The purpose of this design supplement is to present acceptable standards of
procedure and practice applicable to the design of buildings, principally power
and pumping plant buildings. Where the words power plant and powerhouse
are used, the meaning shall be considered applicable to major pumping
plants, and in general to smaller and miscellaneous buildings.
.2 This chapter outlines the general problem of design and lists the design
specifications and codes to be followed. Chapter 2 presents structural design
data applicable to all building design. Chapter 3 presents concrete design cri-
teria and procedures specially applicable to buildings; and Chapter 4 presents
standards for concrete details, including a discussion of the drawings required
in the design of major buildings. Chapter 5 presents standards for steel design
and details as applied to buildings. Chapter 6 presents architectural details.
.3 Although "design standards" cannot be used blindly to apply to all conditions,
and sizes and types of buildings, they are helpful for the purposes of estab-
lishing uniform practices in matters of office routine, improving the quality of
work done by enabling each individual to profit by the experience of others,
and reducing designing, drafting, and construction costs through simplification
and standardization. Special cases or radical departures from recommended
design standards obviously require approval of the engineer in responsible
charge of the work.
.4 Design may be divided into two categories; namely, functional design and
structural design. Functional design involves a study of the purpose of a pro-
posed structure and the planning of it to fulfill this purpose. Structural design
is the planning and proportioning of the elements of a structure to suit its func-
tion. Among other things, the general problems of design involve coordinating
the frequently conflicting claims of the functional and structural plans and
adjusting both to keep costs at a minimum.
.5 The first step in the design of every major structure is the preparation of basic structural designs. Such designs should record and summarize the general design data and assumptions, and indicate also the principal features of the proposed design. The basic structural designs should be prepared and arranged in such complete form that all questions regarding the basic structural design and the adequacy of the proposed construction are answered. The basic designs serve as master drawings for use as the basis of the detailed drawings. For less complicated structures, a somewhat different arrangement of basic data may be used, but in all cases the main loading and other data and assumptions should be recorded on one or more drawings as required.
All features of design work not covered by other specific instructions and standards issued by the Bureau should conform to instructions and standards contained in the publications and memoranda listed below. Where two design specifications are cited for a given subject, the first one listed should generally be followed, but the second may be used in certain cases not covered by the first.
"Recommended Practice and Standard Specifications for Concrete and
Reinforced-Concrete," Report of the Joint Committee, ASCE, on standard
specifications for concrete and reinforced concrete, June 1940.
"Standards of Design for Concrete," Bulletin No. 3Yb, United States Navy
Department, Bureau of Yards and Docks.
"Concrete Manual--A Manual for the Control of Concrete Construction,
United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation.
"Steel Construction," American Institute of Steel Construction.
"Standards of Design for Structural Steel," Bulletin No. 12Yb, United
States Navy Department, Bureau of Yards and Docks.
LIMITATION
OF DESIGN
STANDARDS
GENERAL PROBLEM OF DESIGN
GENERAL
REQUIRE -
MENTS--
BASIC
STRUC-
TURAL
DESIGNS