maximum spacing of reinforcement in footings

huangyhg

maximum spacing of reinforcement in footings
we have a discussion going on in our office regarding the maximum spacing of reinforcement in footings.  i have always operated under the premise that there was a maximum spacing limitation of 18 inches.  i have attempted to find this in the aci-318 code but i can only find this as a limit for walls and slabs in section 7.6.  could someone out there help me on this one?  thanks
aci 10.5.4 ...3 times thickness or 18" max.
i feel sec 7.6.5 should be ammended down the line to include flexural steel in footings because most field inspectors(unless they are engineers) typically refer to chapters 1 through 7. also after the ammendement, 10.5.4 should cross refrence 7.6.5.
btw, suppose a heavily loaded spread footing requires top mat reinforcement in addition to the bottom mat tension steel. what would be the maximum required spacing between individual bars in the top mat?
benjaminarra and henri2,
thanks for the assistance.  i knew there something in the code that addressed this.