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LONG-TERM DEFLECTIONS OF REINFORCED CONCRETE STRUCTURES.

Article · April 1987

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Himat Solanki Gajanan Sabnis

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Long-term deflections of reinforced concrete structures
Himat Solanki and Gajanan M. Sabnis

Long-term deflection is very important in the design of reinforced concrete structures. Several
parameters, such as Poisson's ratio, support conditions and flexural rigidity at various stages
of loading are considered in calculating deflections. To calculate the effective moment of inertia,
the tensile reinforcement-force ratio is used instead of moment ratio. The paper shows this
to be an effective alternative to the formula generally used in current practice. A method is
presented for computing long-term deflection in reinforced concrete beams, flat plates and flat
slabs. The existing test results were compared with the calculated values and agreement was
found to be quite satisfactory. The proposed method is also applicable to prestressed concrete
beams and slabs.

In recent years, the increasing use of high strength concrete For predicting long-term deflection in members of
and reinforcing steel in the ultimate strength and limit reinforced concrete structures, the estimation of flexural
design has made possible the use of shallower flexural rigidities after cracking becomes important', Fig 1; there-
members on the basis of stress. Reduction in depth tends fore, a transition value between the well-defined limits
to increase deflections. The results of this excessive in uncracked I and fully cracked /„ should be used. This
deflection are unacceptable; therefore, the control of is similar to the approach of determining deflection in
deflections assumes much greater importance in the long- partially-cracked condition as an intermediate value
term behaviour of reinforced concrete structures. Since between the uncracked (stage I) and the fully cracked
the long-term behaviour of reinforced concrete structures (stage II) deflections.
is influenced by a larger number of factors, the prediction
of long-term deflection for flexural members such as The aim of this paper is to develop a method of
beams, flat slabs and flat plates becomes an extremely computing long-term deflection of reinforced concrete
difficult problem for structural designers. structures. In this method, the deflection at the mid-point
of a reinforced concrete structure is obtained as a sum of
Simplified methods are available for prediction of long- deflections. The validity of this method is verified against
term deflection of beams and slabs" 2, 3 ' 4 . Long-term the results of 123 deflection tests from 19 different
deflection is a combination of initial elastic deflection, investigations.
long-term elastic deflection, deflection due to cracking,
deflection due to shrinkage, and deflection due to creep
of concrete. Moment curvature relationship
-

The initial elastic deflection is the deflection that occurs The moment-curvature relationship, Fig 2, for a reinforced
under the slab dead load when formwork is removed. The concrete section in flexure at any section can be expressed
long-term elastic deflection is the deflection that occurs as :
under live load and the finishing or construction loading, For slabs M/D
without producing a cracked section.
For beams (1) = M/ El
The deflection due to shrinkage occurs when one
surface of the concrete slab/beam is reinforced and where, = curvature
does not shorten appreciably and the opposite surface is M = bending moment
essentially unreinforced and does shorten due to concrete D = flexural rigidities in slab and plate
shrinkage. El/(1— 'Y 2 )
EI = flexural rigidity in beam
The deflection due to creep occurs as the concrete is Y Poisson's ratio.
stressed under sustained loading. It increases with time
and also with amount of loading. In equations (la) and (lb), the flexural rigidity remains
constant until the cracking moment is reached and
decreases as moment increases. To calculate moment of
inertia, Branson proposed the effective moment of inertia
method, which provides a transition between the well-
defined limits in the uncracked, / u „ or (stage I), and
fully cracked, /„. (stage II), and is expressed ash:

•••
',c a t e5
ch average
b cr t

(a) ( b) (c)

Fig 1 Stress and strain distribution in a cracked section

Himat Solanki, Structural Engineer, Smally, Wellford & Nalven, Inc., Sarasota,
Florida, U.S.A.

