Worked Example 3: Serviceability Limit State (SLS) Crack Control Problem Statement
Leila did not love it. The bridge had "cracking issues" written all over its graceful curves.
Using EC2, the design axial load is calculated as:
Deflection and crack control are paramount for ensuring that a structure performs adequately under normal service loads, not just at collapse. This chapter would have focused on the often-complex verification procedures in Eurocode 2: worked examples to eurocode 2 volume 2
Engineers who skip Volume 2 frequently make these costly mistakes:
This vital resource was conceived as a two-part series from its inception. The 212-page was successfully published, providing essential guidance for standard structural elements. However, the story of Volume 2 is more complex, as it represents a project that was ultimately never completed despite a clear and ambitious plan for its content.
: Detailed walkthroughs for designing multi-story foundations, basement structures, and piled foundations Serviceability Limit States (SLS) : Practical calculations for deflection and cracking Worked Example 3: Serviceability Limit State (SLS) Crack
[1. Define Material Properties & Exposure Classes] │ ▼ [2. Establish Actions & Load Combinations (EN 1990/1991)] │ ▼ [3. Global Structural Analysis (Linear/Non-Linear Elastic)] │ ▼ [4. ULS Verification (Flexure, Shear, Torsion, STM)] │ ▼ [5. SLS Verification (Crack Widths, Creep Deflections)] │ ▼ [6. Detailing & Reinforcement Anchorages]
σb=−Pm0A−Pm0⋅eWb+MFreqWbsigma sub b equals negative the fraction with numerator cap P sub m 0 end-sub and denominator cap A end-fraction minus the fraction with numerator cap P sub m 0 end-sub center dot e and denominator cap W sub b end-fraction plus the fraction with numerator cap M sub cap F r e q end-sub and denominator cap W sub b end-fraction
Restricting compressive stresses in concrete under characteristic load combinations to prevent longitudinal cracking ( Crack Width Control: Direct calculation of crack widths ( wmaxw sub m a x end-sub This chapter would have focused on the often-complex
Crack width control and water tightness criteria (often interfacing with EN 1992-3).
: Detailed calculations for various foundation types, including pad footings, raft foundations, and piled foundations for multi-storey buildings.
Fc=FEd2+(Fs−HEd)2=4002+222.22=457.6 kNcap F sub c equals the square root of cap F sub cap E d end-sub squared plus open paren cap F sub s minus cap H sub cap E d end-sub close paren squared end-root equals the square root of 400 squared plus 222.2 squared end-root equals 457.6 kN
The Concrete Centre itself, the original publisher of the two-volume project, has published other materials that cover the missing topics. The "How to Design Concrete Structures using Eurocode 2" publication is an invaluable companion, providing chapters on , Deflection calculations , Retaining walls , and Structural fire design . This effectively acts as a descriptive guide to supplement the numerical examples found in the JRC and Threlfall books.