Service load response prediction of reinforced concrete flexural members

A reliable and accurate method has been developed to predict the flexural deformationresponse of structural concrete members subject to service load. The method that has been developedrelates the extent of concrete cracking, measured as a function of the magnitude of applied moment in amember, to the reduction in the effective moment of inertia of cracked reinforced concrete members underservice load conditions. The ratio of the area of the moment diagram where the moment exceeds thecracking moment, to the total area of the moment diagram for any loading, provides the basis for thecalculation of the effective moment of inertia. This ratio also represents mathematically a probability ofcrack occurrence. Verification of this method for the determination of the effective moment of inertia hasbeen achieved from an experimental test program, and has included beam tests with different loadingconfigurations, and shear wall tests subjected to a range of vertical and lateral load levels. Furtherverification of this method has been made with reference to the experimental investigation of otherrecently published work.