Proposal of a simplified method for the verification of the deformability limit state in reinforced concrete structures

Abstract

This paper presents a brief review of the method currently proposed by the Spanish Concrete Code EH-91 for the calculation of deflections in reinforced concrete structures, focusing on the aspects that in the author's opinion should be improved in the future. An alternative method for the calculation of instantaneous deflections in such structures is proposed as well as its extension, as a first aproximation, to long term deflections. Finally a method for the verification of the deformability limit state is proposed, which allows to avoid to allow the calculation of deflections in the most usual cases, constituting, at the same time, a useful criterion for the preliminary design of reinforced concrete members.