Chapter Two

Staircase
Contents
1 .Introduction
2 .Technical Terminologies
3 .Classification of Stairs
4 .Materials for Stairs
5. Essential Requirements of a Good Stair
1. INTRODUCTION
• Access in buildings can be classified in to categories:
I. Moving
II. Stationary
I. Stationary
• It is not moveable and most widely used access in buildings.
There is no any motor that drive the system, rather it is fixed.
 Stairs,
 Different kinds of ladders,
 Ramps, Corridors.
II. Moving
• An elevator, a stair case or a belt that moves by using different
kinds of electrical or hydraulic driving motors. For example:
 An elevator or lift
 Escalator
 INTRODUCTION Contd,,,
 Stairs are set of steps leading from one floor to another and provide
means of communication between floors.
 Steps arranged in series and placed in the enclosure of building is called
Stair Case
 Stairs should be designed properly to provide the following:
 Proper Ventilation
 Light (Natural)
 Location – Near Main Entrance for Public Buildings and centrally for
easy access and privacy in residential Buildings
Primary function of Stairs
i. Provide a means of circulation between floor levels.
ii. Establish a safe and easy means of travel between floor levels..
iii. Provide a means of conveying or transport fittings and furniture
between floor levels.
7.2 TECHNICAL TERMINOLOGIES
Common Terms
• Tread
• Going
• Riser
• Rise
• Landing
• Flight
• Baluster
• Strings or Stringer
• Hand Rail
• Head room
• Winders
• Newel post
• Nosing
 7

2. TECHNICAL TERMINOLOGIES
 Step: is a portion of stair which permits ascent or descent. It is comprised of a
tread and a riser. A stair is composed of a set of steps.
 Tread: is the horizontal member of stair.
 Going: is the horizontal distance b/n the nosings or front edges of two
consecutive steps. It is usually 30cm for public buildings so that it is wide
enough to provide safe footings.
 Riser: is the vertical member of a stair.
 Rise: Is the vertical distance b/n the upper surface of two consecutive steps.
The rise of public building is about 15cm while a higher value can be used for
private buildings.
 Nosing: it is the projecting part of the tread beyond the face of the riser. It is
usually rounded off from the architectural point of view.
 Flight: is a continuous set of steps b/n floors and/or landing.
 Landing: is a platform b/n two flights.
 Hand rail: is a rounded or molded member of wood or metal fixed on the top
of balusters.
2. TECHNICAL TERMINOLOGIES
 Baluster: is the vertical member which supports the hand rail. The
combined framework of hand rail and baluster is known as balustrade.
 String or stringer: is the structural member which supports the steps and
act as inclined beams.
 Head room: is the minimum clear vertical distance b/n the tread and
overhead structure.
 Soffit: It is the under side of the stair.
 Run: it is the total length of stairs in a horizontal plane, including landings.
 Newel post: Is the vertical member which is placed at the ends of flight to
connect the end strings and handrail.
3. CLASSIFICATION FOR STAIRS
Stairs can be classified into
two broad heads:
1. Straight Stairs
2. Turning stairs
a. Quarter turn Stair
b. Half Turn Stair
c. Three – quarter turn
Stairs
d. Bifurcating or splitting
Stairs
Each of the turning stairs are
of the three types:
i. Newel stairs
ii. Well or open-newel stairs,
and
[Link] stairs -
Circular, Spiral, Helical or
elliptical
[Link] stairs: this stairs runs straight b/n the two floors.
• It is used for small houses where there are restrictions in available width.
• The stair may consist of either one single flight or more than one flight (usually
two) with a landing.
2. Quarter turn stairs: is the one Newel quarter turn stairs
which change sits direction either to
the left or to the right.
Quarter turn stairs are of two types:
A. Newel quarter turn stairs
B. Geometrical quarter turn stairs.
A. Newel quarter turn stairs
• These stairs have observable newel
pillars at the beginning and end of
each flight.
• At the quarter turn, there may either
be quarter space landing or there
may be winders.
B. Geometrical quarter turn stairs
• The stringer and the handrail is continuous, without newel post at the landing.

Geometrical quarter turn stairs

 3. Half turn stairs: is the one which has its direction
reversed or changed for 180°:.
• Such stairs are quite common.
• Half turn stairs are of three types:
A. Dog-legged or newel half turn stairs.
B. Open newel half turn stairs.
C. Geometrical half turn stairs.
A. Dog-legged stairs
 It comes under the category of newel stairs in which newel posts are provided
at the beginning and end of each flight.
 These may be two types:
 With half space landing
 With quarter space landing and winders
B. Open newel half turn stair
• Has a space or well between the outer strings. This is the only aspect
in which it differs from the dog legged stairs.
• Additional width is required b/n the two flights.
• Used when the space provided is more, a small flight containing two to
four steps may be introduced.
C. Geometrical half turn stairs
• Such stairs are the stringers and the handrails are continuous, without any
intervening newel post.
• This may be either with half-space landing or with out.
4. Three quarter turn stairs:
• It has direction changed three times with it supper flight crossing the bottom
one.
• It may either be newel type or open newel type
• Such type of stair is used when the length or area of the stair room is limited
and when the vertical distance b/n the two floors is quite large.
5. Bifurcated stairs:
• The stair has a wider flight at the bottom, which bifurcates in to two narrow
flights one turning to the left and the other to the right, at the landing.
• It may be either of newel type with a newel post or of geometrical type
• This type of stair is commonly used in public buildings at their entrance hall
6. Continuous stairs:
• This type of stairs which neither have any landing nor any intermediate
newel post.
• They are geometrical in shape.

