For small-span to medium-span bridges, the beam-and-slab type of construction is popular, mainly because of its ease of construction, and is preferred in practice even though this form of construction may sometimes exhibit rather poor transverse load distribution qualities. This deficiency is often reduced by the incorporation of one or more diaphragms in the deck construction. Although the use of diaphragms in beam-and-slab bridges is very extensive, their use is almost entirely empirical rather than based upon any logical method of analysis. Thus, the requirements for diaphragms that are found in codes of practice all over the world usually consist of simple and arbitrary statements. It is proposed here to carry out a thorough theoretical study of the structural behaviour of diaphragms in beam-and-slab bridges, with a view to establishing this behaviour on a well-reasoned footing.Key words: beam-and-slab bridge, diaphragm, cross frame, grillage analogy, finite element method, orthotropic plate theory.