Foldable ladder

A foldable ladder comprising:

• first and second parallel, opposite side rails, each being substantially U-shaped in cross-section to define an end wall and two parallel sidewalls, each of the sidewalls and the end wall having inner and outer surfaces;
• a plurality of articulate crosspieces, each made of two centrally linked crosspiece segments pivotally connected at vertically aligned side pivot points to and disposed between the first and second rails, each articulate crosspiece being movable between a substantially vertical folded position and a horizontally extended position and each having a top wall and two opposite side walls;
• first and second parallel sliding rails, each being pivotally connected at vertically aligned pivot points to the plurality of articulate crosspieces and having a bottom end;
• and
• first and second blocks disposed respectively on lower end portions of the first and second side rails and being disposed in abutment with the bottom ends of the first and second sliding rails when the plurality of articulate crosspieces are in the horizontally extended position, the pivot points of the sliding rails being spaced inwardly from the side pivot points of the crosspieces in substantial vertical alignment with the first and second blocks so that weight applied to the crosspieces is transferred to the first and second blocks, and the first and second sliding rails being disposed between and contacting opposing surfaces of one of the sidewalls of the first and second side rails and an opposing side wall of the plurality of articulate crosspieces when the crosspieces are in the horizontally extended position.