Revised formula for predicting the long-term deflection multiplier of normal and high strength concrete

Abstract High strength concrete (HSC) has found many applications in civil engineering structures such as in high-rise buildings, and bridges. The mechanical properties of HSC are sometimes different than of normal strength concrete (NSC). In particular, HSC possess lower creep strains compared to NSC. As a result, members constructed using HSC have been found to deflect less under sustained long-term loads. However, formulas used by current codes of practice such as ACI (318) code and Australian standard (AS-3600) for predicting the long-term deflections don’t account for effects of HSC. This study aims to present a theoretical formula to calculate the long-term deflections for reinforced concrete beams made from NSC and HSC, taking into account the influence of HSC. The formula was derived from curve fitting analysis of long-term deflections obtained from several experimental tests available in literature. The presented equation considers the effects of several factors, such as compressive strength of concrete, and reinforcement at compressive zone, found in the experiments to have a significant impact on long-term deflections. The results of the equation were compared with experimental results of other researchers, and a good agreement was obtained. Following a parametric study, the long-term deflections were found to decrease to about 50% when increasing the concrete’s compressive strength from 20 to 100 MPa. The compressive steel reinforcement was found less effective in the case of HSC.