Technical description of basic fundamentals of Staircase.

1. Staircase
Ar. Maharishi Thula

2. Introduction
Staircase is an important component of a building
providing access to different
fl
oors and roof of
the building. It consists of a
fl
ight of steps (stairs)
and one or more intermediate landing slabs
between the
fl
oor levels
.
Stairs can be de
fi
ned as series of steps suitably arranged for the purpose of connecting different
fl
oors
of a building.it may also be de
fi
ned as an arrangement of treads, risers, stringers, newel post,
hand rails, and baluster, so designed and constructed as to provide an easy and quick access to
the different
fl
oors
.
For access between
fl
oors and different levels in building a ladder, stair or ramp is used.

3. Stairs: A stair may be formed as a series of steps rising in one direction between
fl
oors as a straight
fl
ight of steps
.
Ramps : A ramp is a surface, sloping uniformly as an inclined plane up and down
which a person may pass on foot between levels. A ramp is formed or constructed at a
slope of at least 1 in 10(1 m rise vertically in 10 m horizontally).
Clari
fi
cation

4. STRENGT
H
Able to support for movement between
fl
oors, including
dead and imposed load
.
SAFETY IN US
E
Comply with the Building Regulation in determining the
rise ,tread, headroom and dimensions of the handrails and
guarding
.
Should be constructed of materials that are capable of
maintaining strength and stability for a period of time
suf
fi
cient to escape to the outside
.
FIRE SAFET
Y
The steps and the width should be adequate for the safe
escape to the outside
.
FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS
• Provide an access from one
fl
oor to another.
• Provide a safe means of travel between
fl
oors.
• Provide a degree of insulation where part of a separating element between compartments in a building.
• Provide an easy mean of travel between
fl
oors.
• Provide a suitable means of escape in case of
fi
re.
• Provide a mean of conveying
fi
ttings and furniture between
fl
oor levels
.

5. Step :-
It is a portion of stair which permits ascent and descent.
It is comprised of a tread and riser.
Tread :-
It is the upper horizontal portion of a step upon which
the foot is placed while ascending or descending.
Riser :-
The vertical portion of a step providing support to the tread.
Flight :-
A series of steps without any platform, break or landing in their direction.
Uninterrupted series of steps between
fl
oor and landing, or between landing and landing.
•A
fl
ight should have no fewer than 3 steps and no more than 12 risers.
•The rise and tread in one
fl
ight and landings between
fl
oors should be equal.
•The rise and tread should have the same size to avoid interruption in the rhythm of going up or down.
•The dimension of the riser and tread will determine whether the stair is steep or shallow
.
Going of step
:
It is the horizontal distance between two successive riser
faces
.
Rise of steps
:
It is the vertical distance between two successive tread faces
.
Landing
:
A platform or resting place provided between two
fl
ights. A
landing extending right across a stair case is termed as half
space landing and the one extending only half across a
staircase is called a quarter space landing.
TECHNICAL TERMS OF STAIRCASE

6. Nosing
:
It is the projecting part of the tread beyon
d
the face of the riser
.
It is rounded to give good architectural effect
.
Scotia
:
It is a moulding provided under the nosing to
improve the elevation of the step
.
Line of Nosing
:
It is an imaginary line touching of each tread
and is parallel to the slope of the stair
.
Head room
:
A clearance height between the pitch line o
f
the stair and the underside of the stairs
,
landings and
fl
oors above the stair
.
Minimum 2 m clearance from the pitch line fo
r
a convenience of human and good
s
movement
.
Baluster
:
It is vertical member of wood or metal supporting the hand rail
.
Balustrade
:
Consists of row of balusters surmounted by a rail
.
Hand Rail
:
Horizontal member
fi
xed on the top of series of balusters.
Can be made from timber or steel
.
Newel post
:
This is the vertical member which is placed at the ends of
fl
ights to connect hand rail
.
Sof
fi
t
:
It is the underside of a stair
.
Waist
:
The thickness of structural slab in case of an R.C.C. stair is
known as a waist
.
Pitch or slope
:
It is the angle which the line of nosing of the stair makes with
the horizontal
.
Winders
:
These are tapering steps which are provided for changing
the direction of a stair
.

