Title No.

63-17

AN ACI TWO-PART PAPER

Time-Dependent Deflections of
Reinforced Concrete Beams
By WILLIAM G. CORLEY and METE A. SOZEN'

Reports the observed deformations of four beams over a period of 2

years and presents a simple method for estimating the time-dependent
deflections of reinforced concrete beams.
Key words: beam; cracking; creep; deflection; design; reinforced con-
crete; research; shrinkage; time-dependent deflection .

• THIS TWO-PART PAPER* IS CONCERNED WITH THE time-dependent de-

flections of reinforced concrete beams. Its objectives are (a) to report
the observed deformations of four beams over a period of 2 years and
(b) to present a simple method for estimating the time-dependent de-
flections of reinforced concrete beams.

TESTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

Four beams (Beams C1 through 4 as shown in Fig. 1) were placed
under observation primarily to spot check the results of design accord-
ing to ACI 318-56. 1 One cross section (Beams C1 and C2) was pro-
portioned as a balanced section according to the given permissible
stresses (0.45 fc' with f,.' = 3000 psi and f.,= 20,000 psi). The other two
cross sections were designed in accordance with the Appendix to ACI
318-56, using the minimum load factor of 1.8. Beam C3 was propor-
tioned to carry the same moment as Beam Cl but using as small an
effective depth as possible for the same width and with f 11 = 60,000 psi.
A third cross section (Beam C4) also was proportioned for a minimum
effective depth but with f!l = 40,000 psi.
Three of the beams (Beams C1, C3, C4) were loaded at the quarter-
points of the span (Fig. 1) and kept in a controlled atmosphere at
70 F and 50 percent relative humidity. Beam C2 was loaded to the
design load to crack it and then unloaded and kept in the same room
as the others. The design load P was 2240 lb for all beams. In addition
to the beams, two 4x16-in. cylinders were stressed to 1350 psi in com-
pression and maintained at that load for the duration of the test. Two
other 4x16-in. cylinders were kept under observation to measure con-
•see note at end of paper.

373
374 JOURNAl OF THE AMERICAN CONCRETE INSTITUTE March 1966

p
2
+
+
+ Fig. I - Dimensions and
+ + + properties of beams tested
+ +
at the University of Illinois
I.. l
l'-6'' • . ..
l.lo".,l.lo".,l,.lo".,~l
3'-0 11 .... 1'-6" .. 1
(f/ at 28 days= 3500 psi;
P = 2240 lb for Beams Cl,
C3, and C4; Beam C2 was
unloaded)

Cl S C2 C3
2 No.3 Bars 2 No.3 Bars 3 No. 3 Bars

crete deformations independent of external stress. These cylinders were

stored in the same room as the beams.
After about 2 years, the applied loads were released and the recovery
of the beams was observed for over 2 months.
Information on materials, instrumentation, and test chronology is
provided in Part 2 of the paper.

TEST RESULTS
Concrete
The measured deformations of the 4x16-in. cylinders are plotted
in Fig. 2. The unit deformation (shortening) of the cylinders with no
load approached 0.0003 in 2 years.
The unit creep strain, obtained arbitrarily by subtracting from the
deformation per unit stress of the loaded cylinders both the instan-
taneous deformation per unit stress under load and the measured
average deformation of the unloaded cylinders, approached 1.0 X 10- 6
per psi or nearly three times the instantaneous strain.
The measured strains of both the loaded and unloaded cylinders were
well within the usual spectrum of values of creep and shrinkage for
normal weight concrete.

0.003 . - - - - , . . - - - , . - - - . . . , . - - - - ,

0.002
~
r~~-y=---
----
Loaded Cylinders

0.001
1 Fig. 2 - Total measured strain for
'CS- 2 Unloaded Cylinders control cylinders
V cs-1J
0 200 400 600 800
TIME- DAYS
 DEFECTIONS OF BEAMS 375

ACI member Mete A. Sozen is professor of civil engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana,
Ill. Dr. Sozen's work includes teaching and research in reinforced and prestressed concrete.
Dr. Sozen is the author of numerous contributions in the ACI JOURNAL and other technical
publications. Active in ACI technical work he is currently secretary of ACI-ASCE Committee
421, Reinforced Concrete Slabs, and Committee 441, Reinforced Concrete Columns, and a
member of ACI Committee 428, Limit Design. He is also a member of the executive
group of ACI Committee 115, Research.
ACI member William G. Corley is development engineer, Structural Development Section,
Portland Cement Association, Research and Development Division, Skokie, Ill. He received
his PhD from the University of Illinois in 1961. Prior to joining PCA, Dr. Corley was a
research and development coordinator with the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Develop-
ment Laboratories at Fort Belvoir, Va. Currently he is a member of ACI-ASCE Committee 428,
Limit Design, and ACI Committee 435, Deflection of Concrete Building Structures, and 443,
Concrete Bridge Design.

Beam deflections
The midspan deflections of the beams are plotted with respect to
the reactions in Fig. 3 and with respect to the load points in Fig. 4.
As would be expected, the deflection for Beam C3 is the highest and
that for Beam Cl the lowest among the three loaded beams. How-
ever, it is pertinent to note that the ratio of total to instantaneous
deflecion was about 2.5 for all three beams. There was no relative
escalation in deflection for Beam C3 despite the higher working stress.
On release of load, the immediate recovery of the beams was com-
parable to the instantaneous deflection. The time-dependent recovery
was slow and gave no indication of an eventual recovery of all de-
flection attributable to creep.
Beam strains
The average strain distribution in the flexure span of each of the
four beams is shown in Fig. 5. The variation of the average strain,
measured at different levels in the beams, with time is given in Fig. 6.

