The Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI) first introduced its *Manual for the Design of Fire Resistance of Precast/Prestressed Concrete* in 1977, with subsequent editions in 1989 and 2011. These editions were based on fire test data dating back to the 1960s. While fire resistance in other publications often followed prescriptive methods (e.g., using tables to select concrete mass or steel protection), the PCI manual introduced rational design, a true fire resistance calculation method. Although not an official standard, the first edition of the *International Building Code* (IBC) in 2000 recognized PCI’s procedures as acceptable for prestressed concrete slabs.
In 2014, PCI was designated as an ANSI (American National Standards Institute) Accredited Standards Developer, reflecting the importance of fire resistance in precast concrete for the industry. This led to the development of a consensus standard form, with the fire resistance design procedures included in the 2021 IBC as an ANSI-accredited standard.
The document outlines design requirements for precast and precast prestressed concrete elements to resist fire. These elements, defined as plant-cast concrete members reinforced with nonprestressed or prestressed strands, include walls, floor and roof slabs, beams, and columns. Additionally, it provides fire protection methods for structural steel columns encased in precast concrete. The design methods utilize fire exposure criteria based on ASTM E119, and the standard requires compliance with ACI 318 unless stricter provisions are outlined. This formalized approach provides a clear methodology for ensuring the fire resistance of critical precast concrete elements in building design.
