Chapter 1

1 Deflection example for flat plate designed to AS3600

One of the most important issues in concrete floor design is deflection. The version 3.0 manual contains Chapter 56
Estimating Deflections that you should read.
The purpose of this technical note is provide a concise commentary of using RAM Concept for AS3600 deflection
calculations.
A Concept model accompanies this document based upon:
8.4 m square grid
220 mm thick slab
32 MPa concrete strength
4 kPa LL; 1 kPa SDL

1.1 RAM Concepts deflection methodologies

RAM Concept can be used to investigate deflection in different ways. These include:
Simplified deflection predictions using load factors and deflection contour plans. These contour plans have no direct or
explicit consideration of cracking.
Detailed deflection predictions using strip-based plots of long term deflection incorporating integration of the elastic
deflection and ECR (effective curvature ratio).

1.2 Using the L.T. Deflection Plans plot

This plot is found in the Max Service Rule Set.
To open the L.T. Deflection Plan

1 Choose Rule Set Designs > L.T. Deflection Plan

Figure 1-1 L.T. Deflection plot (with Minimum Demand turned off)

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It is usually unnecessary to have the Minimum demand plotted but be aware that the minimum deflection could be
significant (e.g. a large upward deflection).

1.2.1 Comments on the LT Deflection Plan

Middle strips

This plan is very good for members supported directly by column and wall supports, such as column strips and beams. It is
also good for the relative deflection of middle strips. There is, however, a limitation for the absolute deflection of middle
strips, as described in Section 56.8 of the Version 3 manual.
See section 1.2.4 on page 3 for a workaround for the issue of absolute deflection of middle strips.
Creep and Shrinkage values

You must review the creep and shrinkage parameters used for the calculations. See Section 1.2.2.
Conservatism of the Max Service Rule Set

The Max Service rule set is generally conservative in that its use implies:
The applicable live load for deflection calculations is 100% of the live load, rather than, say 70%.
The live load is permanent (and hence the creep factor is applied to the entire live load).
See section 1.2.5 on page 7 for a workaround.

1.2.2 Creep and Shrinkage Values

This deflection plot uses creep and shrinkage values defined in the Calculation options. You should review these parameters.
To view these parameters, go to Calc Options:

1 Choose Criteria > Calc Options.

Figure 1-2 Calc Options ECR parameters

You should refer to sections 6.1.7 and 6.1.8 of AS3600 for discussion of shrinkage and creep.
From AS3600 Table 6.1.7.2: For a 220 mm slab with 32 MPa concrete: a design shrinkage value of 440 x 10-6 is slightly
conservative.

Note: The shrinkage strain you should use is design shrinkage strain. The default shrinkage strain is generally too low.
AS3600 Section 6.1.7.2 states Consideration shall be given to the fact that cs has a range of + 40%.
From AS3600 Table 6.1.8.2: for a 200 mm slab with cc.b = 2.5, near coastal environment and loaded at 0 to 7 days - cc
after 30 years is 1.9.
From AS3600 Table 6.1.8.1, cc.b is 2.5 for 40 MPa concrete and 3.4 for 32 MPa. Hence for 32 MPa concrete, cc after 30
years is 1.9 * 3.4 / 2.5 = 2.6.
For this document, a design creep factor of 3 is used.

Note: The creep factor you should use is design creep factor. AS3600 Section 6.1.8.2 states Consideration shall be given
to the fact that cc has a range of + 30%. This range is likely to be exceeded if............

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1.2.3 Creating a LT Deflection Plan for the Service Rule Set.

Concepts AS3600 default file does not have a LT Deflection plan for the Service Rule Set. You can add this plan, and also
create a new template that includes this plan.
The Live (Reducible) Loading has a load factor of 0.7 in the Service Load Combination in the AS3600 default file. Many
designers consider that this is the loading that should be considered for deflection calculations. Keep in mind that a long term
deflection for 70% of the loading does NOT consider that there could have been 100% of the live load applied at some time,
which could have caused additional cracking. In other words, load history is not considered.
To add a new LT Deflection Plan for the Service Rule Set:

1 Choose Layers > New Plan

2 Enter a name such as Service LT Deflection

Concept automatically appends the word plan to the name and prepends the layer name
3 Select the Service Design layer (NOT Service LC), and click OK.
4 The Visible Objects dialog box appears.
5 Click Show Nothing, and click OK.
6 Choose View > Plot (

).