0.7 ,..-----r-----r----r-----.
:Z 0.6
z 0.5 z 0.5
cr. <[
<l.
"'
0
::.
0.4 "'0 0.4
::.
!:; 0.3
/----L
Beam Cl
~ 0.3
z
2 z
t- 0.2 2 0.2 Beam C3
(.) t-
w

v - - - ~-L
u
.J
u. 0.1 Beam C2
w
.J
0.1
~ Beam C4
Ul u.
0 w L_
0 Beam C2

0 200 400 600 BOO 0 200 400 600 BOO

TIME-DAYS TIME- DAYS

Fig. 3 - Measured deflection between Fig. 4- Measured deflection between

reactions for beams tested at the Uni- load points for beams tested at the
versity of Illinois University of Illinois
376 JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CONCRETE INSTITUTE March 1966

0
82ro
,.._ - "' o TIME- DAYS ~=NO TIME-DAYS
Gage Line I
'\,\.\.
Gage Line 2
~\ Gage Line 3
~.\ Gage Line 4

'\
-0.004 -0.002 0 0.002 -0.004 -0.002 0 0.002
STRAIN STRAIN
BEAM Cl BEAM C2

-0.004 -0.002 0 0.002 -0.004 -0.002 0 0.002

STRAIN STRAIN
BEAM C3 BEAM C4

Fig. 5 - Measured average strain distribution in flexure span of test beams

_ 0 _003 ,....-----,.--B::.E::.:...:A;.:-Mc....::C.:..I- - - , . - - - - , _ 0 _003 ,----,.---=B:..:E::.A.:..:M;.:..-C:..:2:__.,------,

cage Line I

~
-0.002

a: -0.001
\

V:::::==
\Gage Line 2
\ \Gage Line 3
\
~
:=-0.001
-0.002 \'"Line I
\age Line 2
\Gage Line 3

