Acknowledgments This document was prepared by Coulbourne Consulting, a sole proprietor structural

engineering consultant, and sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The
principal authors of the guide are William L. Coulbourne, P.E., William Bracken, P.E., Dr. John van de
Lindt, and Dr. David Prevatt, P.E. Graphics were produced by Bracken Engineering, and document editing
and formatting was performed by Casey Thayer of Outreach Process Partners, LLC. Special appreciation
is extended to Jay Crandell, P.E., Eric Stafford, P.E. and Dr. Daniel Dolan for their review and guidance
throughout the project. Appreciation is also extended to the following individuals, whose comments
made this work more complete and accurate: James Baty (American Concrete Institute), Fred Bowen
(National Council of Structural Engineers Associations), Charles Carter (American Institute of Steel
Construction), Kelly Cobeen (Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc.), Dennis Graber (National Concrete
Masonry Association), Gary Ehrlich (National Association of Home Builders), John Ingargiola (Federal
Emergency Management Agency), Vladimir Kochkin (National Association of Home Builders Research
Center), Dan Lavrich (American Society of Civil Engineers, Structural Engineering Institute), Phil Line
(American Wood Council), Hamid Naderi (International Code Council), Larry Novak (Portland Cement
Association), Long Phan (National Institute of Standards and Technology), Tim Reinhold (Insurance
Institute for Business & Home Safety), Robert Ross (Forest Products Laboratory), Tim Smai

Design for Flexure Use Fig. 4-4 to determine if the Direct Design Method of ACI Sect. 13.6 can be utilized
to compute the bending moments due to the gravity loads: • 3 continuous spans in one direction, more
than 3 in the other O.K. • Rectangular panels with long-to-short span ratio = 24/20 = 1.2 < 2 O.K. •
Successive span lengths in each direction are equal O.K. • No offset columns O.K. • L/D = 50/(112.5 + 30)
= 0.35 < 2 O.K. • Slab system has no beams N.A. Since all requirements are satisfied, the Direct Design
Method can be used. Total panel moment Mo in end span: Mo = = 248.5 ft - kips Total panel moment
Mo in interior span: Mo = = 244 ft - kips For simplicity, use Mo = 248.5 ft-kips for all spans. Division of
the total panel moment Mo into negative and posiDesign for Flexure Use Fig. 4-4 to determine if the
Direct Design Method of ACI Sect. 13.6 can be utilized to compute the bending moments due to the
gravity loads: • 3 continuous spans in one direction, more than 3 in the other O.K. • Rectangular panels
with long-to-short span ratio = 24/20 = 1.2 < 2 O.K. • Successive span lengths in each direction are equal
O.K. • No offset columns O.K. • L/D = 50/(112.5 + 30) = 0.35 < 2 O.K. • Slab system has no beams N.A.
Since all requirements are satisfied, the Direct Design Method can be used. Total panel moment Mo in
end span: Mo = = 248.5 ft - kips Total panel moment Mo in interior span: Mo = = 244 ft - kips For
simplicity, use Mo = 248.5 ft-kips for all spans. Division of the total panel moment Mo into negative and
posi