The theory and techniques relative to the design and proportioning of concrete mixes, as well as the placing, finishing, and curing of concrete, are outside the scope
of this book and are adequately discussed in many other publications. Field testing, quality control, and inspection is also adequately covered elsewhere. This is not to
imply that these are of less importance in overall concrete construction technology but only to reiterate that the objective of this book is to deal with the design and analysis of reinforced concrete members.
The design and construction of reinforced concrete buildings is controlled by the Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete (ACI 318-11) of the American Concrete Institute (ACI) [1]. The use of the term code in this text refers to the ACI Code unless otherwise stipulated. The code is revised, updated, and reissued on a 3-year cycle. The code itself has no legal status.
It has been incorporated into the building codes of almost all states and municipalities throughout the United States, however. When so incorporated, it has official sanction, becomes a legal document, and is part of the law controlling reinforced concrete design and construction in a particular area.
Therefore, tensile reinforcement must be embedded in the concrete to overcome this deficiency. In the United States, this reinforcement is in the form of steel reinforcing
bars or welded wire reinforcing composed of steel wire. In addition, reinforcing in the form of structural steel shapes, steel pipe, steel tubing, and high-strength steel tendons is permitted by the ACI Code.
