CE 2100

Details of Construction I

Types and
Construction Details of Stairs
 Stair
A stair may be defined as series of steps
suitably arranged for the purpose of connecting
different floors of a building.
It may also be defined as an arrangement of
treads, risers, stringers, newel posts, hand rails and
baluster, so designed and constructed as to
provide an easy and quick access to the
different floors, rendering comfort and safety to
the users.
The enclosure containing the complete stairway is
termed as stair-case.
 Technical Terms
(1) Steps
A part of a stairs consisting of a tread and a
riser which is used to ascent or descent from, one
floor to the other
(2) Tread
The horizontal upper part of a step which is
used to rest the foot while ascending or descending
the stairs.
(3) Riser
The vertical portion of a step providing support
to the tread. The vertical member between two treads
is known as riser. This may be missing for an "open"
stair effect.
 Technical Terms Contd..

(4) Flight
A series of steps without any platform, break or
landing in their direction.
(5) Landing
A horizontal platform between two flights of
stair is called landing. A landing gives brief rest
during the use of a staircase and facilitates in
changing direction. When the landing extends to full
width of staircase, it is termed as half spaced landing.
It is known as quarter spaced landing when it extends
only for half of the staircase width.
 Technical Terms Contd..
(6) Nosing
The outer projecting edge of a tread is termed
as nosing. Nosing is usually rounded to give good
architectural effect to the treads and makes the stair-
case easy to negotiate.
(7) Line of Nosing
It is an imaginary line connecting the nosing
points of steps and it is parallel to the slope of the stair.
(8) Scotia
It is a moulding provided under nosing to
beautify the elevation of the step.
 Technical Terms Contd..
(09) Flier
It is a straight step having a parallel width of
tread. Rectangular steps of uniform size and shape.
(10) Winders
These are tapering steps which are provided for
changing the direction of a stair. They are angular or
radiating steps and are provided to change the
direction in the stairs without landings.
A series of winders form a circular or spiral
stairway. When three steps are used to turn a 90°
corner, the middle step is called a kite winder as a kite-
shaped quadrilateral.
 Technical Terms Contd..
(11) Going of Step
It is the horizontal distance between the faces of
two consecutive risers.
(12) Rise of Steps
It is the vertical distance between the upper
surfaces of the successive treads.
(13) Soffit
It is the under surface of a stair
(14) Pitch or Slope
It is the angle which the line of nosing of the stair
makes with the horizontal. It is angle of inclination of
the flight of the stairs with the floor.
Pitch
 Technical Terms Contd..
(15) Strings or Stringers
These are the sloping wooden members
providing support for the steps. For stairs of average
width, the stringers are usually provided one outside
and the other adjacent to the wall. In case of wider
stairs, a third stringer is also provided in the middle.
It is a sloping member which supports the ends of
steps in a staircase
(16) Hand rails
It is provided to render assistance in
negotiating a stair-way. It is supported on balustrades
and usually run parallel to the slope of the stair.
Wooden or metallic rail is generally provided on
 Technical Terms Contd..
(17) Baluster
It is a wooden, metal or masonry vertical
member supporting a hand rail.
(18) Balustrade
It usually consists of a row of balusters
surmounted by a rail and is provided to perform the
function of a fence or guard for the users of the stair-
way. The combined framework of handrail and
balusters is called as balustrade.
(19) Newel / Newel post
It is the vertical member placed at the ends
of flights to join the end strings and handrails.
It is a wooden or metallic post supporting
 Technical Terms Contd..
(20) Head room/ Head way
It is the clear vertical distances between the
tread or a step and the soffit of the flight or the ceiling
of a landing immediately over it.
(21) Spandrel
It is the triangular framing under the outside
string of an open string stair.
(22) Walking line
A line on the plan of a curving staircase on which
all treads are of a
uniform width and that is considered to be the ordinary
path taken by persons on the stair.
 Requirements of a good stair
A well-planned and designed stair should provide
an easy, quick and safe mode of communication
between the various floors. The general requirement
of a good stair may be divided into the different heads
as given below:
 Requirements of a good stair Contd..
1. Location of Stairs
The location of stairs in a building requires careful
consideration. In the advent of fire or any such
calamity, stairs provide the only means of
communication and as such they are so located as to
serve the purpose for which they are provided.

