ABSTRACT
Deflections of members under service load should not impair the function or appearance of a structure. For buildings, the design requirements, and associated combinations of design actions, to be considered are given in section 29.3. The final deflection of members below the level of the supports under characteristic loading, after allowance for any pre-camber, is generally limited to span/250. A further limit of span/500 applies to the increase in deflection that occurs after the construction stage, in order to minimise any damage to both structural and non-structural elements. The requirements may be met by complying with the limits on span/effective depth ratio given in Table 4.21 .
