> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.enercalc.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.enercalc.com/e3d-user-manual/design/toc161394065.md).

# Concrete Design – ACI 318-02/05/08/11/14

How to perform concrete design for beams, columns, and plates according to ACI 318-02 through 14.

The concrete design module performs concrete design for beams, columns and plates (bending only) according ACI 318-02, 05, 08, 11 and 14 \[Ref. 19]. Static analysis must be performed successfully before concrete design can be performed. Sound engineering judgment is especially important to interpret and apply the design results given by the program.

{% hint style="info" %}
**Note: The provisions that apply for ACI 318-02 and 05 shall apply to ACI 318-08, 11 and 14 unless explicitly stated otherwise.**
{% endhint %}

## Running Concrete Design and Viewing Results

To run the Concrete Design and obtain results, the following **minimum** conditions must be met. Note that concrete design is a complex process, and this list is not comprehensive. For a more detailed description of the Concrete Design feature, please refer to the [Concrete Design](/e3d-user-manual/interface/toc175916526/concrete.md) section of the ENERCALC 3D User Manual.

1. Load Combinations must be set for Concrete Design:
2. Navigate to Create > Loads > Load Combinations.
3. For each load combination to be considered, double-click the combination.
4. Enable the option "Perform Concrete Design using this Load Combination".
5. When concrete columns are to be designed, a sustained load combination for computing βd must be defined. See [Load Combinations](/e3d-user-manual/interface/toc175916526/toc175916652/toc161393883.md) for more information regarding setting up the sustained load combination.
6. If the concrete design includes sway column criteria requiring P-Delta analysis, also enable "Perform P-Delta Analysis on this Load Combination".
7. Click OK in the Load Combination window.
8. Click OK in the Load Combinations window.
9. Sustained load combination must be designated in RC Model Design Criteria:
10. Go to Concrete Design > RC Model Design Criteria.
11. Under "Sustained load combination for computing Beta-d in columns", select the sustained load combination described above.
12. Click OK to confirm.
13. Members in the model must be assigned a concrete material:
14. Go to Tables > Properties > Materials and click the Std Material... button.
15. Choose the desired concrete material from the drop down menu, then click OK.
16. Click Apply to close the window.
17. Next, go to Tables > Entities > Members.
18. Update the Material column to assign the concrete material previously added. 1. Tip: To assign the same material to all members quickly, right-click the section in the table after setting it for one member. You will be prompted to auto-fill the column with this value. Click Yes to apply it to all members.
19. Click OK to confirm.
20. Members in the model must be assigned a regular section:
21. Go to Tables > Properties > Sections and add a section by clicking the Regular Section... button.
22. Choose the desired section shape and enter the section dimensions, then click OK.
23. Click Apply to close the window.
24. Next, go to Tables > Entities > Members.
25. Update the Section column to assign the regular shape previously added. 1. Tip: To assign the same section to all members quickly, right-click the section in the table after setting it for one member. You will be prompted to auto-fill the column with this value. Click Yes to apply it to all members.
26. Click OK to confirm.
27. Static analysis has been run:
28. Go to Analysis > Static Analysis.
29. After running the static analysis, check the Log File to ensure there are no model instabilities or other issues. Address any issues before proceeding with the design.

Once those conditions are met, execute the steel design by navigating to Concrete Design > Perform Concrete Design. You can then review the results via Concrete Design > Concrete Design Output.


---

# Agent Instructions
This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com.

## Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.enercalc.com/e3d-user-manual/design/toc161394065.md?ask=<question>&goal=<endgoal>
```

`ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
`goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal.

The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.