In public building it should be located near the main

entrance and in residential building it should be
placed centrally ensuring sufficient light and
ventilation so as to provide easy access from all the
room and to maintain privacy at the same time.
 Requirements of a good stair Contd..
2. Width of a Stair
Width of a stair varies with the situation and the
purpose for which it is provided. In public building, where
there is a regular traffic of people using the 'stair-way, its
width should be sufficient while in a residential building it
may be just the minimum. The usually adopted average
value of the stair width for public and residential building
is 1.8 m and 0.9 m respectively.
3. Length of flight
For the comfortable ascent of stair-way the number
of steps in a flight should be restricted to a maximum of
15 and a minimum of 3.
 Requirements of a good stair Contd..

4. Pitch of Stair
The pitch of long stair should be made flatter by
introducing landings to make the ascent less tiresome
and less dangerous. In general, the slope of stair
should never exceed 40° and should not be flatter
than 25°. The longer flights should have smaller pitch.
5. Head room
The head room or the clear distance between
the tread and the soffit of the flight immediately above
it should not be less than 2.14 m (7’).
 Requirements of a good stair Contd..

6. Materials of Construction

The selection of the type of material to be used

depends upon
 The aesthetical importance
 Funds available
 Availability of materials
 Durability desired / expected life of the
building and
 Good Fire resisting qualities expected.
 Requirements of a good stair Contd..

7. Balustrade
The open well stairs should be provided with
balustrade so as to minimize the danger of accidents.
8. Landing
The width of landing should not be less than
the width of stair. However, it depends on the nature
of building and number of expected users at a time.
Requirements of a Staircase
Reference:
Bangladesh National Building Code (BNBC 2006)
Part-3, Chapter-1 (General Building Requirements),
Article 1.12.5
 Types of Stair

Straight Turning Continuous

• Single Flight • Quarter Turn • Circular

• Double Flight • Half Turn • Spiral
• 3 Quarter Turn • Helical
• Bifurcated
 Types of stair Contd..
1. Straight flight stairs
All steps are provided in one direction only. It
may consist of a single flight or with one or more
landings in between. This type of stairs is constructed
when long but narrow space is available to
accommodate it.
The most obvious use of the straight stair is to
form an access to entrance, porch or portico.
Straight stairs cannot be avoided in places, where
the stair-case hall is long and narrow and the
possibility of any other form of stair may not be
practically possible.
 Types of stair Contd..

Straight flight stairs

 Types of stair Contd..
Straight flight stairs
Types of stair Contd..
 Types of stair Contd..
According to Turning
Quarter Turn Stairs
• A stair turning through one right angle is known
as quarter turn stair.
• The change in direction can be affected by either
introducing a landing or by providing winders.
When the direction of flight is to be changed
by 900, quarter turn stairs are provided. This may be
achieved either by introducing a quarter space
landing or by providing winders at the junction .
 Types of stair Contd..

Quarter Turn Stairs

 Types of stair Contd..
Half turn stairs

Stairs changing its direction through 1800 are

known as half-turn stairs. It may be either dog-legged
type or open newel type.
In a dog-legged stairs, the flights are in opposite
directions and no space is provided between the flights
in plan.
Whereas in an open newel stairs, there is well
or opening between the flights and it may be used to
accommodate a lift. Such types of stairs are useful
where available space is enough.
 Types of stair Contd..

