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Chapter 16A — STRUCTURAL DESIGN

Section 1604A

California Building Code (Title 24, Part 2) · 2019 edition · updated 2026-09-12 · California

Italicized text is a California amendment to the model code, as printed in the official publication.

GENERAL DESIGN REQUIREMENTS

1604 A .1 General. Building, structures and parts thereof shall be designed and constructed in accordance with strength design, load and resistance factor design, allowable stress design, empirical design or conventional construction methods, as permitted by the applicable material chapters and referenced standards.

1604 A .2 Strength. Buildings and other structures, and parts thereof, shall be designed and constructed to support safely the factored loads in load combinations defined in this code without exceeding the appropriate strength limit states for the materials of construction. Alternatively, buildings and other structures, and parts thereof, shall be designed and constructed to support safely the nominal loads in load combinations defined in this code without exceeding the appropriate specified allowable stresses for the materials of construction.

Loads and forces for occupancies or uses not covered in this chapter shall be subject to the approval of the building official.

1604 A .3 Serviceability. Structural systems and members thereof shall be designed to have adequate stiffness to limit deflections as indicated in Table 1604 A .3. Drift limits applicable to earthquake loading shall be in accordance with ASCE 7 Chapter 12, 13, 15 or 16, as applicable.

1604 A .3.1 Deflections. The deflections of structural members shall not exceed the more restrictive of the limitations of Sections 1604 A .3.2 through 1604 A .3.9 or that permitted by Table 1604 A .3.

1604 A .3.2 Reinforced concrete. The deflection of reinforced concrete structural members shall not exceed that permitted by ACI 318.

1604 A .3.3 Steel. The deflection of steel structural members shall not exceed that permitted by AISC 360, AISI S100, ASCE 8, SJI CJ or SJI 100, as applicable.

1604 A .3.4 Masonry. The deflection of masonry structural members shall not exceed that permitted by TMS 402.

1604 A .3.5 Aluminum. The deflection of aluminum structural members shall not exceed that permitted by AA ADM1.

1604 A .3.6 Limits. The deflection limits of Section 1604 A .3.1 shall be used unless more restrictive deflection limits are required by a referenced standard for the element or finish material.

1603 A .1.9 Roof rain load data. Rain intensity, i (in/hr) (cm/ hr), shall be shown regardless of whether rain loads govern the design.

1603A.1.10 Construction procedures. Where unusual erection or construction procedures are considered essen- tial by the Registered Design Professional (RDP) in order to accomplish the intent of the design or influence the con- struction, such procedure shall be indicated on the con- struction documents.

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▸Contents — California Building Code (Title 24, Part 2)
California Building Code (Title 24, Part 2)
  1. Chapter 2 — DEFINITIONS AND ABBREVIATIONS
  2. Appendix G — FLOOD-RESISTANT
  3. Appendix L — EARTHQUAKE RECORDING
  4. Appendix M — TSUNAMI-GENERATED
  5. Chapter 1 — SCOPE AND ADMINISTRATION
  6. Chapter 3 — OCCUPANCY CLASSIFICATION AND USE
  7. Chapter 4 — SPECIAL DETAILED REQUIREMENTS BASED
  8. Chapter 5 — GENERAL BUILDING HEIGHTS AND AREAS
  9. Chapter 6 — TYPES OF CONSTRUCTION
  10. Chapter 7 — FIRE AND SMOKE PROTECTION FEATURES
  11. Chapter 7A — MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION
  12. Chapter 8 — INTERIOR FINISHES
  13. Chapter 9 — FIRE PROTECTION AND LIFE SAFETY SYSTEMS
  14. Chapter 10 — MEANS OF EGRESS
  15. Chapter 11A — HOUSING ACCESSIBILITY
  16. Chapter 11B — ACCESSIBILITY TO PUBLIC BUILDINGS, PUBLIC ACCOMM…
  17. Chapter 12 — INTERIOR ENVIRONMENT
  18. Chapter 14 — EXTERIOR WALLS
  19. Chapter 15 — ROOF ASSEMBLIES AND ROOFTOP STRUCTURES
  20. Chapter 16 — STRUCTURAL DESIGN
  21. ▸Chapter 16A — STRUCTURAL DESIGN
    Overview
    1. Section 1603A
    2. Section 1601A
    3. Section 1602A
    4. Section 1604A
    5. Section 1605A
    6. Section 1606A
    7. Section 1607A
    8. Section 1608A
    9. Section 1609A
    10. Section 1610A
    11. Section 1611A
    12. Section 1612A
    13. Section 1613A
    14. Section 1616A
    15. Section 1614A
    16. Section 1615A
  22. Chapter 17 — SPECIAL INSPECTIONS AND TESTS
  23. Chapter 18 — SOILS AND FOUNDATIONS
  24. Chapter 19 — CONCRETE
  25. Chapter 20 — ALUMINUM
  26. Chapter 21 — MASONRY
  27. Chapter 22 — STEEL
  28. Chapter 23 — WOOD
  29. Chapter 24 — GLASS AND GLAZING
  30. Chapter 25 — GYPSUM BOARD, GYPSUM PANEL PRODUCTS AND PLASTER
  31. Chapter 26 — PLASTIC
  32. Chapter 27 — ELECTRICAL
  33. Chapter 28 — MECHANICAL SYSTEMS
  34. Chapter 30 — ELEVATORS AND CONVEYING SYSTEMS
  35. Chapter 31 — SPECIAL CONSTRUCTION
  36. Chapter 31B — PUBLIC POOLS
  37. Chapter 31C — RADIATION
  38. Chapter 31D — FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS
  39. Chapter 31F — MARINE OIL TERMINALS
  40. Chapter 32 — ENCROACHMENTS INTO THE PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY
  41. Chapter 33 — SAFEGUARDS DURING CONSTRUCTION
  42. Chapter 35 — REFERENCED STANDARDS
  43. Appendix A — EMPLOYEE QUALIFICATIONS
  44. Appendix B — BOARD OF APPEALS
  45. Appendix C — GROUP U – AGRICULTURAL BUILDINGS
  46. Appendix D — FIRE DISTRICTS
  47. Appendix F — RODENTPROOFING
  48. Appendix H — SIGNS
  49. Appendix I — PATIO COVERS
  50. Appendix J — GRADING
  51. Appendix K — GROUP R-3 AND GROUP R-3.1 OCCUPANCIES
  52. Appendix N — REPLICABLE BUILDINGS
  53. Appendix O — EMERGENCY HOUSING

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