Reliability‐Based Code Formulations for Reinforced Concrete Buildings

The current version of ACI Standard 318 on reinforced concrete design uses an overall resistance factor on structural action to account for uncertainty in the resistance variables. Partial resistance factors also may be used to address the different sources of variability directly; such a format may be advantageous for reinforced concrete. First‐order, second‐moment reliability analysis methods are used to develop partial resistance factors that are compatible with the load requirements of ANSI Standard A58.1‐1982. Flexure, compression plus bending, and shear limit states are analyzed. The consistency of reliabilities afforded by alternate resistance factor formats are compared, and the performance from a reliability viewpoint of certain key code provisions is investigated.