Gajanan M. Sabnis, Professor of Civil Engineering, Howard University, Washington,

DC 20059, U.S.A. Fig 2 Moment-curvature relationship

APRIL 1987 107

 150 Reference
• 10
Mcr 3 Mcr 3 4 it
= + [1 ler "5 I, ■ 12
(2)
• 13
4
• 14
where, = moment corresponding to flexural cracking O 15
M = bending moment considered E • 16
4 = uncracked or gross moment of inertia 100
• 17
•
= cracked moment of inertia. :
0 •
18
20
Equation (2) has been adopted in the ACI Building 0 22
Code (ACI 318-83) as the moment of inertia after cracking a1:1 x 33
for calculating deflection'.
a
For calculating the effective moment of inertia, with
/g and 1 . it seems reasonable to use tensile force ratio
0
a
-0 50
instead of M„,/M in equation (2) 8 . Since the transition of 0
the flexural rigidity of reinforced concrete members is <1
principally concerned with the rigidity in tensile zone, 4?
equation (2) could be written as :

T• cr , , Tc r 4
-( i„4 + [ 1( ) il, 19
r
• (3)
50 100 150

where, and T, express total tensile force (both in A Computed deflection ,mm
concrete and steel) in cracked sections at cracking and at Fig 4 Comparison of computed and observed mid-span long-
arbitrary level greater than cracking load considered, term deflection
respectively. Equation (3) corresponds with considering
moments about the location of the compressive resultant Long-term deflection
of concrete at a cracked section in Branson's equation (2).
The tensile force in the concrete before cracking would The total long-term deflection, A— total is assumed to ,

be (bh/2) (f/2). Stevens observed the tensile force as consist of :

A,, +
an average value of 75 percent just before cracking . 6,01'01 A. A,, (5)
Therefore, the average tensile force in the concrete after
cracking may be expressed as: where, A e sum of initial and long-term deflection
=
due to cracking
A„ = deflection due to concrete creep
T = 3 bhf, A sh = deflection due to shrinkage.
6 ... (4)
The deflection can be obtained by integrating the
where, b = width of beam or unit width of slab or plate curvature Oalong the span twice as follows:
h = overall depth of beam/slab or plate
f, = tensile strength of concrete in bending. A Odidx
Stevens further observed that the tensile force in the
concrete reduces as time increases, Fig 3, provided the ML 2 h2
(6a)
distribution of compressive stress in the concrete remains For a beam : A. - /3
E•I•••
(1 + 2.83
L2
linear.
ML 2
Equation (4) was used to calculate the tensile force in For a slab : A.. A., - P (1 Y
2 (6b)
the concrete for the flat plates and flat slabs, because it
depends upon the size (width and depth/thickness) rather
than percentage and type of reinforcement and concrete where, 13 is a constant which depends upon load and
cover. support conditions.
In this paper, the tensile force in the concrete was In case of flat plates and flat slabs, A, is equal to the
calculated based on equation (4) and was added to the sum of the deflection in x-direction and in y-direction 2 .
tensile force in the steel. The total tensile force T, was The creep and shrinkage deflections are computed using
used in equation (3) for the effective moment of inertia the procedure given in references (1) and (2).
calculation.
The creep deflection, A cr„ is given by
Total tension
A,, = k,C,A. (7)
where, k r = 0.85 — 0.45 (A's/As ) < 0.4
The creep coefficient, C„ is computed using prediction
0
7/7 Tensile force in
reinforcement

Tensile contribution of
equation recommended by ACI Committee 209 9.
The shrinkage deflection, A so is given by
• a. 0 ,,, L 2

where, cb sh = shrinkage curvature

(8)

concrete a = constant depending upon the end condition

= 0.125 for simply supported
= 0.086 for continuous at one end
= 0.063 for continuous at both ends.
Time
Thus the long-term deflection of reinforced concrete
Fig 3 Loss of tensile resistance of concrete structures can be computed using equations (3) through (8).