7. TECHNICAL TERMS OF STAIRCASE

8. Straight stair
s
Turning stair
s
Quarter turn stairs(L-shaped
)
Half turn stairs(dog-legged, open newel
)
Geometrical stair
s
Circular stairs, spiral stair
s
Bifurcated stair
s
CLASSIFICATION

9. • All steps lead in one direction
.
• Simplest form of stair arrangement
.
• It may consist of one or more
fl
ights
.
• They are used when space available for
staircase is long but narrow in width
.
• If the ascending is steep, the straight
fl
ight
may be broken at an intermediate
landing
.
STRAIGHT STAIR
• A stair turning through one right angle is known as
Quarter turn stairs. (L-shaped stair
)
• Good in compact planning
.
• The quarter turn sometime will be replaced with
winders for economic use of space
.
QUARTER TURNED
• This type of stair is provided in modern public
buildings
.
• Flights are so arranged that there is a wide
fl
ight
at the start which is sub-divided into narrow
fl
ights at the mid landing
.
• The two narrow
fl
ights start from either side of the
mid-landing
.
BIFURCATED STAIR

10. • Circular stair is commonly provided at the backside of a building for
rendering access to its various
fl
oors for service purposes
.
• The steps radiate from the center and they do not have any
landing
.
• Flights consist of winders only and may be continued through any
number of turns
.
• May be constructed of a cast iron or mild steel or concrete. Usually
its structural design and construction are complicated in nature
.
• For concrete spiral stairs, the steel reinforcement is heavy and
formwork is complicated. These make the concrete spiral stairs
expensive
.
SPIRAL STAIRCASE

12. continuous stairs that turn or
wind about a central well-hole
which has rounded corners or is
circular or elliptical and that have
the strings and rails arranged
upon geometric principles and
running continuously from top to
bottom.
GEOMETRICAL STAIRCASE

13. • Rises to a landing between
fl
oors, turns through 180˚, then rises parallel to
the lower
fl
ight to the
fl
oor above
.
• The most common arrangement of stairs
.
• Advantage – can be constructed within the con
fi
ned vertical stair well
.
• In case of open newel stair, there is a well or hole or opening between
fl
ights
in plan
.
• This well may be rectangular or of any geometrical shape and it can be used
for
fi
xing lift
.
• These staircase are useful where available space for staircase has a
width greater than twice the width of steps
.
HALF TURNED STAIR CASE - DOG-LEGGED/OPEN NEWEL

14. FOLDED PLATE STAIR

15. CONCRETE STAIR

16. OPEN STAIR - TIMBER

17. Strings or stringers:
These are the sloping wooden members
which support the steps in a stair. They run
along the slope of the stair.

18. OPEN STAIR - METAL DECK

19. OPEN STAIR

20. BRICK STAIR

21. STONE STAIR

22. PRECAST STAIRCASE

24. PLACEMENT OF A STAIRCASE

26. Ramp
Ar. Maharishi Thula

27. Stairs: A stair may be formed as a series of steps rising in one direction between
fl
oors as a straight
fl
ight of steps
.
Ramps : A ramp is a surface, sloping uniformly as an inclined plane up and down
which a person may pass on foot between levels. A ramp is formed or constructed at a
slope of at least 1 in 10(1 m rise vertically in 10 m horizontally).
Clari
fi
cation

29. Padestrian Ramp
Vehicular Ramp
PERMANANT RAMP
TEMPORARY RAMP
FOLDING RAMP
SUITCASE RAMP
TELESCOPIC RAMP
SOLID RAMPS
WALKWAY - FLAT RAMP
INDUSTRIAL
RESIDENTIAL
INSTITUTIONAL
PUBLIC BUILDING
HEALTH CARE

30. WHEELCHAIR RAMP

31. INDUSTRIAL RAMP

35. BASEMENT PARKING