Serviceability failures of concrete structures involving excessive cracking or deflection are relatively common, even in structures that comply with code requirements. This is often as a result of a failure to adequately account for the time-dependent deformations of concrete in the design of the structure. The serviceability provisions embodied in codes of practice are relatively crude and, in some situations, unreliable and do not adequately model the in-service behaviour of structures. In particular, they fail to adequately account for the effects of creep and shrinkage of the concrete. Design for serviceability is complicated by the non-linear and inelastic behaviour of concrete at service loads.

Providing detailed information, this book helps engineers to rationally predict the time-varying deformation of concrete structures under typical in-service conditions. It gives analytical methods to help anticipate time-dependent cracking, the gradual change in tension stiffening with time, creep induced deformations and the load independent strains caused by shrinkage and temperature changes. The calculation procedures are illustrated with many worked examples.

A vital guide for practising engineers and advanced students of structural engineering on the design of concrete structures for serviceability and provides a penetrating insight into the time-dependent behaviour of reinforced and prestressed concrete structures.