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An elevated office slab is inside the weather envelope and has No. 5 temperature bars near the bottom face. With no earth contact or weather exposure, ACI 318 permits what minimum cover for the slab bars?

Correct Answer

D) 3/4 in.

ACI 318-19 Table 20.6.1.3.1 gives 3/4 in. minimum cover for slabs, walls, and joists not exposed to weather or in contact with ground for No. 11 bars and smaller. Other choices: 1 in. is not the listed ACI cover for this condition, 1-1/2 in. is used for beams and columns, and 2 in. is for larger bars in formed exterior exposure.

Answer Options
A
1 in.
B
1-1/2 in.
C
2 in.
D
3/4 in.

Why This Is the Correct Answer

ACI 318-19 Table 20.6.1.3.1 gives 3/4 in. minimum cover for slabs, walls, and joists not exposed to weather or in contact with ground for No. 11 bars and smaller.

Why the Other Options Are Wrong

Option A: 1 in.

Choice A gives 1 in. Its specific error: 1 in. is a concrete-cover value for a different exposure/member case; ACI 318-19 Table 20.6.1.3.1 keys this item to 3/4 in. The accepted answer is 3/4 in.

Option B: 1-1/2 in.

Choice B (1-1/2 in.) is rejected because 1-1/2 in. is a concrete-cover value for a different exposure/member case; ACI 318-19 Table 20.6.1.3.1 keys this item to 3/4 in. The cited answer is 3/4 in.

Option C: 2 in.

In concrete work, 2 in. is the wrong selection for Concrete cover: 2 in. is a concrete-cover value for a different exposure/member case; ACI 318-19 Table 20.6.1.3.1 keys this item to 3/4 in.

Memory Technique

File concrete cover under a weep path: condition first, number or duty second, answer 3/4 in.

Reference Hint

Open ACI 318-19, Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete; use ACI 318-19 Table 20.6.1.3.1 to confirm that ACI 318-19 Table 20.6.1.3.1 gives 3/4 in.

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