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Home / Structural Design Standards

Structural Design Standards

The federal bridge inspection regulation (NBIS) — public domain, with its complete structure on BuildSpec — plus the copyrighted material design standards referenced by IBC Chapters 16–23, listed below with links to the publisher.

Material design standards (ACI 318, AISC 360, NDS, TMS 402, ASCE 7) are copyrighted by their publishers, but most offer free read-only access (ACI 318 through ACI, AISC 360 as a free PDF, NDS through AWC). The NBIS is a federal regulation — its complete text is free on eCFR.

NBISPublic domain

National Bridge Inspection Standards

Federal Highway Administration · 23 CFR 650 Subpart C (2022 Final Rule)

The National Bridge Inspection Standards (NBIS) are federal regulations (23 CFR 650 Subpart C) that establish requirements for the inspection of all highway bridges on public roads. FHWA published a major update in May 2022 adding risk-based inspection intervals, element-level inspection, load rating, and quality assurance/quality control requirements. The standards ensure the safety of the nation's roughly 620,000 highway bridges.

650.301 · Purpose650.303 · Definitions650.305 · Bridge Inspection Organization650.307 · Qualifications of Personnel650.309 · Inspection Frequency650.311 · Inspection Procedures+7 more on the detail page

Additional References

Published elsewhere. These links leave BuildSpec and open on the publisher’s own site — the host for each is shown on the right.

ACI 318 — Building Code Requirements for Structural ConcreteAmerican Concrete Institute · ACI 318-19concrete.org

The primary standard for design and construction of structural concrete buildings. Copyrighted — free read-only access through the ACI website. Topics: Concrete design, Reinforcement, IBC Ch 19.

Cited in 9 sections across 9 state DOT spec books on BuildSpec →
AISC 360 — Specification for Structural Steel BuildingsAmerican Institute of Steel Construction · AISC 360-22aisc.org

The standard specification for design of structural steel buildings. Copyrighted — available as a free PDF from AISC. Topics: Steel design, Connections, IBC Ch 22.

Cited in 1 section across 1 state DOT spec book on BuildSpec →
NDS — National Design Specification for Wood ConstructionAmerican Wood Council · NDS 2024awc.org

The primary standard for structural wood design in the United States. Copyrighted — free view-only access through AWC. Topics: Wood design, Connections, IBC Ch 23.

Cited in 16 sections across 12 state DOT spec books on BuildSpec →
TMS 402/602 — Building Code for Masonry StructuresThe Masonry Society · TMS 402/602-22masonrysociety.org

The building code for structural masonry design (formerly ACI 530/ASCE 5). Copyrighted — available from The Masonry Society. Topics: Masonry design, IBC Ch 21.

Cited in 2 sections across 1 state DOT spec book on BuildSpec →
ASCE 7 — Minimum Design LoadsAmerican Society of Civil Engineers · ASCE 7-22asce7hazardtool.online

The load standard referenced by the IBC: dead, live, snow, rain, ice, seismic, wind, tsunami, and flood loads, plus load combinations. The ASCE 7 Hazard Tool provides free site-specific load values. Topics: Wind, Seismic, Snow, Load combinations.

Cited in 1 section across 1 state DOT spec book on BuildSpec →
AWS D1.1 — Structural Welding Code (Steel)American Welding Societyaws.org

Welding requirements for structural steel: prequalified WPS, qualification, fabrication, inspection, and stud welding. Topics: Prequalified WPS, Inspection, Qualification.

Cited in 159 sections across 40 state DOT spec books on BuildSpec →
AISI S100 — Cold-Formed SteelAmerican Iron and Steel Institutesteel.org

North American specification for the design of cold-formed steel structural members — studs, joists, purlins, and decks. Topics: CFS members, Effective width, Distortional buckling.

PCI Design HandbookPrecast/Prestressed Concrete Institute · 8th Editionpci.org

Design of precast and prestressed concrete components and connections including handling, tolerances, and load tables. Topics: Precast, Prestressed, Connections.

Cited in 8 sections across 3 state DOT spec books on BuildSpec →
ASCE 41 — Seismic Evaluation & RetrofitAmerican Society of Civil Engineers · ASCE 41-23asce.org

Performance-based seismic evaluation and retrofit of existing buildings — tier 1/2/3 procedures and acceptance criteria. Topics: Existing buildings, Performance-based, Retrofit.

IBC Chapters 16–23 — Structural ProvisionsInternational Code Council · 2024codes.iccsafe.org

The structural chapters of the IBC: design loads, special inspections, soils and foundations, and the material chapters that adopt ACI 318, AISC 360, NDS, and TMS 402 by reference. Free read-only on ICC Digital Codes. Topics: Ch 16 Loads, Ch 17 Special inspections, Ch 18 Soils.