STAIRS

TERMINPLOGIES

Definitions

1.
1. Stairs. Stairs are steps arranged in series for the purpose of an assess from one floor to the
other.
2. Stair-case. The room or apartment in which stairs are enclosed, is called stair-case.
3. Rise. It is the vertical distance between the two consecutive steps. The vertical portion of
the step is called
4. Tread. The horizontal portion of the step is called tread. The horizontal distance between
the two consecutive risers is called Go, Going or Run.
5. Nosing. It is the front edge of the tread which projects beyond the riser.
6. [Link] rectangular steps of uniform shape and size are called Fliers.
7. [Link] triangular or wedge shaped steps, used for changing the direction are called
winders.
8. Flight. It is a continuous series of steps in one direction,, separated by horizontal
platforms or winders.
9. Landing. It is the horizontal platform provided at the top-of a flight. If the landing is of a
rectangular shape, having a length equal to twice the width of the stairs, the landing is
called Half Space Landing. If on the other hand, the stairs run at right angles to each
other and are separated by a square landing, the landing is-called Quarter Space Landing.
10. Line of nosing. It is the imaginary line joining the ends of nosing of all the steps.
11. Scotia block. It is a triangular wooden block used below the nosing to give it additional
strength.
12. Strings or stringers. These are inclined members which support the steps.
13. Headroom. It is the vertical distance between the line: of nosing and this under surface or
ceiling of the stair-case or the next flight.
14. Line of walking. The tendency of a person going on the stair is to walk along a line which
is nearly 45 cm from the centre of the hind rail. This imaginary line is called Line of
walking.
15. [Link] is a moulded block of wood or some other material, provided to afford
assistance and safeguard to persons while going on the stairs. The height of a railing
should be nearly-75 cm above the line of nosing.
16. Balusters. These are short vertical members which support the hand-railing.
17. Balustrade or Banister. The composite member c insisting of a hand rail, balusters, newel
posts is called balustrade.
18. Newel posts. These are principal balusters used at the ‘top and bottom of a flight.
19. Pitch or slept. It is the angle which the line of nosing of the stairs makes with the
horizontal.
20. Soffit. It is the under surface of a stair.
 TYPES OF STAIRS

The most basic and common stair design is the straight stair, which features a single linear flight
with no change in direction.

Straight stair/staircase applications

This classic style is commonly used in both residential and commercial stair applications.
Straight stair/staircase advantages & disadvantages
Pros
Due to the simple design, straight staircases are generally the easiest to build. They don’t need
any special support and also allow for easier installation of railings and handrails.

Because they are easy to build, straight stairs are also affordable. Pre-cut risers and prefab metal
stairs are commonly available and many builders use these to reduce costs.

Straight staircases can be made more transparent than other types of stairs by using thinner
treads, open risers and metal stringers.

Finally, straight stairs tend to be the easiest for a person to go up and down, or navigate.

Cons
Straight stairs offer a basic look, but they can be made more visually interesting with open risers,
modern materials and metal cable railings.

This type of staircase also takes up a greater amount of linear space.

While some other types of stairs create a privacy barrier between the floors of your home or
building, straight stairs do not provide this feature.

Straight Stairs with Intermediate Landing

 In this version of the straight
staircase, a central landing breaks up a long expanse of stairs. Building codes require this type of
staircase be used when the staircase needs to be more than 12 feet high.

Straight stair with intermediate landing applications

Straight stairs with an intermediate landing are generally used in large commercial buildings as
opposed to private homes. However, they could be used for residential outdoor applications, such
as steps from decks providing access to areas below.

Straight stair with intermediate advantages & disadvantages

Pros
This type of stair has the same general advantages as straight stairs without the landing including
being easy to build, simple and easy to navigate.

In addition, the intermediate landing provides a resting point for those going up and down the
stairs.

Cons
The main disadvantage of straight stairs with an intermediate landing is the space they require.

Quarter Turn Stairs (L-Shaped Stairs)

 Another more interesting
version of the straight flight is the quarter turn stair or L-shaped stairs. The main feature of this
stair is a 90 degree turn after a landing. The stairs then continue left or right. While the landing is
commonly in the middle of the staircase, it can be located closer to one end or the other.