~ ~~--------~-
o~~-T--------------1
~ o~
~~~~~~~\~~
~ L Gage Line 4 'it Gage Line 5 LGage Line 4 LGage Line 5

0.00 I 0.001
0 200 400 600 800 0 200 400 600 BOO
TIME- DAYS TIME- DAYS

BEAM C3 BEAM C4
-0.003 -0.003

Gage Line ! Gage Line I

-0.002
~Gage Line 2
-0002
1:::=
v Gage Line 2
:;: -0.001
"a:>-
V Gage Line 3
:;:-0001

"a:>-
Gage L1ne 3

~
0 :,..---- ~ 0
v
Gage Line 4 ~ Gage Line 4

0.001 0.001 Gage Line 5

Gage Line 5

0.002 0.002
0 200 400 600 800 0 200 400 600 BOO
TIME- DAYS TIME- DAYS

Fig. 6 - Average strain measured at each gage line in test beams

 DEFECTIONS OF BEAMS 377

The local as well as the average strain distribution over the depth
of the beams was linear in the region of compressed concrete. In
the cracked region, measured strains (over a 10 in. gage length) de-
viated locally from a linear strain distribution, although the average
values over the whole flexure span fitted in with a linear distribution
of strains over the depth of the beam.
The strain measured at the level of the steel was initially lower than
that calculated from the "straight line formula" but reached the calcu-
lated value rapidly (within 10 days) and exceeded it by about 10
percent at the end of the test period (Fig. 5 and 6).
The increase in observed strain at the level of the reinforcement in
the loaded beams may be attributed partially to a downward shift in
the neutral axis as the concrete creeps. This causes a slight reduction
in the distance between the center of compression and the center
of the steel resulting in an increase in the steel force.
After the load was removed from Beam C2, the cracks remained
slightly open indicating a residual tension in the steel. Consequently, the
change in strain at the level of the reinforcement may be attributed
partially to closing of these cracks. As shrinkage occurred in the beam,
the residual stress dissipated and an increase in compressive strain at
the level of the reinforcement was measured.
Cracks
Location and relative height of cracks in each of the four beams is
shown in Fig. 7. For the loaded beams, cracks in the flexure span were
observed to increase slightly in height and number during the early
stages of the test. Within the first 60 days after loading, four new cracks

36"

BEAM Cl

BEAM C2 +
Fig. 7- Location of cracks in flexure
span
111 ) ) d l d 1 ll II\\
BEAM C3
t
! ll i )I I Ill I [II \ )J
BEAM C4
II~+
378 JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CONCRETE INSTITUTE March 1966

were discovered in the center half of Beams C1 and C4 and three new
cracks were discovered in the center half of Beam C3.
In the later stages of the test, the neutral axis moved to a position
below the tops of some cracks. The upper portions of the cracks were
observed to close as this happened. With the exception of the unloaded
beam (Beam C2), the cracks at the level of the steel increased in width
as would be implied by strain measurements.

SIMPLE METHOD FOR ESTIMATING TIME-DEPENDENT DEFLECTIONS

The total deflection of a reinforced concrete beam may be divided
arbitrarily into three components: (a) deflection resulting from in-
stantaneous strains, (b) deflection resulting from creep strains, and
(c) deflection resulting from shrinkage strains.
Consider a moderately reinforced section. as shown in Fig. 8. On ap-
plication of the design moment, the instantaneous curvature may be
written in accordance with the assumption for working stress design, 2
as follows:

··················· .................... (!)

where
= instantaneous curvature
</Ji
M = design moment
Ec =
modulus of elasticity for concrete
I = moment of inertia of cracked transformed section
Ei = concrete strain in extreme fiber in compression (fc!Ec)
kd = depth to the neutral axis from extreme fiber in compression

Eq. (1) should give an acceptable approximation to the actual average

curvature provided the applied moment is well above the cracking
moment and provided this moment does not cause large inelastic
strains.
If the applied moment is comparable to the cracking moment, it
may be necessary to consider the beam or a portion of it uncracked.
For beams with little or no cover over the tension steel, the computed
moment of inertia of cracked and uncracked sections are not significant-
ly different if the product of the reinforcement ratio and the modular
ratio pn is greater than about 0.18. Consequently, for beams with large
amounts of reinforcement, computations based on either cracked or
uncracked sections will result in comparable deflection predictions.
For beams with extremely small amounts of reinforcement, presence
or absence of cracking is quite important. Beams in this category are
likely to have applied moments that are comparable to the cracking
moment. Even when loads in excess of the cracking load are applied,
the effect of the tensile strength of the concrete on deflection may be
 DEFECTIONS OF BEAMS 379

Fig. 8- Idealized effect of

creep strain on curvature at
a section

-
significant. For these reasons, beams with low steel percentages are
likely to be considerably stiffer than is predicted by the assumption
of a fully cracked section.
The loading history of a reinforced concrete member must also be
considered in calculating its deflections. For example, transient loads
during construction may be enough to cause thorough cracking while
working loads applied later would not. In a case such as this, the
assumption of a cracked section would be mandatory even though the
loads considered for deflection computations might be considerably
smaller than the cracking load.
Although no precise rules can be made for determining when to
consider a section as fully cracked or partially cracked, the following
conditions are offered as a guide:
1. If pn is greater than about 0.18 and cover of the tension steel is not
excessive, consider the member to be fully cracked regardless of the
magnitude of the applied moment.*