7 The Plot dialog box appears.

8 Select the Section Analysis tab.
9 Check Active.
10 Select the Long Term Deflection button
11 Uncheck Maximum Capacity and Minimum Capacity. Usually you would uncheck Minimum Demand.
12 Click OK.

Note: This does not produce a different result if the live loads are drawn on the Live (Unreducible) Loading in the AS3600
default file. This is because the load factor for Service and max Service is 1.0 for Live (Unreducible) Loading.

1.2.4 Creating a load combination contour plot for cracked long term deflection
In view of the limitation on absolute deflection in middle strips (as discussed in Comments on the LT Deflection Plan on
page 2), it can be valuable to create a load combination that takes into account the cracking, creep and shrinkage.
This is done by interrogating the LT Deflection Plan for the Max Service or Service rule sets to determine the long term
multiplier, including the effect of cracking.
In this document, the Max Service LT deflection is used.
To determine the long term multiplier:

1 Choose Rule Set Designs > L.T. Deflection Plan

The deflection is shown in Figure 1-1, with a maximum deflection of 34.1 mm in the end span.
2 Choose View > Plot (

).

3 The Plot dialog box appears.

4 Change the plot to Effective Curvature Ratio.

The plot is shown in Figure 1-3.

Where the effective curvature ratio (ECR) is a flat line of 3, the section is uncracked. This is because the only long term
effect calculated is creep (and the creep factor used is 3). In the end span, the ECR is 6.6 which indicates that cracking is
more than doubling the rotation at the face of the column. Refer to Sections 47.1.2 to 47.15 and 56.2 of the Version 3 manual
for discussion of ECR.

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Figure 1-3 Effective Curvature Ratio plot

Note: It is not necessary to look at the ECR plot but it helps to assess the level of cracking.
5 Choose View > Plot (

).

6 The Plot dialog box appears.

7 Change the plot to Elastic Deflection

The plot is shown in Figure 1-4.

The elastic deflection is 7.77 mm.

Figure 1-4 Elastic Deflection plot

8 Manually calculate the ratio of long term deflection to elastic deflection: 34.1 / 7.77 = 4.38.

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This indicates that the combined effect of cracking, creep and section shrinkage is to increase the elastic deflection by a
factor of 4.38.
9 Change the plot back to Long Term Deflection so that it is consistent with the plan name.

Note: The short end span at the right hand end of the floor has heavier loads and has more cracking as shown in the ECR
plot in Figure 1-5. The long term multiplier for this span is 5.27. However, this is not the critical span and has a LT deflection
of 27 mm. The user has to use judgement to decide the span on which to base the long term multiplier.

Figure 1-5 ECR for the span with the most cracking

Now we create a long term deflection load combination based upon the long term multiplier.
10 Choose Criteria > Load Combinations.
11 Click Add Load Combination.
12 In the dialog box that appears, enter a name for the new load combination, such as LT Cracked Deflection, and click OK.

Another dialog box appears that requires you to specify the plans that you want Concept to create.
13 Choose the Slab Deflection and click OK.

Now you have to specify the load factors for the new load combination.
14 Choose Criteria > Load Combinations.
15 Scroll down to the LT Cracked Deflection and change the Load Factors and Alt Envelope Factors to 4.38 (or 4.4) for the

the following loadings:

Self-Dead Loading + Balance Loading + Other Dead Loading + Reducible Live Loading
Leave the hyperstatic factors as zero - this is only used for ultimate combinations

Note: Do not get confused with the LT Uncracked Deflection LC. It may be best to delete this load combination if you do not
use it.
16 Click Calc All (

), or choose Process > Calc All.

