ABSTRACT
Structural engineers in the United States use the following primary codes:
• International Building Code,1 and the International Existing Building Code
• Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures2
• Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete3
• Steel Construction Manual4
• National Design Specifications for Wood Construction5
• Building Code Requirements and Specification for Masonry Structures6
Codes are updated in response to failures and research, causing the rules to change. What we do one year may not be the approved method next year. Additionally, building codes do not cover all design cases and sometimes have evolved (or devolved) so far that their connection to basic engineering principles is blurred. Remember, we can always return to the basic principles of statics, structural analysis, and mechanics of materials to better understand the code intent or to handle problems the code simply doesn’t cover.
