Does anyone know of a one-stop reference for deflection criteria for various conditions/materials(i.e. L/360 for floors covered with gypsum drywall, etc.)?
There was a good article in the Engineering Journal (AISC - First Quarter, 1993) that provided wind serviceability limit state recommendations (like L/400, etc.) for various types of building frames and exterior cladding. Other than that, I'm not aware of anything that covers as much as this did.
Thanks. I'm more interested in limiting deflections for live loading. (i.e. floors, countertops so that tile doesn't crack, etc.) I generally use L/480, but I was wondering if there might be a reference that summarizes industry standards. The only way I know of now is to use the standard of whatever material you're working with (gypsum association for deflection creiteria if you're using a dywall ceiling, etc.)
I find the AISC Design Guide 3 "Serviceability Design Considerations for Low-Rise Buildings" helpful in this regard. It covers allowable deformations for vertical and lateral loads, and considering a variety of non-structural systems that may be affected by those deformations. I would consider L/480 to be rather conservative for most applications.
Thanks. I'll check it out. I was more interested in knowing if anyone has run across a "one-stop" reference (steel, wood, concrete, gypsum wall board tile, etc.). I haven't seen one. I've found that there are often complaints from homeowners is high-end homes when using L/360 for floor joists, especially for longer spans when using TJI's. The floor is too "bouncy". L/480 seems to work well for this case.
