Technical Note

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TN380_deflection_criteria_062510

DEFLECTION CRITERIA FOR COMPLIANCE WITH

BUILDING CODES1

Allowable deflection values for concrete floor systems are essentially the same in major building codes.
This Technical Note (i) quotes the values given in ACI-318-08 and adopted in International Building
Code 2009; (ii) describes the significance of the values given and their application; (iii) the procedure
for the determination of long-term deflection, and (iv) the applicable load combinations for compliance
with building codes.

DEFLECTION CRITERIA

Deflection is controlled for one of the following reasons, each with its own allowable limit:

Aesthetics and sense of discomfort

Damage mitigation to nonstructural components
Function impairment (ponding of water; drainage)

There are three considerations when evaluating deflections. These are:

(i) purpose of evaluation;

(ii) time of evaluation; and
(iii) selection of the applicable allowable value.

Since due to creep and shrinkage deflection of a concrete member changes with time, in addition to
immediate response to applied loads, the estimate of long-term deflection and its impact are central to
deflection check of a member. Therefore, deflections are evaluated for two conditions, namely:

Immediate deflection: Immediate or instantaneous deflection is the displacement response of a

member under the design live load. It is independent of time. It is the increment of
displacement on the assumption that all other specified permanent loads, such as selfweight
and superimposed load are on the member. The member is assumed cracked with reduced
stiffness, if the application of permanent loads leads to cracking.

Long-term deflection: This is the displacement of a member under constant load over a period
between two instances of time. The first instance is when the purpose for which the
displacement is to be evaluated becomes relevant. For example, if the objective is to avoid
cracking of plaster over a concrete block wall partition, the first instance is the time (age of
supporting concrete member) when the plaster is applied. This can be 50 days or more
subsequent to date when the concrete member that supports the block wall partition was cast.
The second instance is generally taken to be when the long-term displacement of a member is
ceased. ACI-318 code recommends two years to be an acceptable lapse of time for additional
increase in long-term deflections become negligible.

1
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 Technical Note
ALLOWABLE DEFLECTION VALUES

The allowable values are quoted from ACI-318-08 (Table ACI-318-8 9.5-b) in the following table. The
interpretation of the table in the light of the preceding explanation is as follows:

Observed out of level displacement for aesthetics and sense of discomfort L/240. This is
measured with due account for camber, if any, or leveling of top surface by mortar prior to
installation of floor cover.
For structures that support non-structural members likely to be damaged due to movement, the
allowable total of long-term and immediate displacement subsequent to installation of the non-
structural elements is L/480. This evaluation requires that the displacement be calculated for
the time period after a brittle member is installed.
For structures that do not support non-structural members likely to be damaged due to
displacement the displacement due to design live load shall not exceed L/360.

Note that the above values are for interior spans. For cantilevers twice the values quoted apply.2

TABLE 1 MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE COMPUTED DEFLECTIONS (ACI-318-8 9.5-b)

L = deflection span
Deflection
Type of member Deflection to be considered
limitation

Floors not supporting or attached to

nonstructural elements likely to be Immediate deflection due to live load L/360
damaged by large deflection

Roof or floor construction supporting or

attached to nonstructural elements
That part of the total deflection occurring L/480 **
likely to be damaged by large
after attachment of nonstructural
deflection
elements(sum of the long-time deflection
due to all sustained loads and the
Roof or floor construction supporting or
immediate deflection due to any
attached to nonstructural elements not
additional live load)**** L/240 ***
likely to be damaged by large
deflection
Notes:
** Limit may be exceeded if adequate measures are taken to prevent damage to supported or
attached elements.
*** But not greater than tolerance provided for nonstructural elements. Limit may be exceeded if
camber is provided so that total deflection minus camber does not exceed limit.
**** Long-time deflection shall be determined using established procedures, but may be reduced
by amount of deflection calculated to occur before attachment of nonstructural elements. This
amount shall be determined on basis of accepted engineering data relating to time-deflection
characteristics of members similar to those being considered.

ALLOWANCE FOR LOAD HISTORY

ACI-318-8 expresses the development of long-term deflection using Fig. R.5.3.5. This information
extracted from PCI tables is compiled in a more convenient graph in PTI and is reproduced in Fig. 1.
2
ADAPT TN342 measurement of deflection

2
 Technical Note

The long-term deflection of a concrete member can be considered as a magnification of its immediate
displacement. ACI-318 recommends a factor of 2 for the general case.

FIGURE 1 LONG-TERM SHORTENING OF CONCRETE MEMBERS DUE TO

CREEP AND SHRINKAGE WITH TIME3

PROJECTED LOAD HISTORY

TABLE 2 ANTICIPATED TIME-LINE FOR APPLICATION OF LOADS AND THEIR

LONG-TERM IMPACT
Specified Projected Fraction of
load day of application unaccounted deflectioni
Selfweight 1 1
Superimposed dead 45 0.48
load4 (SDL)
Service live load5 (LL) 180 0.22
Other loads

LOAD COMBINATIONS

Immediate deflection due to the application of design live load = U2 U1

Where,

U2 = (1,00 *Selfweight + 1.00*SDL + 1.00*PT) + 1.00*LL

U1 = (1,00 *Selfweight + 1.00*SDL + 1.00*PT)

3
PTI, 1988, Restraint Cracks and Their Mitigation in Unbonded Post-Tensioned Building Structures.
4
Installation of partitions (concrete/bocks partitions; mortar and floor cover)
5
Service live load is applied when building is complete and placed in service

3
 Technical Note
The above relationship is based on the assumption that cracking in the supporting members
results in non-linear variation of deflection with the applied load. Where cracking is not
expected, the immediate deflection due to live load will be:

LL deflection = 1.00*LL

Long-term deflection.

For long term deflection a magnification factor C applies. For the current project the value
assumed is: C = 2 . The fraction of live load (LL) that is assumed to be sustained on the
structure, once it is placed in service varies between 0.20 and 0.30 times the design live load.
Conservatively, 0.30 is assumed.

ULT = (C + 1) [ (1.00*Selfweight + 1.00* PT) + C1*(1.00*SDL) + C2* (0.30*LL)]

For the loading history considered for the current project, from Fig. 1, the values of the
coefficients C1 and C2 are:

C1 = 0.48
C2 = 0.22

The above relationship simplified to:

ULT = 3*[ (1.00*Selfweight + 1.00* PT) + 0.48*(1.00*SDL) + 0.22* (0.30*LL)]

In the above relationship, increase in concrete stiffness due to aging is conservatively

disregarded.

Total deflection

Total deflection is the sum of long-term deflection plus deflection due to balance of design live
load not accounted for as sustained. The combination is:

ULT + 0.70*LL

i
From Fig. 1