Lecture 6 CVEN90016 Concrete Design & Technology
Lecture Content:
• Serviceability Condition: Deflections
- Deflection Limits for Beams and Slabs
- Short-term Deflection Calculations (Uncracked and Cracked Beams)
• Long-term deflections in beams
Lecture 6 CVEN90016 Concrete Design & Technology
Deflection Limits for Beams and Slabs
Table 2.3.2 AS 3600:2018
Lecture 6 CVEN90016 Concrete Design & Technology
Deflection Limits for Beams and Slabs
Table 2.3.2 AS 3600:2018
Lecture 6 CVEN90016 Concrete Design & Technology
Deflection Calculations: Beams with Prestress
• Prestress extends the uncracked range of behaviour, so that, in contrast with reinforced
beams, calculations of deflections for uncracked beams are practically relevant.
• Fully prestressed: deflections under service conditions are calculated assuming no cracking.
• Beams with light prestressing: must take account of post-cracking behaviour.
See section 8.1.2 in WRHF.
• Must consider short-term and long-term components of deflection.
Lecture 6 CVEN90016 Concrete Design & Technology
Moment vs. Curvature at Critical Section
Lecture 6 CVEN90016 Concrete Design & Technology
Short-term Deflection of Cracked Beams: Load vs. Deflection
Total short term deflection
=G+ + due to service load
Deflection due to prestress + zero
Sustained component curvature load W0c
transient component Deflection due to load increment
(W*s-W0)
Components of deflection:
due to prestress, short term and long
term effects
Lecture 6 CVEN90016 Concrete Design & Technology
Short-term Deflection of Cracked Beams: Load vs. Deflection
If the member is already
cracked under the effect of
sustained load then
is determined using crack
section method
where
short and long term
live load factor to
determine the
serviceability load
Lecture 6 CVEN90016 Concrete Design & Technology
AS 3600: Calculating Beam Deflections
Using Refined Calculation (Cl. 8.5.2), must allow for:
• Cracking and tension stiffening
(Gilbert Lecture 4)
• Shrinkage and Creep
(“Time-dependent Behaviour of Concrete Structures” book and Lectures 3&4, Gilbert)
• Expected Load History & Expected construction procedure
• Deflection of formwork or settlement of props during construction
Note: Detailed calculation of deflections beyond the scope of this subject.
Lecture 6 CVEN90016 Concrete Design & Technology
Short-term Deflection of Cracked Prestressed Beams
CRACKED BEAMS (short-term only):
Calculate an effective flexural stiffness. Similar to reinforced concrete for which Branson
formula is used in AS3600 (Clause 8.5.3.1) to find 𝐼𝐼𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒 .
FWF defines 𝐼𝐼𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒 differently for prestressed concrete, following later work by Branson and Trost
(1982) (see Figs on next 2 slides).
𝐸𝐸𝐸𝐸𝑔𝑔 used up to 𝑀𝑀0𝑐𝑐 and E𝐼𝐼𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒 used from 𝑀𝑀0𝑐𝑐 to 𝑀𝑀𝑠𝑠∗ where:
𝑀𝑀0𝑐𝑐 = Moment at which curvature is zero
𝑀𝑀𝑠𝑠∗ = Maximum bending moment at the section based on the short-term serviceability load
(𝒘𝒘𝑮𝑮 + 𝝍𝝍𝒔𝒔 𝑸𝑸 = 𝒘𝒘𝑮𝑮 + 𝝍𝝍𝒍𝒍 𝑸𝑸 + 𝝍𝝍𝒔𝒔 − 𝝍𝝍𝒍𝒍 𝑸𝑸)
Lecture 6 CVEN90016 Concrete Design & Technology
Uncracked Beams
Lecture 6 CVEN90016 Concrete Design & Technology
Short Term Deflections
• Deflection for a flexural member is to be calculated using principles of
mechanics, i.e.
𝑦𝑦 𝑥𝑥 = � 𝜅𝜅 (𝑥𝑥)𝑑𝑑𝑥𝑥 𝑑𝑑𝑥𝑥
Lecture 6 CVEN90016 Concrete Design & Technology
Deflection Calculations: Uncracked Beams (Short-term Only)
Lecture 6 CVEN90016 Concrete Design & Technology
Deflection Calculations: Uncracked Beams (Short-term Only)
Upward equivalent load
Upward deflection @ mid-span due to Wp
Upward deflection due to end moments
Total upward deflection @ mid-span
Lecture 6 CVEN90016 Concrete Design & Technology
Deflection Calculations: Uncracked Beams (Short-term Only)
Dead load produces a downward deflection
@ mid-span
Live load produces a downward deflection
@ mid-span
Live load produces a downward deflection
(in terms of curvature)
Lecture 6 CVEN90016 Concrete Design & Technology
Deflection Calculations: Uncracked Beams (Short-term Only)
Use the usual elastic formulae for deflections in beams with 𝑬𝑬𝒄𝒄 𝑰𝑰𝒈𝒈 = the bending stiffness of the
gross uncracked concrete section.
