Límites de esbeltez por razones de deformación en estructuras de hormigón armado de edificación

Limitsof span/depth ratios in R.C. building structures to avoid deflection problems

Control of deformations of structures under limits which ensure their proper appearance, functioning and durability, should be formulated as a basic condition of the structural design. In R.C. building flexural members, this control depends on a reduced number of variables, being the span/depth ratio the main design parameter. Under certain conditions, limits to span/depth ratio may be formulated to avoid deflection problems in normal circumstances, eluding to calculate and check deflections explicitly. In this work, after reviewing the state of the art, design criteria to prevent excessive deflection problems in R.C. flexural members are developed, considering the normal circumstances of spanish building structures. They are based on the establishment of span/depth ratios, for different end conditions and deflection limits, in accord with the rest of vatiables of the problem. The proposed rules, configure an extraordinarily simple procedure to design R.C. building flexural members with allowable deflections.