibility and cracking of reinforced concrete elements on seismic drift computation of structural systems is addressed. It also discusses the determination of the level of loads for checking wind drift, return periods of wind speed maps, and allowable wind drift limits. A brief comparison between seismic drift and wind drift, in connection to their nature, and a determination procedure is covered. …

How They Affect the Practicing Engineer

The new ASCE 7-16 Minimum Design Loads and Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures (Standard) is adopted into the 2018 International Building Code (IBC) and is now hitting your desks. The 2018 IBC and the referenced Standard are being adopted by a few jurisdictions and will become more widely used in 2019. …