1
THEORY REFERENCE NOTES
COURSE: [Link]
SEMESTER: SEMESTER – 2
AUTHOR NAME: Ibrahim sir
BUILDING
CONSTRUCTION - 2
CONTENT
[Link] CHAPTERS PAGE#
1. PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTION PAPERS 01
2. STAIRCASE 02-11
CREDITS
Source: Internet, Civil Content contributors
ors:
engineering textbooks,
architectural textbooks,
JNAFAU library
Editor: Ibrahim sir
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QUESTIONS FROM PREVIOUS YEARS (2013 – 2018)
(Theory)
1. Write short notes on
a. Steel (Aug – 18, Mar - 14)
b. RCC staircase. (Aug – 18)
c. Timber straight flight staircase (Mar – 14)
2. Describe with sketches a circular or bifurcated staircase for a
villa (Aug – 15)
3. With the help of neat sketches, explain the different parts of the
staircase used in buildings. (Sep – 13)
(Drawing)
1. Draw the plan, section and elevation of a dog-legged staircase
and label all its parts. Assume the size and scale. (Feb – 18)
2. Draw the dog-legged staircase of headroom size 2m x 3.5m and
height 3m with scale of 1:50. Prepare the plan and elevation of
staircase (Aug – 17)
3. Propose a staircase with plan, elevation and section for a
college building where the vertical distance between each floor
is 3.36m. The staircase hall is limited to 5m x 5m. Label the
parts (Aug – 15)
4. Draw the dog-legged staircase of headroom size 3m x 6m and
height 3m. Prepare the plan and elevation of staircase to a
suitable scale. (Mar – 14)
5. Draw to a scale of 1:20 the plan, section and elevation of a
wooden straight staircase of width 90cm and for a height of
2.4m. Indicate all the terms of a wooden staircase. (Sep – 14)
6. Draw plan, elevation and section of a bifurcated wooden
staircase 1.2m wide consisting of the following additional
features in wood at an appropriate scale: (Sep – 13)
a) Decorative balusters b) Moulded wooden handrail
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6. STAIRCASE
SYLLABUS:
Staircase: Principles of staircase construction and its elements;
terms defined: Tread, riser, stringer, nosing, flight, landing, head
room, handrail, balusters, newel post etc.
Types of stairs, straight, dog-legged, open well, geometrical,
circular, spiral, bifurcated, wooden stairs, stone stairs, metal
stairs and elementary knowledge of R.C.C. stairs.
Details of various staircases in wood, stone, steel and RCC
PRINCIPLES OF STAIRCASE CONSTRUCTION
a. Stairs are the steps arranged in a series and placed in an
enclosure called staircase.
b. They are provided in buildings to allow vertical circulation
between different floors.
c. Since vertical circulation between floors is a very important
function, stairscase should be designed properly to provide
maximum comfort and safety.
d. They should also be properly ventilated and lighted.
ELEMENTS OF STAIRSCASE
a. The selection of materials for the construction of stairs
depends upon the availability of materials, funds, desired life
of the building, aesthetical importance and fire resisting
quality expected.
b. Based on the above conditions, a staircase may be made
either of timber, bricks, stones, mild steel, wrought iron, or
reinforced concrete.
c. Combination of two or more of these materials can also be
used.
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VARIOUS TERMS OF STAIRCASE
Tread: A tread is the horizontal portion of a step on which the
foot is placed for ascending and descending.
Riser: A riser is the vertical member placed on the edges of the
treads.
Stringers: Stringers or the string are the sloping members which
support the steps in a staircase from its side.
Nosing: Nosing is the outer projecting edge of a tread.
Flight: Flight is a series of steps without an intermediate landing.
Landing: Landing is the flat platform at the beginning and at the
end of a series of steps. Landing provided at the intermediate
level is called as mid-landing
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Hand rail: A hand-rail is the side of stair fixed at waist height at a
sloping position. It is used as a support while climbing up or down
the stairs
Balusters: Balusters are the vertical members supporting the
handrail.
Newels posts: The newel posts are the vertical members set at
the top and bottom of a staircase. They are used for fixing and
supporting the handrail.
