The American Concrete Institute (ACI) is a technical and educational society that develops codes, specifications and guides for concrete design, construction and repair.
Founded in 1904 and based in Farmington Hills, Michigan, ACI publishes ACI 318, the structural concrete code referenced by the International Building Code. For parking, its most relevant documents are its guides on designing durable parking structures and on maintaining them.
ACI documents that matter for parking
- ACI 318: building code requirements for structural concrete, including durability rules by exposure class.
- ACI 362.1R: guide for the design and construction of durable concrete parking structures.
- ACI 362.2R: guide for structural maintenance of parking structures.
- Repair and evaluation standards for existing concrete structures.
Other roles
- Certification programs for field technicians, inspectors and finishers.
- Research, education and technical committees that update practice. See Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute and the Post-Tensioning Institute for system-specific guidance.
The Parkonomics view
Owners do not need to read ACI documents, but they should ask their engineer which ones the design and maintenance plans follow. The maintenance guide is the one most often forgotten.
Related terms: Concrete, Cement, Precast Concrete Institute, Chloride-Ion Contamination, International Building Code, Structural Systems of Parking