• Continuous stairs may be of three types:

A. Circular stairs,
B. Spiral stairs, and
C. Helical stairs.
A. Circular stairs:
• Has circular plan configuration.
B. Spiral stairs:
• They are usually made
either of R.C.C. or metal.
• They are employed at a
location where there are
space limitations.
• They are also used as
emergency stairs and are
provided at the back side
of the building.
• All the steps are winders.
Therefore they are not
comfortable.
B. Helical stairs:
• Looks very fine but its
structural design and
construction is very
complicated.
• It is made of R.C.C. in
which a large portion of
steel is required to
resist bending, shear
and torsion.
[Link] for Stairs
• Stairs may be made either of timber, bricks, stones, mild steel. or
plain and reinforced concrete.

• The selection of materials for the construction of stairs depend

up on
The availability of materials and ease of transportation
Funds or economy
Desired life of building
Aesthetical importance
Freedom of design
Expected fire resisting quality
4 Materials for Stairs
I. wooden Stair
Light in weight and easy to construct.
They have poor fire resistance and sound insulation.
They are unsuitable for high rise residential buildings and for public
buildings.
The timber to be used should be well treated before use.
4 Materials for Stairs
II. Concrete Stair: Pre-cast and cast in situ Concrete stairs-
• They are most widely used for residential, public and industrial buildings.
• They are less noisy, can be kept clean and may have more attracting
appearances if suitable finishes are used.

Pre-cast Concrete stairs

 The stairs can be installed at any
time after the floors have been
completed thus giving full
utilization to the stair shaft as a
lifting or hoisting space if
required.
 Hoisting, positioning and fixing
can usually be carried out by
semi-skilled labor.
 4 Materials for Stairs
cast in situ Concrete stairs Pre-cast Concrete stairs-
4. Materials for Stairs
III. Metal Stair – For fire escape
 These can be produced in cast
iron, mild steel or aluminum
alloy for
 Use as escape stairs or for
internal accommodation or room
stairs.
 Their main advantage is the
elimination of the need for
formwork.
 They make a lot of noise and can
be built in a smaller area.
4. Materials for Stairs
IV. Stone stairs
 They are strong and rigid and are widely used at the main entrance of
public buildings.
 Stones for such stairs should be dressed and properly bounded to each
other.
 Stone used for the construction of stairs should be hard, strong, and
resistant to wear.
V. Brick stairs
 Similar to stone stairs, brick stairs are used at the entrance of a building.
 Special quality of bricks should be used for the construction of stairs.
 Brick steps may be plastered or pointed at all the joints.
 If properly made, brick stairs are durable, have good aesthetic value, but
requires frequent maintenance.
5. Essential Requirements of a Good Stair
• Stairs should be designed so as to provide easy, quick and safe mode of
communication b/n the floors.
• The following are the general requirements which a stair should fulfill.
A. Location:
It should be located to provide easy access to the occupants of the building.
It should be so located that it is well lighted and ventilated directly from the
exterior.
It should be located to have convenient or suitable approaches and spacious.
B. Width of stair:
It should be wide enough to carry the user without much crowd or in
convenience.
Width of stairs depends up to its location in the building and the type of the
building itself. If a domestic building, a 90cm wide stair is sufficient while in
public building, 1.5-1.8m width may be required.
[Link] Requirements of a Good Stair

C. Length of flight:
• From comfort point of view, the
number of steps are not more than
12 and not less than 3.
D. Pitch of stair:
• It’s slope should be relatively easy.
• Stairs for public building should
have a pitch of 38° and for private
buildings the pitch should not be
more than 42°.
5. Essential Requirements of a Good Stair
E. Head room:
• The clear distance b/n the tread and soffit of the flight immediately above it
should not be less than 2.1 - 2.3m
F. Balustrade:
• Open well stairs should always be provided with balustrade, to provide safety to
the users.
• Wider stairs should have hand rail to both the sides.
5 Essential Requirements of a Good Stair
G. Step dimensions:
• The going should not be less than 25cm, though the 30cm is quite
comfortable.
• The rise should be b/n 10cm (for hospitals, etc) to15cm.
• The width of landing should not be less than the width of a stair.
i. Rise + Tread ≥ 40 and ≤ 45cm
ii. 2 Rise + Tread ≥ 58 and ≤ 63cm
iii. Rise x Tread ≥ 400 and ≤ 500cm2
5. Essential Requirements of a Good Stair
5. Essential Requirements of a Good Stair
Movable Stairs: ladders
Thank you!