Digital Building Codes Options 1

[jdgengineer]

Our office is looking at updating our building codes and reference documents for the upcoming California code cycle change on January 1st. In the past we have typically had hard copies of the building code, AISC, ACI, NDS, etc. However, our office has transitioned to a hybrid work option where we really need digital copies to supplemental our paper copies.

I haven't done a lot of research yet, but is there an all in one subscription option? I know Premium ICC subscription has the I-codes. From a quick google search, it seems it's quite segmented to get digital copies of AISC, ACI, etc.

What is the best option for digital purchases of building codes and reference documents? We are happy to pay subscriptions, limit concurrent users, etc., but we would prefer not to hardware lock to specific computers.

 

[phamENG]

I codes are available for free. You don't get commentary and they limit search functions and printing, but if you need to save any money that might be a good place.

For the others, buying them from individual organizations is the only way I know of. ICC sells bundled ASTM standards based on code, but I don't think they do design codes.

 

[jdgengineer]

I see MADCAD.com as an option referenced from ACI and AISC, but it looks like they haven't updated options for all new codes yet. Has anyone used MADCAD before? Any feedback?

 

[Celt83]

Your better off having a few folks in your office become members of the various orgs and buying hard copies at the member prices.

AISI and AISC both provide the specifications for free. Their respective design manuals are at a premium but you could recreate the various design tables with some focused effort. AISC members get access to all of the design guides and reference documents as free unlocked pdf downloads. The AISC steel manual digital version is a per user subscription so need a sub per user.

American wood council provides the full NDS for free as a webview PDF.

ACI and TMS are pay to play, members get a substantial discount on the design standards and ACI members get mostly free access to unlocked PDFs of a wealth of reference documents and some PDH courses. Digital version of ACI 318 is a per user license so you’ll need a subscription for each user.

ASCE 7 is pay to play. Digital version is a user locked pdf and they don’t mess around with the encryption.

IBC you can view for free at I codes or ICC.

 

[Celt83]

I tend to shy away from trying to purchase these items from any of the various 3rd party outfits, you may be buying a reprint of a review copy of the standard rather than the public release version or a shady dark net copy that some outfit is just running on demand prints on a xerox binding and shipping which may have missing or incomplete graphics and formulas.

In my opinion anything I'm supposed to legally adhere too as part of design should be a free document looking at ACI, TMS, and ASCE 7, especially so since a lot of taxpayer funding went into some of the research.

 

[jdgengineer]

Thanks for the responses. I agree, these should all be free in my opinion as well, but that's not the case, so here we are.

MADCAD was linked directly from ACI, so I do think it is legitimate. Although, it seems a bit sluggish when using the free trial.

Hard copies are straight forward, and we will purchase. But with working from home more common, we need to have other options to review the various standards. It's a bit ridiculous (in my opinion) to have to subscribe separately for each organization (ACI, ASCE, AISC, etc.) each with their own different platforms/deliverables all to get the information to design 1 building. The various organizations are certainly not making it easy/user friendly to purchase these digital copies legitimately.

 

[Celt83]

....not making it easy/user friendly to purchase these digital copies legitimately.

That is because their primary concern is protecting IP so they need to make it as difficult as possible to pirate, which goes completely counter to being accommodating for the end user.