Book excerpt: The Model Code for Concrete Structures is intended to serve as a basis for future codes. It takes into account new developments with respect to concrete structures, the structural material concrete and new ideas for the requirements to be formulated for structures in order to achieve optimum behaviour according to new insights and ideas. It is also intended as a source of information for updating existing codes or developing new codes for concrete structures. At the same time, the Model Code is intended as an operational document for normal design situations and structures.