Serviceability: deflections of r.c.

beams

Introduction to Reinforced Concrete Design – Handout 04 CE421 Dr. Lomiento 1

 EXPECTED OUTCOMES
Per. 05
1. Serviceability checks for r.c. members
2. Deflections of r.c. beams
3. Permissible deflections for r.c. beams
4. Immediate and long term deflections

Introduction to Reinforced Concrete Design – Handout 04 CE421 Dr. Lomiento 2

 SERVICEABILITY CHECKS FOR R.C. MEMBERS

Introduction to Reinforced Concrete Design – Handout 04 CE421 Dr. Lomiento 3

Serviceability checks:

Serviceability checks are checks prescribed by the building codes to guarantee

that a structure is usable under service (unfactored) loads.

These checks follow the design phase (based on ultimate=factored loads). If

the structure fails to pass the serviceability checks, the design needs to be
modified accordingly.

Structural Element Checks &

Preliminary design
analysis design drawings

For r.c. structures, the ACI 318 code requires to check:

1. Crack width

2. Deflections

Introduction to Reinforced Concrete Design – Handout 04 CE421 Dr. Lomiento 4

Crack width serviceability checks:

The width of cracks needs to be

limited because:

1. Cracks wider than 1/3 mm = 0.013

in are visible and can lead to
public concern

2. Cracks may cause spills in liquid

storage tanks

3. Wide cracks increase rate of

corrosion of rebars in aggressive
environments

Introduction to Reinforced Concrete Design – Handout 04 CE421 Dr. Lomiento 5

Deflection serviceability checks:

Deflections of beams and slabs need

to be limited because:

1. They can affect visual appearance

2. They may cause damages to

nonstructural components (e.g.
partitions and doors)

3. They may cause disruption of

functionality (e.g. drainage on
roofs)

Introduction to Reinforced Concrete Design – Handout 04 CE421 Dr. Lomiento 6

 DEFLECTIONS OF R.C. BEAMS

Introduction to Reinforced Concrete Design – Handout 04 CE421 Dr. Lomiento 7

Deflections of elastic beams:

The flexural rigidity EI determines the stiffness and the deflections of a beam
subjected to bending moments.
Load w

L
M
diagram
EI
diagram
M/EI From double integration
diagram of M/EI (curvature)
(curvature)
5𝑤𝐿4
𝛿=
384𝐸𝐼

Introduction to Reinforced Concrete Design – Handout 04 CE421 Dr. Lomiento 8

Rigidity of uncracked r.c. beams:
Service Load w

Mcr
Moment
diagram

uncracked

EcIg
EI (n-1)As
diagram
Transformed uncracked
section
Flexural rigidity EcIut
(approximated as EcIg)
Introduction to Reinforced Concrete Design – Handout 04 CE421 Dr. Lomiento 9
Deflections of uncracked r.c. beams:

Service Load w

L
Mcr
M
diagram
EcIg For simplicity,
EI
diagram EcIg is used
instead of EcIut
M/EI
diagram
(curvature)
5𝑤𝐿4
𝛿=
384𝐸𝑐 𝐼𝑔

Introduction to Reinforced Concrete Design – Handout 04 CE421 Dr. Lomiento 10

 Rigidity of cracked r.c. beams:
Service Load w

Mcr
Moment
diagram

uncracked uncracked
cracked

(n-1)As (n-1)As
n As

Transformed uncracked Transformed cracked Transformed uncracked

section section section
Flexural rigidity EcIut Flexural rigidity EcIct < EcIg Flexural rigidity EcIut
(approximated as EcIg) (approximated as EcIg)
Introduction to Reinforced Concrete Design – Handout 04 CE421 Dr. Lomiento 11
Deflections of cracked r.c. beams:

Cracked beams deflect more than uncracked beams.

