Introduction - Design of Reinforced Concrete - page 34

1.24 SELECTION OF DESIGN LOADS

To assist the designer in estimating the magnitudes of live loads with which he or she should
proportion structures, various records have been assembled through the years in the form of
building codes and specifications. These publications provide conservative estimates of live-
load magnitudes for various situations. One of the most widely used design-load specifica-
tions for buildings is that published by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). 24
The designer is usually fairly well controlled in the design of live loads by the build-
ing code requirements in his or her particular area. The values given in these various
codes unfortunately vary from city to city, and the designer must be sure to meet the re-
quirements of a particular locality. In the absence of a governing code, the ASCE code is
an excellent one to follow.
Some other commonly used specifications are:
1. For railroad bridges, American Railway Engineering Association (AREA). 25
2. For highway bridges, American Association of State Highway and Transportation
Officials (AASHTO). 26
3. For buildings, the International Building Code (IBC). 27

Croke Park Stadium, Dublin, Ireland. (Courtesy of EFCO Corp.)

24 American Society of Civil Engineers, 2002, Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures ,
ASCE 7-02, (Reston, VA: American Society of Civil Engineers), 376 pp.
25 American Railway Engineering Association (AREA), 2003, Manual for Railway Engineering (Chicago, IL).
26 Standard Specifications for Highway Bridges , 2002, 17th ed. (Washington, DC: American Association of
State Highway and Transportation Officials [AASHTO]).
27 International Building Code, 2003, International Code Council, Inc.