Quarter turn stair/staircase applications

Quarter turn stairs are common in both residential and commercial buildings. These types are
stairs are generally used when wall support is on one side of the stair only.

Quarter turn stair/staircase advantages & disadvantages

Pros
Quarter turn stairs are more visually appealing and interesting than straight stairs.

They take up less space than straight stairs and can be used in the corner of a room.

Quarter turn stairs are easier to navigate and safer than straight stairs. The landing provides a
place to rest and also reduces the number of stairs one could fall down at a time.

These stairs also help with privacy as they provide a visual barrier between floors.

If the stairs are contained within walls, they can also help prevent sound travelling between
floors.

Cons
Quarter turn stairs are more complex and therefore more expensive to build than straight
staircases.

These stairs require a support structure for the landing and the turn, which is often build into the
surrounding walls.
Handrails for quarter turn stairs require more skill and planning to build than handrails for
straight stairs.

Large items can be difficult to move up and down the stairs, due to the turn.

Spiral Stairs

Spiral stairs normally have

a very compact design. True spiral stairs have one central post to which all steps are attached.

Spiral stairs applications

Spiral staircases are commonly used in small spaces such as beach houses, city lofts or other
small residences. Spiral staircases are also used in industrial space confined spaces for equipment
and mezzanine access.

Spiral stairs advantages & disadvantages

Pros
The main advantage of spiral staircases is their compact design.

Spiral staircases can be visually attractive with many different options available for railing styles
which can impact the overall look of the staircase.

Because the center pole and landing provide most of the structural support for the staircase,
installation is generally easier than with other kinds of stairs.
Cons
The narrow, wedge-shaped treads of spiral stairs are more difficult to navigate than other types
of stairs.

Only one person at a time can use a spiral staircase.

Moving large items up and down a spiral staircase can be extremely difficult.

Many city and municipal building codes do not allow spiral stairs to be used as the primary
access to a full second floor of a residence.

A dog-leg

is a configuration of stairs between two floors of a building, often a domestic building, in which
a flight of stairs ascends to a quarter-landing before turning at a right angle and continuing
upwards.[1] The flights do not have to be equal, and frequently are not.
Structurally, the flights of a dog-leg stair are usually supported by the quarter-landing, which
spans the adjoining flank walls.
From the design point of view, the main advantages of a dog-leg stair are:

 To allow an arrangement that occupies a shorter, though wider, floor area than a straight
flight, and so is more compact. Even though the landings consume total floor space, there is
no large single dimension.
 The upper floor is not directly visible from the bottom of the stairs, thereby providing more
privacy.
 STAIRS MATERIALS

 Timber
 Concrete
 Steel
FUNCTIONS OF STAIRS
 Provide an access from one floor to another.
 Provide a safe means of travel between floors.
 Provide an easy mean of travel between floors.
 Provide a suitable means of escape in case of fire.
 Provide a mean of conveying fittings and furniture between floor levels.
 FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR STAIRS

BUILDING CODE REQUIREMENTS FOR STAIRS

MINIMUM STAIR WIDTH

What is the Minimum Width of a Stair?

The minimum width for stairways shall not be less than 36 inches clear. Now when handrails are
introduced they shall not project more than 4 ½ inches on either side. Therefore if a handrail is
provided on one side, the clear width of the stairs shall not be less than 31 ½ inches and when
handrails are provided on both sides, the clear width shall not be less than 27 inches.
HEADROOM AND VERTICAL RISE OF STAIRS

What is the Minimum Headroom Clearance for Stairs?

Having proper headroom is another important code requirement. The headroom for stairways
measured vertically from the sloped line adjoining the tread nosing or the floor surface of the
landing should be no less than 6 feet 8 inches.
What is the Maximum Vertical Rise for Stairs?
Stairs cannot be continuous without have a landing or floor level that breaks up the flight of
stairs. The height limit established by code is intended to provide a reasonable interval for the
user so that they may rest on a level surface and to alleviate the negative effects of long
uninterrupted flights.

The code establishes a maximum vertical height of 151 inches (12 feet 7 inches) between
landings or floor levels for a flight of stairs. If the distance between floor levels exceed 151
inches, the flight of stairs would require a level landing somewhere in-between to break up the
flight of stairs.