2. If pn is less than about 0.08, consider the member to be partially cracked
regardless of the magnitude of the applied moment.*
3. If pn is between 0.18 and 0.08 consider the member to be fully cracked
if the applied moment is more than twice the cracking moment.
For the computations included in this paper, quite simple assump-
tions were made for computations involving partially cracked beams.
It was assumed that the modulus of elasticity of concrete in tension
is the same as that in compression and that the limiting strain of
concrete in tension is 0.0001. All beams were considered to be com-
pletely cracked in regions where the applied moment exceeded the
computed cracking moment. The remainder of the beam was con-
sidered to be completely uncracked. The stiffness EI of the uncracked
sections was assumed to be the same as that of a plain concrete beam
with the same dimensions as those of the beam concerned.
To write a simple expression for the curvature caused by creep of
the concrete, it is assumed that as the creep strain mE;, (Fig. 8), occurs

*For T-beams, the value pn should be calculated using the effective width as that at the
extreme fiber in tension.
380 JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CONCRETE INSTITUTE March 1966

the steel strain (calculated) does not change and the strain distribution
remains linear. Thus:
_ mei
t/>c- -d-......... .. ............................. (2)

where <Pc is the curvature caused by creep, d is the beam effective

depth, and m is the ratio of the creep to instantaneous strain in that
particular beam.
The ratio of the creep to the instantaneous curvature is given by the
expression:

!l!!:_=km. . ... (3)

t/>i

Since creep in the beam occurs under a decaying compressive

stress as a result of the drop in the neutral axis with time (Fig. 8),
the ratio m should depend on how fast the compressive stress changes.
The major influences are the amount of compression reinforcement
and the shape of the cross section. For large amounts of compression
reinforcement, m should be low. In flanged sections where a drop in
the neutral axis results in relatively little additional concrete area
being mobilized in compression, the value of m should be high.
A study of the available data from References 3-8* and the tests re-
ported above resulted in the following expressions for m:
For a rectangular section:
m= 3- p'/p

For flanged sections with kd>2t/3:

m = 2(3- p'/p)
where p' and p are the compression and tension reinforcement ratios
respectively, and t is the thickness of the top flange. The constants in
these expressions were chosen purposely as whole numbers for sim-
plicity.
A similar approach can be used for the curvature caused by shrink-
age. If it is assumed for the sake of simplicity that the reinforcement
strain is not affected by shrinkage, shrinkage curvature can be expressed
as an inverse function of the beam effective depth modified by the
ratio of compression to tension reinforcement. Study of data from beams
which were not subjected to load 10 indicated that the following ex-
pression could be used to estimate shrinkage curvature:
</Jsh = 0.~35 (p _ p') ... . ( 4)

*Some information was also received privately from the Portland Cement Association
Research and Development Laboratories, Skokie, Ill.
 DEFECTIONS OF BEAMS 381

This approximate expression was developed for use with concrete

which develops a free shrinkage strain on the order of 500 X 10- 6 •
For concrete known to exhibit considerably more or less shrinkage, it
may be modified accordingly. However, considering the large variations
in observed shrinkage strain of ostensibly identical concrete and con-
sidering the relative contribution of shrinkage deflection, small modi-
fications of Eq. (4) are neither justified nor necessary.

APPLICATION OF METHOD TO TEST BEAMS

Deflections calculated on the basis of Eq. (1), (3), and (4) * and
considering cracking as discussed above are compared with measured
deflections reported here and from eight other sources in Table 1.
Modifications to account for test duration were made on the basis
of the trends reported in Reference 10. It was assumed that all the
time-dependent effect occurred in 20 years and about 85 percent of it in
2 years. For periods less than 2 years, the proportion R of the total
time-dependent effect occurring at a time t (in days) was obtained
from the expression:

R = 0.13In (t + 1) ... (5)

To obtain the creep or shrinkage effect for periods between 2 and 20

years a linear interpolation was made on the semilogarithmic plot.
In applying this procedure to indeterminate beams, hinges were
assumed at the points of contraflexure. The cross-sectional properties
of continuous beams were assumed to be constant between the re-
actions and the fictitious hinges.
Values of the ratio of modulus of elasticity of steel to that of con-
crete were taken as recommended in ACI 318-63. 2 For beams loaded
at 7 days, the 7 day cylinder strength of the concrete was assumed to
be 70 percent of the reported 28-day strength.

DISCUSSION OF RESULTS
The beams listed in Table 1 cover an extremely wide range of vari-
ables. Both simple span and two-span continuous beams are included.
Cross sections include both rectangular beams and T-beams. Although
some of the tests were carried out under conditions of constant tem-
perature and humidity, others were conducted without any environ-
mental control. Duration of loading varied from slightly more than
2 months to as much as 5 years. Date of loading ranged from as little
as 7 days to as much as 28 days after the concrete was placed. In

*A numerical example is provided in Part 2 of this paper.

382 JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CONCRETE INSTITUTE March 1966

TABLE I COMPARISON OF MEASURED AND COMPUTED DEFLECTIONS

I
I
Measured
deflection Computed deflection
Duration
of test, Initial, Final, Initial, I
Shrinkage, Creep, Total, .6.mea8
Source
