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Last revised: Thursday, March 5, 2026 at 02:23 PM

Is it per code to use the Bischoff method?

 

Yes, it is per code because the code states that any reasonable analysis method the engineer chooses to use is acceptable.  ACI continues to work to get their recommended slender wall methods in line with actual test results. It is well known that the Ieff equation used for over 30 years in slender wall design was incorrect for thin concrete bending members.  The Bischoff equation is well known and gives Ieff values far closer to the actual values from test results.  We strive for accuracy and have been involved in tilt-up wall panel analyses since 1981 when the first actual tests were performed by SEAOSC.

 

Link to ASCE JOURNAL OF STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING article on Bischoff's method:   http://www.enercalc.com/pdf/Bischoff_ASCE_Final_Discussion.pdf

 

 

 

When using Bischoff's method of designing slender masonry walls, is the axial load allowed to be considered when determining the cracking moment?

 

Short answer:  No. In the Bischoff-based slender wall method, the cracking moment (M_cr) is determined from flexural tension only and does not include axial load. Axial load is accounted for elsewhere in the analysis (primarily through P-Δ effects and the applied moment level (M_a)), but it is not used to modify the cracking moment itself.