17 Choose Layers > Load Combinations > LT Cracked Deflection > Std Deflection Plan.

The plan is shown in Figure 1-6. The critical span is shown in Figure 1-7. Unsurprisingly, the deflection is 34.1 mm, as the
load factors were based on that span.

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Figure 1-6 LT Cracked Deflection plan

Figure 1-7 Critical span of LT Cracked Deflection plan

This section (1.2.4) shows how a contoured deflection plan can be set up for the effects of cracking, creep and section
shrinkage.
The limitations are:
You have to decide which is the critical span (usually that with the largest deflection on the Max Service (rule set) LT
Deflection plan).
If you change the design, the long term multiplier will probably change. This may not be overly significant if the change
is relatively minor.

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1.2.5 Creating a load combination contour plot for cracked long term deflection with
consideration of transient and long term live load
The method in section 1.2.4 is likely conservative because usually some live load is transient (short term) and so there is no
creep effect on that part of the load.
Consider the following scenario where the designer elects to:
determine the long term multiplier for 100% of the live load, as per section 1.2.4
use a reduced live load based upon 40% of the loading is permanent, and 30% is transient. Thus, only 70% of the live load
is used.

Note: The use of less than 100% of live load is generally not encouraged by ACI 318 or BS8110, but is used for this AS3600
example.
Calculate a revised creep factor for live load

1 From section 1.2.4, the long term multiplier is 4.38. Since the design creep factor used is 3, this implies a cracking factor
of 1.46. [4.38 / 3 = 1.46]
2 The live load creep factor is 3*0.4 + 1*0.3 = 1.5 where 3 is the creep factor on the permanent live load and 1 is the creep factor
on the transient live load.

Note: In fact, the live load creep factor on 70% of the live load is 1.5 / 0.7 = 2.14, but the calculated factor of 1.5 will be
applied to 100% of the load.
Note: See Section 56.1.2 of the Version 3 manual for further discussion on live load creep factors. This section, however,
does not discuss using less than 100% f the live load.
3 The live load long term multiplier is this the cracking factor multiplied by the live load creep factor: 1.46 * 1.5 = 2.19.

Now we create a long term deflection based upon the live load long term multiplier.
4 Choose Criteria > Load Combinations.
5 Click Add Load Combination.
6 In the dialog box that appears, enter a name for the new load combination, such as LT Cracked Deflection (40% Permanent,
30% Transient), and click OK.

Another dialog box appears that requires you to specify the plans that you want Concept to create.
7 Choose the Slab Deflection and click OK.

Now you have to specify the load factors for the new load combination.
8 Choose Criteria > Load Combinations.
9 Scroll down to the LT Cracked Deflection and change the Load Factors and Alt Envelope Factors to 4.38 (or 4.4) for the

the following loadings:

Self-Dead Loading + Balance Loading + Other Dead Loading
Leave the hyperstatic factors as zero - this is only used for ultimate combinations
10 Change the Load Factors and Alt Envelope Factors to 2.19 for all live loadings
11 Click Calc All (

), or choose Process > Calc All.

12 Choose Layers > Load Combinations > LT Cracked Deflection (40% Permanent, 30% Transient) > Std Deflection Plan.

The partial plan is shown in Figure 1-8. The critical span deflection is 24 mm.

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Figure 1-8 Critical span of LT Cracked Deflection (40% Permanent, 30% Transient) plan

1.3 Summary / notes

By understanding the logic of the deflection calculations and the tools available, the designer can gain a better understanding
of the deflection behaviour of the floor. Generally, the (rule set based) LT Deflection is the most valuable but it can be
conservative, and has limitations for middle strips.
By determining cracking factors and considering the actual expected live load, and the transient nature of that live load, a
more accurate deflection can be predicted.
In this example, only one live loading has been considered, but the designer can use multiple live loadings (reducible,
unreducible etc.) and use different load factors. Not all examples can be presented here.
Finally, the designer should keep in mind that deflection calculations are only ever approximations because of the
inaccuracies inherent in material properties, loads, construction procedures etc. Also, an aggressive design can be
problematic for deflections due to vibrations or dynamic loads and these are not considered by RAM Concept.

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