I Mark months in. in. in. in. in. in. 6.comp
--
Tests at C1* 23 0.032 0.077 0.034 0.013 0.033 0.080 0.96
the University Clt 23 0.12 0.29 0.12 0.05 0.12 0.29 1.00
of Illinois C3* 23 0.081 0.188 0.084 0.028 0.094 0.206 0.91
C3t 23 0.31 0.68 0.31 0.11 0.35 0.77 0.88
C4* 23 0.062 0.156 0.064 O.o41 0.083 0.188 0.83
C4t 23 0.24 0.61 0.25 0.16 0.32 0.73 0.84
--
Reference 3 AD 60 2.49 7.42 2.35 1.15 2.61 6.11 1.21
BD 60 1.50 5.50 2.41 1.15 2.75 6.31 0.87
CD 60 1.67 5.33 2.41 1.15 2.75 6.31 0.84
DD 60 1.28 3.28 1.05 0.29 0.96 2.30 1.43
ED 60 0.81 2.65 1.06 0.29 1.02 2.37 1.12
FD 60 1.17 3.28 1.06 0.29 1.00 2.35 1.40
GD 60 0.24 0.93 0.38 0.08 0.36 0.82 1.13
HD 60 0.28 0.93 0.37 0.08 0.34 0.79 1.17
- - -- - - - -
Reference 4 A1,A4 30 0.53 0.93 0.62 0 0.39 1.01 0.92
A2,A5 30 0.62 1.27 0.65 0.19 0.54 1.38 0.92
A3,A6 30 0.67 1.76 0.68 0.35 0.71 1.74 1.01
B1,B4 30 0.92 2.01 1.08 0 0.74 1.82 1.10
B2,B5 30 0.98 2.56 1.11 0.29 0.98 2.38 1.o7
B3,B6 30 1,04 3.40 1.16 0.59 1.06 2.81 1.21
C1, C4 30 1.58 3.15 1.70 0 1.14 2.84 1.10
C2,C5 30 1.71 3.96 1.76 0.57 1.54 3.87 1.02
C3,C6 30 1.88 5.54 1.87 0.99 2.06 4.92 1.13
D1,D4 30 0.47 1.09 0.62 0 0.41 1.03 1.06
D2,D5 30 0.56 1.33 0.65 0.18 0.56 1.39 0.96
D3,D6 30 0.70 1.91 0.67 0.35 0.73 1.75 1.09
E1,E4 30 2.34 4.88 2.15 0 1.44 3.59 1.36
E2, E5 30 2.20 5.07 2.22 0.58 1.90 4.70 1.08
E3,E6 30 2.48 7.28 2.32 1.15 2.46 5.93 1.23
--
Reference 5 X1,X4 30 0.56 1.14 0.72 0.02 0.52 1.26 0.91
X2,X5 30 0.57 1.27 0.74 0.02 0.61 1.37 0.93
X3,X6 30 0.62 1.47 0.77 0.03 0.79 1.59 0.93
Y1, Y4 30 0.89 1.81 1.20 0 0.81 2.01 0.90
Y2, Y5 30 0.93 1.96 1.23 O.ol 1.01 2.25 0.87
Y3, Y6 30 1.00 2.36 1.28 . 0.02 1.30 2.60 0.91
Z1, Z4 30 1.04 2.32 1.54 0.01 1.03 2.58 0.90
Z2,Z5 30 1.13 2.67 1.56 0.02 1.27 2.85 0.94
Z3,Z6 30 1.20 3.14 1.62 0.03 1.58 3.23 0.97

*Deflection between reactions.

!Deflection between load points.
!Computed deflections based on partially cracked section.
 DEFECTIONS OF BEAMS 383

TABLE I (cont.) - COMPARISON OF MEASURED AND COMPUTED

DEFLECTIONS
Measured
deflection Computed deflection
Duration
of test, Initial, Final, Initial, Shri~kage, \ C~eep, Total,
in.
~mea

Source Mark months in. in. in. In. In. L1com

---

Private
0.13 0.33 0.14 0.04 0.11 0.29 1.14
communication 20N 9
0.14 0.30 0.15 0.04 0.12 0.31 0.97
from the 20A 9
9 0.17 0.39 0.17 0.09 0.15 0.41 0.95
Portland Cement 40N-1
9 0.17 0.40 0.17 0.09 0.15 0.41 0.98
Association 40A-1
Research and 60N 9 0.20 0.41 0.19 0.11 0.18 0.48 0.86
Development 60A 9 0.18 0.37 0.18 0.11 0.17 0.46 0.81
Laboratories

Reference 6 7 16 0.11 0.39 0.22 0.12 0.19 0.53 0.74

8 16 0.11 0.37 0.22 0.12 0.19 0.53 0.70
3t 16 0.04 0.20 0.16 0.06 0.09 0.31 0.65
4t 16 0.04 0.21 0.16 0.06 0.09 0.31 0.68
2t 16 0.16 0.33 0.35 0 0.13 0.48 0.75
1t 16 0.17 0.39 0.36 0.06 0.21 0.63 0.60
10 16 0.33 0.57 0.42 0 0.21 0.63 0.91
9 16 0.34 0.68 0.45 0.12 0.38 0.95 0.72
6t 16 0.36 0.61 0.57 0 0.20 0.77 0.79
5t 16 0.37 0.70 0.58 0.06 0.35 0.99 0.71
---
Reference 7 at 2.8 0.63 1.26 0.72 0.09 0.37 1.18 1.06
bt 2.2 0.35 0.71 0.24 0.05 0.11 0.40 1.77
---
Reference 8 § 1MS 59 0.62 2.28 1.14 0.52 1.19 2.85 0.84
2HTt 59 0.71 2.42 1.82 0.28 1.50 3.60 0.67
3MS 59 0.31 1.22 0.59 0.30 0.61 1.50 0.81
4HTt 59 0.35 1.34 1.04 0.16 0.85 2.05 0.66
5MS 59 0.13 0.51 0.27 0.13 0.28 0.68 0.75
6HTt 59 0.18 0.57 0.51 0.07 0.42 1.00 0.57
7MS 59 0.60 2.13 1.04 0.52 0.97 2.53 0.84
8HTt 59 0.81 2.58 1.83 0.28 1.33 3.44 0.75
!IMS 59 0.31 1,04 0.59 0.30 0.55 1.44 0.72
10iHTt 5!1 0.35 1.17 0.79 0.16 0.57 1.52 0.77
llMS· 59 0.11 0.41 0.26 0.13 0.24 0.63 0.65
12HTt 5!) 0.17 0.55 0.46 0.07 0.33 0.86 0.64
-·
Reference 9 A 6 1.34 2.65 1.24 0.09 1.26 2.59 1.02
B 6 1.24 2.23 1.23 0.04 1.01 2.28 0.98
c 6 1.19 2.04 1.23 0 0.81 2.04 1.00
D 6 1.27 2.64 1.30 0.09 1.33 2.72 0.97
E 6 0.51 1.15 0.63 0.04 0.62 1.29 0.89
F 6 2.20 3.95 2.16 0.23 2.63 5.02 0.79

•Deflection between reactions.

t Deflection between load points.
tComputed deflections based on partially cracked section.
§The measured deflections for Reference 8, which appear low, were confirmed by Dr.
Hajnal-K6nyi by letter. ·
384 JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CONCRETE INSTITUTE March 1966

addition, a large range of cross-sectional properties and design param-

eters were used by the different investigators.
Considering the wide range of variables and the simplicity of the
method, the agreement between measured and computed deflections
(Table 1, Column 10) is good. For the majority of beams the agreement
would be adequate for design purposes.
Where important differences between measured and computed de-
flections do exist, the method of computation tends to overestimate
the amount of deflection. This trend is most apparent in beams with
low percentages of steel. For example, the test beams in References
6, 7, and 8 all had low steel percentages. Even when only part of
the span was considered to be cracked, the computed deflection for
each beam in References 6 and 8 was more than that measured. The
opposite is true for the two beams in Reference 7. In this case, the
computed deflections are less than those measured.
As previously noted, tension in the concrete becomes more significant
as the steel percentage decreases. The lack of agreement between meas-
ured and computed deflections for References 6 and 8 is attributable
to this effect. The results for the two beams in Reference 7 are not as
easily explained. For Beam "a" in Reference 7 the agreement is satis-
factory, considering the short duration of loading and the small mag-
nitude of the deflection. However, Beam "b" showed considerably more
deflection than that computed. Contrary to the fact that computations
indicate Beam "b" should be essentially uncracked, extensive cracking
was observed. In this case computations of deflections based on a fully
cracked section were in better agreement with those measured than
are those based on a partially cracked section.
Although somewhat better agreement between measured and com-
