In March of 2004 the new version of the Brazilian Code for design of concrete structures, the NBR 6118(2003), has replaced its predecessor the NBR 6118(1978). Amongst the new presented concepts, the greatest impact is related to the question of the durability of the concrete structures. The present work evaluates the influence of the new normative criteria, with emphasis to the analysis of costs, in the structural design of three buildings of reinforced concrete of varied heights. The influence in the costs of the structures is analyzed, when designed in the different exposure classes related environmental conditions II and III, of the value adopted for the compressive resistance fck, of the use of models I and II for the calculation of the reinforcement of shear of beams, of the influence of the design of them columns with the new criteria of the minimum moment of first local order and geometric imperfections. Finally, it has been compared the global costs of the structures of the three buildings when designed according to criteria of NBR-6118(1978) and NBR- 6118(2003). The results had mainly shown that, despite the increase in concrete volume in accordance with the NBR 6118 (2003), the amount of steel was reduced, in them columns, in relation the NBR 6118(1978). The difference in final costs of the structures was favorable to the NBR 6118(1978), but it can be considered relatively low, in comparison with the increasing quality and durability proportioned by the adoption the NBR 6118(2003)