Half turn stairs

• Dog Legged
• Open Newel Stair
• Geometrical Stair
 Types of stair Contd..
Dog Legged Stair
• It consists of two straight
flights of steps with abrupt turn
between them. A level landing
is placed across the two flights
at the change of direction.
• This type of stair is useful
where the width of the staircase
hall is just sufficient to
accommodate two width of
stair.
 Types of stair Contd..

Open newel Stair

In these type of stair

there is a well or opening
between the flights in
plan.
 Types of stair Contd..

Open newel Stair

If the width of the stair case hall is such that it
becomes difficult to accommodate the number
of steps in the two flights, without exceeding the
maximum allowable limit of steps in each flight, a
short flight of 3 to 6 steps may be provided along
the width of the hall. In this state, the intermediate
short flight will have quarter space landing on its
either side.
 Types of stair Contd..

Three quarter turn stairs

Stair changing through
2700 degree are called as a
three-quarter turn stairs .An
open well is formed in such
type of construction.
 Types of stair Contd..
Three Quarter Turn Stair
Geometrical stairs
This type of stairs may have any geometrical
shape and there are no newel posts. This is
similar to the open-newel stair with the difference
that the open well between the forward and the
backward flight is curved.
In this form of stair, the change in direction
is obtained through winders. Better skill is needed
to construct geometrical stairs and it is weaker
than open newel stairs.
Bifurcating stairs
• These stair are so arranged
that there is a wide flight at
the start which is further
sub-divided into two
narrow flights at the mid-
landing.
• The two narrow flight starts from either side of the
mid landing.
• These stairs are suitable for modern sub building.
Bifurcating stairs
• Public Buildings
• Wider Flight at
bottom
• Bifurcated two
narrow flights,
one turning left
and other right.
 Continuous Stair
Circular or spiral stairs
Circular stairs are generally provided at the
rear of a building to give access for servicing at
various floors. All the steps radiate from a newel
post, in the form of winders. It may be constructed
in stone, cast iron or RCC.
 Stair of different materials
The commonly adopted materials in the
construction of stairs are
1. Wood
2. Stone
3. Steel
4. Cast-iron.
5. Plain concrete or reinforced concrete
6. Brick work or reinforced brick work.
 Reinforced concrete stairs
Reinforced concrete stairs predominate the
stairs made from wood, stone or metal. This is
because of the various advantages R.C.C. has
over other materials. Reinforced concrete is
perhaps the most suitable of all the said materials
for the construction of stairs. R.C.C. stairs can be
moulded in any desired form to suit the
requirements of the architect.
 Reinforced concrete stairs
The various advantages of reinforced concrete stairs are
given below:
1. They have requisite fire-resisting qualities to a
great extent.
2. They are durable, strong, pleasing in appearance
and can be easily rendered non-slippery.
3. They can be designed for greater widths and
longer spans.
4. They can be easily cleaned.
5. The cost of maintenance is almost nil.
6. In a framed structure of reinforced concrete,
RC.C. Stair in perhaps the only choice.
 Reinforced concrete stairs
Reinforced concrete stairs can be pre-cast or
cast-in-situ. To change their appearance, R.C.C.
stairs are often covered with thin slabs of
stone, marble tiles or with terrazzo finish. In
order to prevent the nosing of the step getting
cracked or knocked off, it should preferably be
protected by metallic strips or angles.
 Escalator
An escalator is a moving staircase conveyor transport
device for carrying people between floors of a building. The
device consists of a motor-driven chain of individual, linked steps
that move up or down on tracks, allowing the step treads to remain
horizontal.

Escalators are used around the world to move pedestrian

traffic in places where elevators would be impractical. Principal
areas of usage include department stores, shopping malls,
airports, transit systems, convention centers, hotels, and public
buildings.

The benefits of escalators are many. They have the capacity

to move large numbers of people, and they can be placed in the
same physical space as one might install a staircase. They have
no waiting interval (except during very heavy traffic), they can be
used to guide people toward main exits or special exhibits, and they
may be weatherproofed for outdoor use.
Escalator
Lifts
References: At least 4