puted deflections for References 6 and 8 could be expected if a more
complicated method was used to consider the effects of cracking, the
comparison for Reference 7 indicates that the additional work would
not be justified. Only in circumstances where the material properties
and loading conditions are precisely known, would a more complicated
method be worthwhile.
The comparison between measured and computed deflections for the
beams reported in all except Reference 6-8 indicates a difference
of less than 20 percent for all but a few beams. For these exceptions,
no immediate explanation of the difference is apparent. In many cases
one specimen would show good agreement between measured and
computed deflections while a specimen that was reported to be iden-
tical would not. It is important to note that all large differences were
for measured deflections less than computed. This would indicate that
again tension in the concrete may be a significant factor.
 DEFECTIONS OF BEAMS 385

SUMMARY
This paper reports deformation measurements taken on four beams
over a period of 2 years and presents a simple method for estimating
time-dependent deflections.
Measured deflections for test beams reported in this paper and in
References 3-9 are compared with those computed by the method de-
scribed above. In general, the agreement is good considering the wide
range of variables and the simplicity of the method.
For beams with small percentages of reinforcement, computed de-
flections are generally greater than those measured. This is primarily
due to the increased importance of tension in the concrete in lightly
reinforced beams.
Although a more complex method for considering the effects of
tension in the concrete might be justified if the material properties
and loading conditions are precisely known, the large variation in
measured deflections of ostensibly identical beams would make this an
unwarranted luxury for design.
It is believed that the method presented is simple enough and accu-
rate enough to be useful to the designer in estimating time-dependent
deflections of reinforced concrete members.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The work reported was carried out in the Structural Engineering Labora-
tory of the University of Illinois Civil Engineering Department during 1958-
61 while Dr. Corley was a National Science Foundation Fellow.

REFERENCES
1. ACI Committee 318, "Building Code Requirements for Reinforced Con-
crete (ACI 318-56) ," American Concrete Institute, Detroit, 1956, 73 pp.
2. ACI Committee 318, "Building Code Requirements for Reinforced Con-
crete (ACI 318-63) ," American Concrete Institute, Detroit, 1963, 144 pp.
3. Washa, G. W., "Plastic Flow of Thin Reinforced Concrete Slabs," ACI
JouRNAL, Proceedings V. 44, No. 3, Nov. 1947, pp. 237-260.
4. Washa, G. W., and Fluck, P. G., "Effect of Compressive Reinforcement
on the Plastic Flow of Reinforced Concrete Beams," ACI JoURNAL, Proceed-
ings V. 49, No. 2, Oct. 1952, pp. 89-108.
5. Washa, G. W., and Fluck, P. G., "Plastic Flow (Creep) of Reinforced
Concrete Continuous Beams," ACI JoURNAL, Proceedings V. 52, No. 5, Jan.
1956, pp. 549-562.
6. Gilkey, H. J., and Ernst, G. C., "Report of Project Committee on Use of
High Elastic Limit Steel as Reinforcement for Concr~te, Sustained Loading
Tests on Slender Concrete Beams Reinforced with High Elastic Limit Steel,"
Proceedings, Fifteenth Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C., Highway Research
Board, Dec. 1935, p. 81.
7. Sattler, K., "Betrachtungen uber die Durchbiegungen von Stahlbeton-
tragern," Die Bautechnik (Berlin-Wilmersdorf), V. 33, No. 11, Nov. 1956, p. 378.
386 JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CONCRETE INSTITUTE March 1966

8. Hajnal-K6nyi, K., "Tests on Beams with Sustained Loading," Magazine

of Concrete Research (London), V. 15, No. 43-:45, Mar. 1963, pp. 3-14.
9. Yu, Wei-Wen, and Winter, G., "Instantaeous and Long-Time Deflections
of Reinforced Concrete Beams Under Working Loads," ACI JOURNAL, Pro-
ceedings V. 57, No. 1, July 1960, pp. 29-50.
10. Troxell, G. E.; Raphael, I. M.; and Davis, R. E., "Long-Time Creep and
Shrinkage Tests of Plain and Reinforced Concrete," Proceedings, ASTM, Phila-
delphia, V. 58, June 1958, pp. 1101-1120.

NOTE: This is Part 1 of an ACt two·part paper. The second part will not be published In
the JOURNAL but xerographic or similar, copies are available from American Concrete Institute
headquarters, where it will be kept permanently on file, at a charge equal to cost of re-
production plus handling at time of request. For a time, 6 x 9 in. offset printed copies of
Part 2 may be ordered at a substantial saving; see the News Letter for details. Part 2
contains details on the specimens, fabrication, test setup, instrumentation, deflection test
data, and an example on how to compute deflections.

Received by the Institute June 1, 1965. Title No. 63-17 is a part of copyrighted JOURNAL of
the American Concrete Institute, Proceedings V. 63, No. 3, Mar. 1966. Separate prints are
available at 60 cents each, cash with order.

American Concrete Institute, P.O. Box 4754, Redford Station, Detroit, Michigan 48219

Discussion of this paper should reach ACI headquarters in triplicate

by June 1, 1966, for publication in the September 1966 JOURNAL.
(See p. iii for details.)

Sinopsis- Resume- Zusammenfassung

Deflexiones a Largo Plazo en Vigas de Concreto Reforzadas

Se reportan las deformaciones observadas en cuatro vigas en un periodo
de dos aiios y se presenta, un metodo simple para estimar las deflexiones largo
plazo en vigas de concreto reforzadas.

Le Flechissement Progressif des Poutres en Beton Arme en Fonction du

Temps
Cet article rend compte des deformations que l'on a observees dans quatre
poutres en beton arme au cours d'une periode de 2 ans, et presente une methode
simple pour evaluer le flechissement progressif d'une poutre en fonction du
temps.