TYPES OF STAIRS
Straight stairs
a. These are the stairs that consist of a single flight between
two successive floors. They are constructed without any
change in direction on any flight.
b. The straight stairs can be:
Straight run with a single flight between floors.
Straight run with different flights but without change in
direction. Such flights are provided with intermediate
platforms as per the standards.
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Dog-legged stairs
a. A dog-leg staircase is a configuration of stairs between two
floors of a building in which a flight of stairs ascends to a
mid-landing before turning 180 degrees and continuing up.
b. Structurally, the flights of a dog-leg stair are usually
supported by the mid-landing, which spans the adjoining
walls and having two flights.
c. From the design point of view, the main advantages of a dog-
leg stair are:
To allow an arrangement that occupies a shorter but
wider, floor area than a straight flight, and so is more
compact.
The upper floor is not directly visible from the bottom
of the stairs, thereby providing more privacy.
An object or person falling from the upper half of the
stairs is likely to stop at the mid-landing; this is safer
than letting it fall all the way to the bottom.
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Geometrical stairs
a. These stairs have no newel post and are of any geometrical
shape. The change in direction in these stairs is achieved
through winders.
b. These stairs require more skill for its construction and are
weaker than the open-well staircase.
c. The open-well between the forward and the backward
flights is curved in geometrical stairs.
Spiral stairs
Spiral Stairs: These stairs are similar to circular stairs except that
the radius of curvature is small and the stairs may be supported
by Centre post. Overall diameter of such stairs may range from
1m to 2.5m.
Circular stairs
a. These stairs when viewed from above appear to form a
circle with a single centre of curvature and large radius.
b. These stairs are generally provided at the rear of the
building to give access for servicing at various floors.
c. All the steps radiate from a newel post in the form of
winders.
d. These stairs can be constructed in stone, cast iron or
Reinforced Cement Concrete.
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Bifurcated stairs
a. These stairs are so arranged that there is a wide flight at
start that gets subdivided in to narrow flights that starts
from both corners of the mid-landing.
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b. Generally, these stairs are more suitable for modern public
buildings.
Wooden/Timber stairs
a. These stairs are generally used for residential buildings
because of its light weight.
b. They are cheap and easy to construct and maintain.
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c. The main disadvantage of these stairs is they are prone to
fire.
d. The Timber used for the construction should be free from
fungal decay, insect attack and other defects.
Stone stairs
a. Stone stairs are heavy and need substantial supports.
b. Generally, after long usage they become slippery and
dangerous.
c. Stone stairs were formerly used for commercial or public
buildings.
d. Structurally they are built in either of these methods:
a) Cantilevered from the wall.
b) Built in to the wall at both ends.
c) Built in to the wall at one end and the other end
supported on steel I-section.
d) Built in to the steel joists at both ends.
Metal stairs
a. Steel and cast-iron stairs are used in exceptional cases
where fire proof construction is desired. (E.g. In factories,
go-downs etc.)
b. They are generally of four types:
Type I: This type of metal staircase consists of steel
channels acting as stringers. The staircase is supported
on the stringers by small angles bolted to them.
Concrete troughs or steel gratings may be used for
treads as an alternative. The risers are open.
Type II: This type of metal staircase consists of steel
stringers made of channels and threads made up of
steel plates. They are finished in suitable manner.
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Type III: In this type of metal staircase, the stringers
are of steel and risers are made of concrete.
Type IV: This type of metal staircase is made up of C.I.
pipe newel fixed in the centre and the steps are fixed
around this C.I. pipe newel. They are used where the
space available is too small and the foot traffic is less.
R.C.C. Stairs
a. Reinforced cement concrete stairs has a better resistance to
damage by fire than the conventional timber staircase.
b. It is used for access and also as escape stairs in buildings of
more than two stories.
c. The width, rise and head room for these stairs and also the
arrangement of the flights of steps (as straight flight, quarter
turn, half turn and geometrical stairs) is same as for timber
stairs.
d. The usual form of a reinforced cement concrete staircase is a
doglegged stair (either with or without an open well).
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