Can calculate initial deflections due to self-weight and prestress separately and then
superimpose.
Hence
∆𝑷𝑷𝑷𝑷 = − ∆𝑷𝑷 + ∆𝑮𝑮
If beam remains uncracked at full service load (𝒘𝒘𝑺𝑺 + 𝝍𝝍𝑺𝑺 𝑸𝑸), deflection increment due to
additional G and Q also calculated using 𝑬𝑬𝒄𝒄 𝑰𝑰𝒈𝒈 .
Long-term deflection due to shrinkage, and creep associated with prestressing as well as
sustained applied loads (𝒘𝒘𝑮𝑮 + 𝝍𝝍𝒍𝒍 𝒘𝒘𝑸𝑸 ), must be considered.
Lecture 6 CVEN90016 Concrete Design & Technology
Lecture Content:
• Serviceability Condition: Deflections
- Deflection Limits for Beams and Slabs
- Short-term Deflection Calculations (Uncracked and Cracked Beams)
• Long-term deflections in beams
Lecture 6 CVEN90016 Concrete Design & Technology
AS 3600: Long-term Deflections
From Cl. 8.5.3.2 AS 3600:2018
Lecture 6 CVEN90016 Concrete Design & Technology
Long-term Creep Deflection: Uncracked Beams
Concrete creep causes the initial deflection due to prestress, self-weight and additional
dead load to increase gradually with time.
The deflected shape stays the same since the curvature increases by the same rate at each
cross section along the beam (This assumes that the state of stress due to sustained loads
remains constant with time).
For uncracked members the maximum long-term deflection due to creep, ∆∗𝑐𝑐 , is estimated
as
∆∗𝒄𝒄 = 𝝓𝝓∗𝟎𝟎 ∆𝑷𝑷𝑷𝑷 (due to sustained loads and prestress)
𝜙𝜙0∗ = final long-term value of the creep function after all creep has occurred (assumed at 30
years) for 𝑡𝑡0 = 28 days (𝑡𝑡0 = age at loading)
Lecture 6 CVEN90016 Concrete Design & Technology
Simplified Calculations of Creep and Shrinkage:
Uncracked Beams and Uniform Loading
Assuming elastic behaviour, the deflection can be approximated as:
𝐋𝐋𝟐𝟐
∆= 𝛋𝛋 + 𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝛋𝛋𝐦𝐦 + 𝛋𝛋𝐑𝐑
𝟗𝟗𝟗𝟗 𝐋𝐋
Where 𝛋𝛋𝐋𝐋 , 𝛋𝛋𝐦𝐦 and 𝛋𝛋𝐑𝐑 are the curvatures determined at the left, middle and right ends of the span
respectively.
For simply supported beam:
𝐋𝐋𝟐𝟐
Creep (curvature zero at ends): ∆= × 𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏𝛋𝛋𝐦𝐦
𝟗𝟗𝟗𝟗
Shrinkage (curvature not zero at ends): Use full equation.
Extra reading: See Appendix B of FWF for the design of deflection-sensitive cases.
Lecture 6 CVEN90016 Concrete Design & Technology
Long-term Shrinkage Deflection: Uncracked Beams
• Shrinkage deflection: Bonded reo and prestressing steel have a restraining effect on free
shrinkage as for reinforced concrete.
• Shrinkage warping: If steel is placed eccentrically in the section, unsymmetrical shrinkage
strain occurs over the depth of the section. This produces a strain gradient and hence
curvature.
• 𝛋𝛋∗𝐬𝐬𝐬𝐬 = long-term shrinkage induced curvature on a prestressed concrete section. Depends on
the geometrical properties of the section, the location of the restraining steel and tendon (as
well as on εcs ).
Assuming simply supported member and the curvature left middle and right equal to each other
Lecture 6 CVEN90016 Concrete Design & Technology
Long-term Deflection: Cracked Beams
Initial deflection due to sustained load usually positive, i.e. downwards (especially if the
section is cracked). Long-term deflections usually magnify these initial deflections.