Zeitabhangige Durchbiegungen von Stahlbetonbalken

Berichtet tiber beobachtete Verformung von vier Balken tiber eine Zeitspanne
von zwei Jahren und bringt eine einfache Methode zur Errechnung der zeit-
bedingten Durchbiegungen von Stahlbetonbalken.
Time-Dependent
Deflections ·of Reinforced
Concrete Beams
.·PART 2 SUPPLEMENT

By WILLIAM G. CORLEY and METE A SOZEN

Part 1 of this paper appeared

in ACI JOURNAL, Proceedings v. 63,
No. 3,Mar. 1966, pp~ 373-386

PUBLICATION
To conserve ACI JOURNAL space, long papers are
divided into two parts with only the material
of general interest appearing in the JOURNAL.
In the case of important material of limited
interest, only a digest is published. For the
general reader, Part 1 and digest papers will
be sufficient to convey the information of
widest interest on the subject. However, to
round out the paper, or give the full story,
as the case may be, for those who have specific
interest in the material, these Part 2 sup-
plements are made available . The material in
Part 2's is new material not published in the
JOURNAL. For papers prepared in two parts, it
represents supplemental and expanded coverage
of the subject, particularly testing details,
derivations, etc. For papers that appeared
only in digest form, it is the full report.

These Part 2's are provided at cost.

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adopted as provided in the bylaws.

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 Part II

Description of Specimens
Time-dependent deformations were measured on four reinforced
concrete beams over a period of about two years. All four beams were
proportioned to meet the requirements of the-1956 ACI Bui !ding Code. Two
beams Cl and C2, were designed as "balanced" beams according to the work-
Ing stress provisions of the Code whl le the other two, C3 and C4, were
designed for minimum depth according to the provisions of the Appendi~

to the Code. Assumed yield stresses of 60,000 psi and 40,000 psi were
used to proportion beams C3 and C4 respectively.

All beams were three inches wide. The beams designed by the
working stress provisions of the Code had an effective depth of 5.3 in.
Those designed according to the Appendi~ to the Code had an effective depth
of 3.6 ln.
All beams were reinforced with straight deformed bars. Beam C4
contained 3 No. 3 bars. Each of the other beams contained 2 No. 3 bars.
In addition to the four beams, five 6~12-in. cylinders and four
4~16-ln. cylinders were cast from the same batch of ·concrete. The 6~12-in.

cylinders were loaded In a hydraulic testing machine to determine their

strength. Two of the 4~16-in. cylinders were subjected to an a~lal load
of about 1350 psi to determine time-dependent properties of the concrete.
The two remaining 4~16-in. cylinders were left unloaded to determine the
shrinkage properties of the concrete.
 2

Fabrication of Specimens
The steel reinforcement used in all beams was from on• lot of
intermediate grade reinforcing bars. An average yield stress of 54,200 psi
was measured on specimens taken from each bar.
Type I Portland Cement was used tn the concrete. The ma~lmum

size of the coarse aggregate was 3/8 in. The ml~ had a water cement ratio
of 0.85 by weight and had a cement:sand:gravel ratio of 1.0:4.2:4.5 by
weight. A 1 1/4-ln. slump was measured. The average strength of three
6~12-in. cylinders tested at 28 days after casting was 3500 psi.
All four beams were cast in wooden forms. The forms had holes
drl lled In their sides Into which 3/8-in. diameter Ple~lglas rods were
inserted. These rods protruded 3/8-in. into the sides of the beams to
leave holes for later installation of Whittemore gage points.
The beams and cylinders were covered with saturated burlap for
about 24 hours after casting. At this time the forms were stripped and
the beams and cylinders were moved to a fog room where they remained for
seven days. They were then moved into the open laboratory for 21 days. At

the age of 28 days, the specimens were moved Into a room which was kept at
a constant SO percent relative humidity and 70°F temperature.

Test Setup
Each of the four beams was placed In a test frame and loaded at
Its quarter-points. Loads were applied by means of four steel springs.
The springs were calibrated by the use of an e~tensometer which had a sen-
sitivity of about one pound per dial division. Appro~imately 15 minutes was
required to load each beam. Each time a set of readings was taken, the
 3

springs were adjusted to bring the load back up to its initial value.

A maximum variation of about 15 dial divisions per spring was noted during

early stages of the test.

The two externally loaded 4xl6-in. cylinders were placed in a

special frame. The load was applied by means of a hydraulic ram. Three

car springs were used to maintain the load after the ram was removed.

During the test, less than a four percent loss of load was noted.

Instrumentation

Deflections of each loaded beam were measured by means of a 0.001

in. deflection dial mounted on a detachable bracket. The bracket was con

structed to fit on a steel reference bar which extended from reaction to

reaction beneath each beam. Deflections were determined at mid-span and

at each load point by placing the bracket against the reference bar and

measuring the distance to the bottom surface of the beam.

Deflections of the unloaded beam, C2, were measured with 0.001 in.

deflection dials mounted directly on a reference bar. Again, deflections

were measured at mid-span and at each load point.

Strains in each 4xl6-ln. cylinder and in the center 30 in. of

each beam were measured with a 10-in. gage length Whittemore strain indica-

tor. Steel gage-plugs were set in high-strength gypsum cement placed in

3/8-ln. diameter by 3/8-in. deep holes provided in the sides of the beams.

Each beam contained three sets of five gage lines on each side. Consequent-

