Australian Standard for Concrete Structures AS 3600-1988, the first of the AS 3600 series, was published in March 1988. Since then, AS 3600 has been revised four times and published consecutively at between six to nine-year intervals as AS 3600-1994, AS 3600-2001, AS 3600-2009 and the latest, AS 3600-2018. The changes incorporated in AS 3600-2018 concern mainly the following topics:

1. Stress-block configuration for bending analysis and design of reinforced and prestressed members
2. Shear and torsional strengths of reinforced and prestressed members
3. Values of the strength capacity reduction factor,  for different member strengths
4. Effective moment of inertia for deflection calculations As part of a review, a summary of the relevant new design procedures and associated formulas have been prepared. Research worldwide on the mechanics and strength of concrete structures – a rather mature discipline – is sustaining a state of diminishing return. Australia is no exception. In particular, the modifications identified above have led to more complicated processes which require increased computational efforts. Academically, such added complexity may be considered as a disciplinary upgrade. Concrete engineering practitioners, on the other hand, deserve to be advised of the effectiveness, or worthiness, of such an advance. In each of the concerned topics and for practical problems, analysis and design calculations have been carried out using the updated specifications given in AS 3600-2018, as well as those existing in the superseded AS 3600-2009. Based on the analysis results and design outcomes, observations are made in regard to the complexity and effectiveness of this Australia‟s premier concrete structures code.