Z6 Reinforcement Detailing Handbook

The Concrete Institute of Australia’s Recommended Practice, Z6 Steel Reinforcement Detailing Handbook was revised in 2024 to celebrate its 50th year as part of the design engineers kit bag in Australia.

This flagship guide for designers, specifiers, detailers and all engineers alike, was first published by the CIA in 1975 and has been revised and updated to meet the concrete standards, AS3600 – 2018 and AS5100.5 – 2024, as well as a AS4671 – 2019.

The basic requirements of good reinforced concrete detailing are clarity and conciseness. Unfortunately, there has been a steady deterioration in the quality and quantity of drawings supplied for reinforced concrete over the last twenty years. The net result of poor quality drawings is increased costs in the material supply and construction sectors and unacceptable levels of dispute.

Detailing of reinforcement is the interface between the actual design of the concrete structure and what is to be constructed. There is no point in having the most sophisticated analysis and design if it cannot be constructed in the field. Designers must be aware of practical limitations of construction. Detailing is also important for durability, as poor placement of reinforcement leads to insufficient cover and long term problems. Detailing of reinforcement is not taught to designers and yet it is fundamental to the proper design of reinforced concrete.

The aim of this manual is to guide designers, draftspersons and other professionals toward a uniform method of communicating the design intention to the construction team so that confusion cannot arise from the misinterpretation of the drawings.

This is the fifth edition of the Reinforced Concrete Detailing Handbook; first published in 1975; and rewritten in 1988, 2007, 2014 and 2024 to match the publication of AS 3600. In this edition the review team has addressed the following issues:

• Progressive revisions of AS 3600 and incorporation of the provisions of AS 3600:2018.
• Introduction of steel Grades 600 and 750 in accordance with AS/NZS 4671 (2019) Steel for the reinforcement of concrete. Note that the steel strength of mesh is 500 MPa and while AS 3600 (2018) does allow the use of steel strengths up to 800 MPa for fitments in columns, Clause 1.1.2(d) currently limits the strength of the reinforcement used in design models to 600 MPa unless noted otherwise.
• The detailing requirements for seismic response have been updated in accordance with the new provisions in AS 3600 (2018).