ly, strains could be obtained over the depth of the beam 15 inches each side

of the center of the span.

Each of the 4x16-in. cylinders had three rows of 10-in. length gage

lines arranged symmetrically about its circumference. The plugs were set

in high-strength gypsum cement placed in holes dri lied in the cylinders.

 4

Test Schedule and Results

Table I gives chronological data for the test specimens.

Average crack spacing and height observed In the flexure span

are given in Table 2. Crack heights and spacing listed for beam C2 were
observed at the time It was loaded. For all other beams, the values

listed are for the minimum average spacing and maximum average height

observed during the test.

Deflections measured for each of the test beams are given In
Table 3. Figure I shows the unit creep strain versus time relationship

obtained from the control cylinders. The unit creep strain was obtained

arbltrari ly by subtracting from the total measured deformation of the

loaded cylinders both their measured instantaneous deformation and the

measured average deformation of the unloaded cylinders and dividing the

result by the applied stress.

The following computations for the deflection of Be• Cl (Fig. I,

Part I) are presented to demonstrate how deflections are ca.puted by the

method presented In Part l of this paper.

From Fig. l, Part I the following cross-sectional properties

are obtained:

b • 3 ln. d • 5 3/8 ln.

f ~ • 3500 psi As • 0.22 sq. ln.

Normal-weight concrete was used In the beam. Consequently, the

modulus of elasticity, Ec' for the concrete as given In ACI 318-63 Section
1102 i 5

33Jfo
c

where w • 145 lb per cu ft

and Ec • (145) 1• 5 33 J3500 •3,410,000 psi

 5

The modular ratio, n, as given In ACI-63 Table 1002(a) Is

n •
29,000,000 - 8.5
Ec

The product of the reinforcement ratio and the modular ratio

is found In the following manner:

Since the ratio of pn Is between o. 18 and 0.08 It is necessary

to determine If the applied moment Is comparable to the cracking moment
In order to decide whether to consider the beam partially cracked or
fully cracked (see condition 3). The following expression gives the
cracking moment:*

where
I • gross moment of Inertia of the uncracked section
h a total depth of the beam

ecr • assumed limiting cracking strain for the concrete

Thus
(O.OOOll(3,420,000)
"cr • 3)
Mcr • 6160 ln.-lb

The applied moment Is determined from the Information given

In Fig. 1 as follows:
M • !(Ia) • <2240 ) (IS) .. 20,200 ln.-lb
app II ed 2 2
Since the applied moment Is more than twice the cracking moment, the
beam is assumed to be fully cracked throughout Its span.
The depth to the neutral axis Is obtained from the stralght-
11 ne for.mu Ia:
*The calculation starts from an assumed value of the limiting tens! le strain
since It Is simpler to express the curvature, If It becomes necessary, In
terms of strain. Otherwise the modulus of rupture can be used directly.
 6

k • .J2pn + (pn)Z - pn
k ./2(.116) + (.116)2- .116

k - 0.379
kd • 2.04 ln.

The Initial concrete strain Is found fraa the following:

f 2H
e, •Ecc ·• applied
E kj bd2
c

{2)(20 200)
e, · (3,41o,ooo}(.379J(.B73)(3)(s.as)2

e 1 • o.oo0412

From Eq. (1), Part I

~,
e,
• kd •
.000412
2 • 04 • .000202/ln.

The distribution of curvature along the beam Is as shown below:

' ' • .000202/ln.

~ 18 .I. 36
72

From the geometry, the mid-span deflection (departure from the zero slope
tangent) Is found as follows:

and

6 1 • 594 (.000202) • .12 ln.

From Eq. (3} Part I and the expressions for the constant m the
 1

creep curvature.at 20 years Is obtained. Since there Is no compression

reinforcement the ratio p'/p Is zero and m Is 3. Thus
~c • 41 km • (.000202)(.319)(3)

~(: • • 00023/1 n.

Since the distribution of creep curvature Is Identical with that of

Instantaneous curvature, the creep deflection at an age of 20 years Is
found to be:
6 • S94 4 • 594 (.00023)
c c
6c • 0.14 ln. at 20 years

The shrinkage curvature Is obtained from Eq. (4) Part 1.

-'sh • 0.~35 (p _ p')

substituting
0.035
-'sh • ~ (.0136) • o.oooag/ln.

Distribution of shrinkage curvature Is uniform over the length of the bea..

Shrinkage deflections at 20 years are, therefore, given by the following
e:~epresslon

I 72 11
1..

6sh • 648 45 h • 648 (.oooag)

6sh • o.06··1n. at 20 years

Since Seam Cl was kept under load for only 23 months (about
sg9 days) the deflection at the end of the test Is found by modifying
the time-dependent deflections (creep and shrinkage) by Eq. 5, Part I
and adding these to the Instantaneous deflection
 8

R • 0.13 ~n (t + I) •, 0.13 ~n (700)

R • o.a5
thus:

6total • .12 + .12 + .05 • .29 in. or about 5/16 ln.

TABLE I - CHRONOLOGICAL DATA

FOR TEST SPECIMENS

Moved to
Placed in Moved to Controlled Load
Specimen Cast Fog Room Laboratory Atmosphere, Released
Loaded
Cl 3-19-59 3-20-59 3-27-59 4-16-59 3-16-61
C2 3-19-59 3-20-59 3-27-59 4-16-59 4-16-59
C3 3:..19-59 3-20-59 3-27-59 4-16-59 3-16-61
C4 3-19-59 3-20-59 3-27-59 4-16-59 3- 16-61
Unloaded
Cylinders
3-19-59 3-20-59 3-27-59 ---- ----
Loaded
Cylinders
3-19-59 3-20-59 3-27-59 4-21-59 ----

TABLE 2 - OBSERVED CRACKING IN

FLEXURE SPAN OF BEAMS

Average Ha><imum Average Minimum

·Beam Crack Height, Crack Spacing,
ln. ln.
Cl 2.6 2.3
C2 2.0 2.6
C3 2.0 1.9
C4 1.6 I. 7
 TABLE 3 -- MEASURED DEFLECTIONS
OF TEST BEAMS

Instantaneous Midspan Shrinkage Creep Plus Total

Deflection Deflection Shrinkage Deflection
Beam Load Load at 705 Days, Deflection at 705 Days,
Applied Released, at 705 Days,
in. I in. in. ln. in.

Deflection In Flexure Span

!
Cl 0.032 0.026 --- 0.045 0.077
C2 0.026 0.025 0.018 --- 0.018
C3 0.081 0.083 --- o. 107 0.188
C4 0.062 0.060 --- 0.104 0.156

Deflection in Entire Beam

Cl 0.12 0.10 I -- I
0.18 0.29
C2 0.11 0.09 0.06 --- 0.06
C3 0.31 0.29 -- 0.37 0.68
C4 0.24 0.22 -- 0.37 0.61
 0.75
C/)

~
<D
0
X
(l. 0.50
LLI
LLI
a::
(.)

.....
z
::::> 0.25

0 200 400 600 800

TIME-DAYS

Fig. l Unit Creep Curves for Control Cylinders