Steel Ladder deflection

[civeng]

I'm designing a structural steel ladder of about 7.5m (25ft) in length. However I am wondering if a deflection of L/300 is enough or if it should be stiffer.<br>Any suggestions.<br>Thanks in advance.

 

[Ron]

Keep in mind that you essentially need to design for &quot;pedestrian comfort&quot; in this case.&nbsp;&nbsp;Structural failure is not the issue, but moreso a human factors issue.&nbsp;&nbsp;If a person feels &quot;unsafe&quot; then this may lead to overcompensation for movement which can lead to falls or other panic response.&nbsp;&nbsp;L/300 would allow an inch of deflection, which to most would be excessive.&nbsp;&nbsp;Those who use ladders consistently would get used to the movement but the occasional user would likely respond differently.<br><br>The rungs on the ladder could be designed for a greater unit deflection (L/240 or so), but the rails might need to be designed for L/400 or L/500 just to keep the user with a &quot;warm, fuzzy feeling&quot;.

 

[civeng]

That seems logic enough, I also thought that an inch would be a little 'freaky', but wasn't sure.<br>Thanks Ron, appreciate the help.