STAIR RISER HEIGHT AND STAIR TREAD DEPTH

Stair riser heights and stair tread depths should be within the parameters of the code to avoid any
potential trip hazards for inconsistencies. A uniform flight of stairs provides a safety factor.
Inconsistencies or variations in risers or treads could interfere with the rhythm of the individual
using the stairs. Therefore limitations in riser heights and minimum widths for treads is an
important rule to follow.

Stair Riser Height

The code specifies that risers should not be more than 7 ¾ inches in height and that any variation
of risers within a flight of stairs should not be more than ⅜ inch. Note that dimensions here
should be taken excluding carpets, rugs, or runners.
STAIR HANDRAILS

When are Stair Handrails Required?

Each flight of stairs having four or more risers must be provided with handrails on not less than
one side.
Residential Handrail Code Requirements For Stairs
When it comes to handrails the code is very specific on this. It should provide proper graspability
which the code recognizes a Type I and Type II handrail to have.

Type I handrails layout the parameters for handrails having a perimeter dimension not greater
than 6 ¼ inches while Type II handrails address handrail perimeters greater than 6 ¼ inches.

Stair Handrail Height

As for the stair railing height they can be placed within 34 to 38 inches and shall be provided on
at least one side of a flight of stairs having four for more risers.

If they are placed up against a wall they should have a clearance from the wall not less than 1-½
inches.

They must be continuous for the full length of the flight of stairs and shall begin at a point
directly above the bottom riser to a point directly above the top riser.
PROCEDURE OF CONSTRUCTING A CONCRETE STAIRS

The followings are the steps involved in construction of concrete stairs,

1. Designing of Concrete Stairs

Designing of stairs requires through knowledge about design aspects and site study. The factors
that influence the design of stairs are height of the floor, width of the stairs, risers depth, thread
width, thickness of the stairs, angle of the stairs, load applied on the stairs and many other
aspects which requires a qualified engineer to design the perfect stairs. The standard dimensions
for stairs components are,

2. Foundation and Support for Concrete Stairs

The foundation on which the concrete stairs rest is to be properly constructed so that the loads of
the stairs are transferred in to ground successfully and to resist the movement of stairs. If the
plinth beam of building is present at the start of the stairs, then the reinforcement steels bars can
be connected to them which will transfer the loads. If no plinth beam
is found, then a small concrete foundation or size stone masonry is constructed. To support the
stairs at the top which restricts the movement of stairs is usually done to the roof beam or slab.

3. Building the Form-work for Concrete Stairs

The most important step when building concrete stairs is to use a proper formwork. The angle of
flight, dimensions of thread and riser are to be properly checked. Usually while constructing a
stairs attached to wall, the line of flight , thread and risers are marked on the wall for proper
fixing of shuttering or formwork.

The boards must be at least 2” thick, as to support the weight of the concrete. The whole
structure of the form, must be supported by 4×4 posts. The wooden boards are used to create the
steps and are fastened with several screws to the lateral structure of the formwork

. 4. Steel Reinforcement for Concrete Stairs

The concrete steps are to be reinforced with steel bars so as it carries the loads coming upon the
stairs and transfer them to the ground. The number of steel bars and size of the bars is to be
calculated by a structural engineers depending upon the loads coming on the stairs.
5. Pouring of Concrete for Concrete Stairs
Pouring of concrete into the formworks is started from the below part to above. The
concrete mix plays an important role in strength and durability of stairs. Standard mix
used for stairs are 3 parts cement, 2 parts sand, 4 parts gravel and water. It is
recommended to use a concrete vibrator while pouring the concrete to completely fill the
gaps of the stairs and to avoid the honeycomb formation.

.6. Removal of Formwork

The stairs requires at least 21 days to dry out completely, so the removal of formwork is to done
only after 21days. In these 21 days proper curing is to done to prevents the cracks in stairs due to
thermal expansion.
.7. Finishing of Concrete Stairs
Once the formwork is removed, the stairs can be finished in many ways as per the requirement of
the use. It can just be finished using trowel or float to give concrete finish, cement tiles, granite
can be installed for better appearance. Even carpet or wood can also be used to finish the stairs.

END