CE5510 Advanced Structural

Concrete Design

3. Serviceability
- Stress Limitation, Crack & Deflection Control -

Part 2

Professor Tan Kiang Hwee

Dept of Civil & Environmental Engrg
National University of Singapore

Deflections & deflection control

 Need for deflection control

Use of high-strength materials leading to slender
members
Lack of substantial walls and partitions

 Requirements
 Deformation should not affect functioning or
appearance

©Tan K H, NUS 2
Criteria for Deflection Control (ACI 435)

(a) Sensory acceptability  To satisfy (b):

(b) Serviceability  Total deflection is
(c) Effect on non-structural limited
elements
(d) Effect on structural  To satisfy (c):
elements  Incremental
deflection after
In general, members attachment of non-
satisfying (b) & (c)
may be deemed to structural elements is
meet (a) and (d) limited

©Tan K H, NUS 3

2
3
4
= tot – ’’

©Tan K H, NUS 4
Deflection Limits

 Appearance and general utility

 Beam, slab, cantilever subjected to quasi-
permanent loads
 Pre-camber due to prestressing

 ≤ L/250

 Damage to adjacent parts of structure

Additional  ≤ L/500
under quasi-permanent loads

©Tan K H, NUS 5

Methods of Deflection Control

 By limiting computed deflections

 Deflections at various stages of loading are
calculated and checked against limits

 By limiting span/depth ratios

©Tan K H, NUS 6
Deflection Control by Computed Deflection

Max deflection of elastic member

1 2
   dx
or rx

 = k (1/r)L2 = k (M/EI)L2

k = elastic deflection coefficient

M = reference moment
L = span length
E = modulus of elasticity
I = moment of inertia of section
1/r = M/EI = curvature of section M/EI
e.g. s.s. beam under uniform loading:  = (5/48)(wL2/8EI)L2
k
©Tan K H, NUS 7

©Tan K H, NUS 8
 (1/r)cr (1/r)uncr

Ig

Icr

©Tan K H, NUS 9

EIeff = EIcr + (1 - ) EIg

The same applies to 1/r   = II +(1 - )I

where  = function of Mcr/M
©Tan K H, NUS 10
Concrete Member subjected mainly to flexure

 Assume elastic behaviour even after cracking

 Main factors affecting deflection

 tensile strength of concrete
 creep of concrete
 elastic modulus of concrete

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 Consider deformation parameter (strain,

curvature or rotation, or deflection)

 = II +(1 - )I

where
I : value of parameter for uncracked condition
II : value of parameter for fully cracked condition
 : distribution coeff. (= 0 for uncracked section)

©Tan K H, NUS 12
  = 1 – (sr /s )2 or  = 1 – (Mcr/M)2

 = 1.0 for a single short-term loading; = 0.5 for sustained

loads or many cycles of repeated loading;
sr : stress in the tension reinft. based on cracked section
at 1st cracking;
s : stress in the tension reinft. based on cracked section.

Note: 0.9 /
0.3

©Tan K H, NUS 13

 To account for creep, use effective modulus of

elasticity for concrete

where (, t0) : creep coefficient

Fig. 3.1 h0 : notional size = 2Ac /u

©Tan K H, NUS 14
 Note: Figures applicable
only if the concrete is not
subjected to a
compressive stress greater
than 0.45fck (t0 ) at the
time of loading.

Fig. 3.1

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 Shrinkage curvature

cs
As’ As’csEs
M
As AscsEs

This results in a moment M where:

M = AscsEs(d – x) + As’csEs(x – d’) = csEsS

The resulting curvature is:

1/r = M/EcI = cs(Es/Ec) S/I
©Tan K H, NUS 16
 where
cs : free shrinkage strain = cd + ca (see note)
e : effective modular ratio = Es /Ec,eff
S : first moment of area of reinforcement
about centroid of section
I : second moment of area of section

Note:
cd : drying shrinkage strain; which develops slowly due to drying, and is a
function of migration of water through the hardened concrete
ca : autogenous shrinkage strain; which develops during hardening of
concrete, and is a function of concrete strength.

©Tan K H, NUS 17

cd () = kh cd,0

ca () = 2.5(fck – 10) 10-6

h0 : notional size = 2Ac /u
©Tan K H, NUS 18
 Example – Deflection calculation
Qk = 40 kN/m

8000 mm

375
61  Calculate the long-term
2 H32
deflection of the beam
(1608
mm2 ) under quasi-permanent
loads (assume 2 = 0.6).
635
700

 Assume loading at 28 days

4 H40 (t0 ) and 80% RH; and creep
(5026
coefficient = 2.0.
mm2 )
fck = 25 MPa
fyk = 500 MPa
©Tan K H, NUS 19

Section properties* Mid-span section:

 ’=0.0068 MSd = (6.56**+0.6x40 = 30.6)x82/8
  = 0.0211 = 245 kNm
 Ecm = 31.5 GPa  Uncracked:
x = 381 mm
 fctm = 0.3fck2/3 = 2.56 MPa
Ig = 16.1 x 109 mm4
(1/rb)I = MSd/Ec,eff Ig =1.449x10-6/mm
Creep coefficient & effective Mcr = fctm Ig /(h – x) = 129 kNm
modulus of concrete  Cracked:
 (, 28)  2.0 (EC2, Fig. 3.1b) x = 0.444d = 282 mm
Ec,eff = 31.5 / (1+2) = 10.5 GPa Icr = 10.2 x 109 mm4
e = Es /Ec,eff = 19.0 (1/rb)II =MSd/Ec,eff Icr =2.288x10-6/mm
 Effective bending curvature:
*see example on crack width calculation.  = 1 – 0.5(Mcr /MSd)2 = 0.861
**self-weight = 0.375 x 0.7 x 25 = 6.56 kN/m (1/rb)eff =  (1/rb)II + (1 - ) (1/rb)I
= 2.171x10-6/mm
©Tan K H, NUS 20
Shrinkage curvature
 Drying shrinkage
Effective shrinkage curvature:
ho = 2Ac /u = 244 mm
 = 1 – 0.5(Mcr /MSd )2 = 0.861
cd = kh cd,0 = 0.806x0.285x10-3 (1/rcs)eff =  (1/rcs)II + (1 - ) (1/rcs )I
= 229.7x10-6 = 0.641x10-6/mm
 Autogenous shrinkage
ca = 2.5(fck – 10) 10-6 = 37.5x10-6
Deflection
 Total shrinkage strain
 Due to bending:
cs = cd + ca = 267.2 x 10-6
 Uncracked:
wb = (5/48)(1/rb)eff l 2
x = 381 mm; Ig = 16.1x109 mm4 = 14.47 mm
S = 0.762x106 mm3  Due to shrinkage strain:
(1/rcs)I =cs e S/Ig=0.240x10-6 /mm wcs = ( 1/8 )(1/rcs)eff l 2
 Cracked:
= 5.13 mm
x = 282 mm; Icr = 10.2x109 mm4
S = 1.419x106 mm3  Total deflection
(1/rcs)II =cs e S/Icr=0.706x10-6/mm w = wb + wcs = 19.6 mm
< l / 250 = 32 mm
©Tan K H, NUS 21

Deflection control w/o calculations

 Limits to span/depth ratio

- to be multiply by 310/s (taken as 500 /(fyk As,req / As,prov))

K : factor to account for different structural systems

0 : reference reinforcement ratio = 10-3 fck (fck in MPa)
 : required tension reinft. ratio at mid-span (at support for cantilevers)
‘ : required compression reinft. ratio at mid-span (at support for cantilevers)
As,prov : area of steel provided at mid-span / support
As,req : area of steel required at mid-span / support for ULS
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  Values of K

Notes: Table has been derived for concrete class C30/37

1. Values are generally conservative; thinner members may be possible
2. For 2-way slabs, check based on shorter span. For flat slabs, check based on longer span.
3. Limits for flat slabs correspond to a less severe limitation on the midspan deflection.
4. Values of K may not be appropriate when form work is struck at an early age or when
construction loads exceed the design load.
5. Asprov /As,req should be limited to 1.5.
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 Modifications

 Flanged sections where flange breadth > 3 x rib

breadth: multiply l/d by 0.8

 Beams & slabs (excluding flat slabs) exceeding 7 m

in span with supported partitions likely to be
damaged by excessive deflections: multiply l/d by
7/leff

 Flat slabs with greater span > 8.5 m: multiply l/d by

8.5/leff

©Tan K H, NUS 24
Example – Deflection control w/o
calculation
Check for l/d limit for the beam in the earlier example.

 ’=0.0068 ;  = 0.0211 ; 0 = 10-3 x 251/2 = 0.0050 < 

 s.s. beam: K = 1.0
 l/d ≤ 1 [ 11 + 1.5 (25)1/2 (0.005/(0.0211 – 0.0068))
+(1/12)(25)1/2 (0.0068/0.005)1/2 ] = 14.1
 l (= 8 m) ≤ 14.1 x 635 mm = 9.0 m ok

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Exercise

Refering to the exercise problem for cracking.

(a)Calculate the midspan deflection of beam under

quasi-permanent loads. Assume loading at 28
days and R.H. = 80%.

(b)Verify the serviceability limit state of deflection by

checking the l / d ratio.

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 Further Reading

Nilson, A.H., Darwin, D. & Dolan, C.W., “Design of

Concrete Structures”, 14e in SI Units, Ch 6.
Wight, J.K. & MacGregor, J.G., “Reinforced
Concrete: Mechanics & Design”, 6 ed., Ch 9.
Martin, L. & Purkiss, J., “Concrete Design to EN
1992”, Ch 5.

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Test Your Understanding –

Deflections
1. Deflections of concrete beams are calculated using elastic
formulae by incorporating an effective ____________?
Ans:

2. What factors do the deflections depend on?

(a) ______ of loading
(b) _________ properties of concrete
(c) _________ & ____________ section properties
(d) _________ stress level
Ans:

3. Deflections due to additional imposed loads can be calculated

without considering existing loads on the beam. T or F?
Ans:

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