The move to limit states design philosophy has, in principle, clarified the need to satisfy serviceability requirements. Nevertheless there are still many examples of suspended reinforced concrete slabs that have excessive deflection. The paper considers a flat slab floor with 8.4 m panel dimensions and deflections exceeding 80 mm at mid-panel. The building was the subject of a legal dispute.

The paper discusses:

  • The legal proceedings

  • Deflection issues

  • The findings of the court

  • Defects and rectification work

The paper shows that engineers cannot rely solely on design codes, nor can they argue that they are too busy to keep themselves informed. The paper highlights the deficiencies of some aspects of deflection calculation and suggests improvements.

  • INTRODUCTION

  • BUILDING DEFECTS & RECTIFICATION

  • CHRONOLOGY OF BUILDING CASE

  • BUILDING DEFLECTIONS

  • CONCLUSIONS

  • REFERENCES

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