The National Standards Development Committee of the Portland Cement Association (PCA) has approved the first PCA standard utilizing the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) accredited voluntary consensus process.

The new standard, PCA 100-07, Prescriptive Method for Design and Construction of Residential Concrete Walls, facilitates the use of cast-in-place concrete wall systems built with either removable or stay-in-place forms, such as insulating concrete forms (ICFs). It applies to the construction of detached one- and two-family dwellings. PCA 100-07 provides a simplified approach for the design and construction of cast-in-place concrete foundations and above-grade exterior walls. The approach is based on the requirements of ASCE 7-05, Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures, ACI 318-05, Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete, and test results.

“The previous prescriptive method included in the International Code Council (ICC) International Residential Code were not developed via an ANSI accredited standards development process and thus not consistent with the ICC policy for referenced standards,” said Steve Szoke, PCA’s director of code and standards. “Through a cooperative agreement between PCA and the American Iron and Steel Institute, we have expanded the scope to address the connection of concrete walls to cold-formed steel framing in addition to wood framing.” PCA anticipates that the standard will be referenced in the 2009 edition of the International Residential Code for One- and Two-Family Dwellings (IRC) and is expected to be available from PCA by the end of the year.

Based in Skokie, Ill., the Portland Cement Association represents cement companies in the United States and Canada.