Service Load w

M Mcr
diagram

EcIg EcIct < EcIg EcIg For simplicity,

EI
EcIg is used
diagram
instead of EcIut
M/EI
diagram

5𝑤𝐿4
𝛿>
384𝐸𝑐 𝐼𝑔

Introduction to Reinforced Concrete Design – Handout 04 CE421 Dr. Lomiento 12

Deflections of cracked r.c. beams according to ACI 318:

Use of the effective rigidity of a beam EIeff

Service Load w

M Mcr
diagram

EI An average value
diagram EcIeff is used
M/EI Approximated
diagram M/EI diagram

5𝑤𝐿4
𝛿=
384𝐸𝑐 𝐼𝑒𝑓𝑓

Introduction to Reinforced Concrete Design – Handout 04 CE421 Dr. Lomiento 13

Effective moment of inertia Ieff according to ACI 318:

The effective moment of inertia of a beam is based on the following empirical

formula

3 3
𝑀𝑐𝑟 𝑀𝑐𝑟
𝐼𝑒𝑓𝑓 = 𝐼𝑔 + 1 − 𝐼𝑐𝑡 with 𝐼𝑒𝑓𝑓 ≤ 𝐼𝑔
𝑀𝑎 𝑀𝑎

Where
Ma is the largest moment (in a positive or negative moment region)
Mcr is the cracking moment
Ict is the cracked transformed moment of inertia
Service Load: w Service Load: w

Ma Moment Moment
diagram diagram

Ma
Introduction to Reinforced Concrete Design – Handout 04 CE421 Dr. Lomiento 14
Effective moment of inertia Ieff for different beam spans:

CASE 1: single span (simply

supported beams / cantilevers, only
positive or negative moments)

Use 𝐼𝑒𝑓𝑓

CASE 2: one-end continuous span

Use 𝐼𝑒𝑓𝑓 = 0.85𝐼𝑒𝑓𝑓,𝑚 + 0.15𝐼𝑒𝑓𝑓,𝑐

Where Ieff,m is based on the moment

in midspan, and Ieff,c is based on the
moment at the continuous end

CASE 3: two-end continuous span

Use 𝐼𝑒𝑓𝑓 = 0.70𝐼𝑒𝑓𝑓,𝑚 + 0.15 𝐼𝑒𝑓𝑓,𝑐1 + 𝐼𝑒𝑓𝑓,𝑐2

Introduction to Reinforced Concrete Design – Handout 04 CE421 Dr. Lomiento 15

Question:
12”

Given:
Geometry: L=15’ simply supported, section 17”
Materials: NW concrete 3000psi, GR60 steel 3#9
Ict = 4067 in4 3”
Loads: D =1 k/ft, L = 0.8 k/ft

Req’d:
Determine the max deflection (midspan) of the
following simply supported beam under service
loads D+L

Tip: Case 1, use 𝐼𝑒𝑓𝑓

SEE HANDOUT 4 – EXAMPLE 1

Introduction to Reinforced Concrete Design – Handout 04 CE421 Dr. Lomiento 16
 CONTROL OF DEFLECTIONS

Introduction to Reinforced Concrete Design – Handout 04 CE421 Dr. Lomiento 17

Minimum thickness of beams and slabs:

The ACI 318 code provides a set of minimum thicknesses for beams and one-
way slabs to be used limit deflections based on experience (Table 4.1 of
textbook, or Table 7.3.1.1 and 9.3.1.1 of ACI 318).

Lesser thicknesses are permissible if actual deflection calculations indicate that

the deflections under service loads are below admissible values.

Introduction to Reinforced Concrete Design – Handout 04 CE421 Dr. Lomiento 18

Maximum permissible deflections:

(Textbook Table 6.1, which is Table 24.2.2 of the ACI 318 Code)

IMMEDIATE
DEFLECTIONS

TIME-DEPENDENT
+ IMMEDIATE
DEFLECTIONS

Introduction to Reinforced Concrete Design – Handout 04 CE421 Dr. Lomiento 19

Immediate deflections due to D+L and D:

1. Cracking under D+L is more extensive than cracking under D.

2. When L is applied D is already there. L can not be analyzed by itself.
3. Ieff,D+L<Ieff,D is used for D+L, while Ieff,D is used for D.

Service Load D+L Service Load D

M
diagram
EI
diagram
M/EI
diagram

5𝑤𝐷+𝐿 𝐿4 5𝑤𝐷 𝐿4
𝛿𝐷+𝐿 = 𝛿𝐷 =
384𝐸𝑐 𝐼𝑒𝑓𝑓,𝐷+𝐿 384𝐸𝑐 𝐼𝑒𝑓𝑓,𝐷
Introduction to Reinforced Concrete Design – Handout 04 CE421 Dr. Lomiento 20
Immediate deflection due to L:

Deflection that happen immediately after application of a live load L.

