This week I’m presenting at the SEAU 14th Annual Education Conference as part of the SEAU Codes Committee, where we’ll be discussing Utah’s proposed amendments to the 2024 International Building Code (IBC). Our session covers multiple topics, with my portion focusing on amendments affecting concrete design.
These amendments have been passed by the Utah legislature and are currently awaiting the Governor Cox’s signature. Once enacted, they will influence how reinforced concrete is designed for buildings across Utah, with the largest impact to mid-rise and high-rise concrete structures. While the conference discussion is aimed at educating structural engineers, the broader implications are highly relevant to contractors, architects, and building owners—particularly when it comes to construction costs.
Background: What Changed Under the 2021 Code
When Utah adopted the 2021 IBC, updates to the concrete code (ACI 318-19) resulted in more conservative design outcomes in certain situations.
In practice, this often led to:
· Thicker concrete basement and retaining walls
· Thicker concrete shear walls
· Larger footings and foundations
· Increased reinforcing steel in walls and foundations
The intent was to ensure safe and reliable building performance. However, many projects experienced significant increases in material quantities and associated construction costs. With concrete and reinforcing steel being major cost drivers, even modest increases in the size of concrete elements ballooned overall budgets when multiplied across an entire project. It quickly became clear that in many cases, the level of conservatism exceeded what was necessary to achieve appropriate structural performance.
What the Proposed Amendments Do
The proposed amendments to the 2024 IBC revise how certain concrete shear provisions are applied in Utah. These amendments not only address the conservatism introduced under the 2021 IBC, but they will also align Utah’s requirements more closely with the latest changes to the concrete code (ACI 318-25) that will be incorporated in the 2027 IBC. Under the normal code adoption cycle, those revisions would not affect projects in Utah until 2028 or 2029. By implementing these changes now, Utah projects can realize cost efficiencies sooner, rather than waiting years for the national code cycle to catch up.
In practical terms, this can mean:
· Wall thicknesses that are more proportionate to actual demand
· Foundation systems that avoid unnecessary size increases
· Reinforcement ratios that are closer to those seen on past projects
Why This Matters for Projects
With the new amendments, owners will see improved value without compromising structural integrity. Architects will have greater flexibility in planning and coordination, and contractors will experience simplified construction.
The proposed amendments reflect careful review by the SEAU Codes Committee, the Utah State Uniform Building Code Commission, and collaboration within Utah’s structural engineering community. They represent a measured and forward-looking adjustment that supports responsible seismic design while recognizing the importance of cost-effective project delivery.
