L1General provisions

Serviceability is a state in which the function of a building, its appearance, maintainability, durability, and the comfort of its occupants are preserved under typical usage. Limiting values of structural behavior for serviceability (such as maximum deflections and accelerations) shall be chosen with due regard to the intended function of the structure. Serviceability shall be evaluated using applicable load combinations.

User Note: Serviceability limit states, service loads, and appropriate load combinations for serviceability considerations can be found in ASCE Minimum Design Loads and Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures (ASCE/ SEI 7) Appendix C and its Commentary. The performance requirements for serviceability in this chapter are consistent with ASCE/SEI 7, Appendix C. Service loads are those that act on the structure at an arbitrary point in time and are not usually taken as the nominal loads.

Reduced stiffness values used in the direct analysis method, described in Chapter C, are not intended for use with the provisions of this chapter.