Immediate deflection dL due to live load L is dL = dD+L - dD

Initial condition: wD Effective moment

deflection due to D dD of inertia Ieff,D

Final condition: wL
wD Effective moment
deflection due to
D+L dD+L of inertia Ieff,D+L

Deflection due to L
as difference dD dD+L
between initial and dL
final condition

Introduction to Reinforced Concrete Design – Handout 04 CE421 Dr. Lomiento 21

Immediate deflection control:

Note: No need for control if thickness is above minimum values from ACI 318
Tables 7.3.1.1 and 9.3.1.1.

To control immediate live load L deflection:

1. Determine immediate deflection dD to dead load D (Ieff,D based on moment

from dead load D)
2. Determine immediate deflection dD+L due to dead load D + live load L (Ieff,D+L
based on moment from D+L)

3. Determine immediate deflection dL due to live load L as dL = dD+L - dD

4. Verify if deflection is below the permissible value of ACI 318 Table 24.2.2
(otherwise increase the thickness of the beam)

SEE HANDOUT 4 – EXAMPLE 2

Introduction to Reinforced Concrete Design – Handout 04 CE421 Dr. Lomiento 22

Time-dependent deflections:

Deflections generated over time by the application of sustained service loads:

• dead load D
• sustained part of the live load L (typically 20-40% of the total live load L)

Long term deflections are due to:

1. Shrinkage (decrease of volume due to moisture loss from the cement

paste): mostly affect length of beams/columns

2. Creep (decrease of volume under sustained compressive loads):

severely affect deflections

Introduction to Reinforced Concrete Design – Handout 04 CE421 Dr. Lomiento 23

Creep deflections:

The compressive strain in concrete for application of sustained load increases

over time

CONSTANT SUSTAINED LOAD

Introduction to Reinforced Concrete Design – Handout 04 CE421 Dr. Lomiento 24

Empirical formulas for creep deflections (ACI 318):

Due to creep, deflections under sustained loads can increase by 200% over
time.

The ACI Code 24.2.4.1.1 states that to estimate the increase in deflection due
to creep, the part of the instantaneous deflection that is due to sustained loads
may be multiplied by the empirically derived factor 𝜆 and the result added to the
instantaneous deflection:

where Width b As’

x is a time-dependent factor M
r’ is the compression steel reinforcement
ratio (ratio between section area of Effective depth d
reinforcement rebars in compression As’
and effective concrete section area bd (r’ =
As’/bd) Section Side view

Introduction to Reinforced Concrete Design – Handout 04 CE421 Dr. Lomiento 25

Time-dependent factor for creep deflections (ACI 318):

Note: Use the plot or

interpolate for intermediate
times

Introduction to Reinforced Concrete Design – Handout 04 CE421 Dr. Lomiento 26

Time-dependent + immediate deflection

deflection SL=sustained live load

(typically 20-40% L)
Time-dependent + immediate
deflection on partitions Immediate L
Immediate L-SL
Long term SL
Immediate SL

Long term D

Immediate D
time

Concrete frame Partitions Non sustained

(part of SL) live load L-SL
Introduction to Reinforced Concrete Design – Handout 04 CE421 Dr. Lomiento 27
Control of time-dependent + immediate deflection:

1. Determine immediate deflection dD due to dead load D (Ieff,D based on moment from
dead load D)

2. Determine long-term deflection due to dead load D after time tD as ltD dD

3. Determine immediate deflection dD+SL due to dead load D + sustained live load SL
(Ieff,D+SL based on moment from dead D and sustained live load SL)

4. Determine immediate deflection dSL due to sustained live load SL as dSL = dD+SL - dD

5. Determine long-term deflection due to sustained live load SL after time tSL as ltSL dSL

6. Determine immediate deflection dD+L due to dead load D + live load L (Ieff,D+L based on
moment from dead load D and live load L)

7. Determine immediate deflection dL due to live load L as dL = dD+L - dD

8. Determine [(long-term deflection) + immediate deflection] as [(ltD dD + ltSL dSL ) + dL]

9. Verify that [(long-term deflection) + immediate deflection] is below permissible value
of ACI 318 Table 24.2.2
SEE HANDOUT 4 – EXAMPLE 3
Introduction to Reinforced Concrete Design – Handout 04 CE421 Dr. Lomiento 28