108 INDIAN CONCRETE JOURNAL

•

50 Reference The proposed method was also used to calculate the

O 22 maximum long-term deflection of partially prestressed and
E
24 fully prestressed concrete structures 23' 29, 30, 31. 32 , and was
• 25
E
• 26
found to be in good agreement.
0
• 27
Conclusion
a

a 25
The effective moment of inertia concept used in this paper
for computing the long-term deflections of reinforced and
prestressed concrete structures in cracking range is
a compatible with the formula given in the ACI Code.
.o For computing the long-term deflection at mid point
(maximum) of flat slabs and flat plates, it is assumed to
be equal to the sum of the deflections in the x-direction
and in the y-direction.
50

A Computed deflection, mm Acknowledgement

The authors sincerely thank Dr.-Ing Norbert Bunke of
Fig 5 Comparison of computed and observed mid-span long-
term deflection
German Committee for Reinforced Concrete.
The theory has been compared with the available
experimental data. These include tests at the University References
of Wisconsin' ° • l 22 , Cornell University' 2 , the University 1. ACI Committee 435, Deflections of Reinforced Concrete Structures.
of Missouri ° , the University of Illinois", Cement & AC! Journal Proceedings V. 63, No. 6, June 1966. pp. 637-674.
Concrete Association 15 , Construction Industry Research 2. BRANSON, D. E. Deformation of Concrete Structures. McGraw Hill
and Information Association 16 , Department of Environ- Book Co., New York, 1977. pp. 546.
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Royal Institute of Technology 19, 20, London University 21 , Building Code and Commentary Provisions on Deflections", AC!
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology 23 ' 30 , the University Journal Proceedings V. 75, No. 6, June 1978. pp. 229-238.
of New South Wales 24, 25, 26, the University of Adelaide, 4. Comite Euro-International du Beton-Manual, Cracking and
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The long-term deflection method described in this paper 6. BRANSON D. E. Instantaneous and Time Dependent Deflection on
was used to calculate the mid-span/maximum deflections Simple and Continuous Reinforced Concrete Beams. Research
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Reference 1980. pp. 189-194.
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• 22
0 10. WASHA, G. W. Plastic Flow of Thin Concrete Slabs. ACI Journal.
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E
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Proceedings V. 49, No. 2, October 1952. pp. 542-562.
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A Computed deflection, mm
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(Continued from page 93)

It has been proved conclusively that in case of Acknowledgement

overloading on a particular channel, the load will be The work reported in this paper forms part of the research
transferred to the adjoining channels, thus relieving the carried out at the Central Building Research Institute,
load from the overloaded channel. In this test series, only Roorkee, and is being published with the permission of the
two channel units have been used for assembly. In case of Director.
actual floor/roof assembly, the number of channels will be
much larger and the relief to the overloading of the channel References
will be more efficient and effective than what has been 1. Channel unit for floor/roof. Data Sheet Building Technique Series
shown in this paper. 5, January 1981. Central Building Research Institute, Roorkee.
2 Code of Practice for Plain and Reinforced Concrete (Second
Revision), IS:456-1964. Indian Standards Institution, New Delhi.
Therefore, in order to cut down the cost of precast floor
3. REHSI, S. S., CHAKRABARTI, S. C., SALEK CHANDRA and GARG S. K.
and roof, it is recommended that precast channel units can Use of fly ash in precast concrete units. NBO Journal, Vol. XX,
be used without any in-situ deck concrete over it. No. 2, October 1975, National Buildings Organisation, New Delhi.

A large number of projects of various kinds are under execution

all over the country, most of them using concrete in one way or another.
Many of these projects have interesting features. Many present technical
problems which require all the ingenuity of the construction engineer
to resolve. Readers of this Journal are keenly interested in reading
about all this and we shall, therefore, particularly welcome worthwhile
contributions bearing on construction. They should be accompanied
by good black and white glossy photographs.

110 INDIAN CONCRETE JOURNAL

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