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Wood Floor Deflection Formula:
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Wood floor deflection refers to the bending or sagging of floor joists under load. The formula calculates the maximum deflection at the center of a simply supported beam under uniform load, which is essential for structural design and ensuring floor performance meets building code requirements.
The calculator uses the wood floor deflection formula:
Where:
Explanation: This formula calculates the maximum deflection at the center of a simply supported beam carrying a uniformly distributed load.
Details: Proper deflection calculation is crucial for ensuring structural integrity, preventing excessive sagging, meeting building code requirements, and ensuring occupant comfort in wood floor systems.
Tips: Enter uniform load in N/mm, length in mm, modulus of elasticity in MPa, and moment of inertia in mm⁴. All values must be positive numbers greater than zero.
Q1: What is acceptable deflection for wood floors?
A: Building codes typically limit deflection to L/360 for live loads and L/240 for total loads, where L is the span length.
Q2: How does modulus of elasticity affect deflection?
A: Higher modulus of elasticity (stiffer material) results in less deflection, while lower modulus results in more deflection.
Q3: What is moment of inertia and why is it important?
A: Moment of inertia measures the beam's resistance to bending. Higher values indicate greater stiffness and less deflection.
Q4: Does this formula work for other materials?
A: While the formula structure is universal, the modulus of elasticity value must be appropriate for the specific material being used.
Q5: What are typical E values for wood?
A: Modulus of elasticity for wood varies by species, ranging from about 7,000-14,000 MPa for softwoods and 8,000-16,000 MPa for hardwoods.