4.

0 Stair

Building Technology (EG 626 CE)

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Stair
 Stair is mechanical structure having series of
steps suitably arranged for the purpose of
connecting different levels in the building.
 It may also be called as the means of vertical
transportation in the building.
 It is made of various materials, such as;
timber, stone, brick, steel concrete etc.
 The function of stair is to provide a suitable
means for the movement of people from one
floor to another and also a way for escape in
case of fire and other emergency.

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 Elements of stair
 Stairwell/staircase: The space in which the stairs and landings
are housed.
 Tread : The upper surface of a step on which the foot is placed.
 Riser : The vertical member between two consecutive risers.
 Step : Riser + Tread
 Nosing : The exposed edge of the tread.
 Going : The horizontal distance between two consecutive risers.
 Rise : The vertical height between consecutive tread.
 Flight : A series of steps with out a landing.
 Newel-post: A post forming the juncture of flights of stair with
landing or carrying the lower end of strings.
 Strings : The member receiving the ends of steps or providing
support for the steps. Strings are usually provided one at the
outside and other adjacent to the wall.

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 Elements of stair
 Landing : A platform or resting place provided between two flights. It
may be half, quarter or full depending on the span.
 Scotia : Molding provided under nosing to beautify the elevation of
the step.
 Winders : Tapering steps, which are provided for changing the
direction of a stair.
 Soffit : Under-surface of a stair.
 Line of nosing: Imaginary line touching the nosing of each step.
 Slope or pitch: Angle between horizontal line and the line of nosing.
 Hand rail : Member of stair at the top of baluster and acts as the
support of hand of passerby.
 Baluster : Vertical member that supports handrail.
 Balustrade : Frame consisting of balusters and acts as fence or guard to
the users of stair.
 Head room : Clear vertical distance between the tread of a step and
soffit of flight or ceiling of a landing immediately above.

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Typical stair

Handrail

Baluster Landing
Tread

wall
Newel post

Rise
String

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Ideal requirements of stair
 Location
 easily accessible and well ventilated.
 For residential building, it should be centrally located.
 For public building, this should be near to the entrance.
 For apartment building, stair should be one in the central
location and other by the side of the building for easy escape
in case of emergency.
 Width of stair
 Wide enough to carry the users with out much crowd or
inconvenience.
 Minimum width for public and residential building is -150 cm
& 100 cm respectively.
 Length of flight
 Maximum & minimum numbers of steps in a flight be 12 & 3
respectively.

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Ideal requirements of stair
 Slope of stair
 It should be just enough to be comfortable to the
users. In general, it is taken between 25º-40º.
 Head room
 Clear space between tread and the soffit of the stair
above may be more than 7ft. or 2.10 m.
 Material - should be strong & safe.
 Landing
 More than or equal to the width of the flight.
 Winders
 These are the tapering steps to change the direction
& avoided as far as possible.

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Ideal requirements of stair
 Step proportions
T + 2R = 60-64 cm
T * R = 400-426 cm2
T+R = 40-45 cm
 Standard values
 For residential building: T = 22-27 cm, R = 15-17
cm
 For public building: T = 25-30 cm, R = 10-15 cm
 Usual sizes of steps: (RxT)
 For public buildings ranges from 10x30 cm
to15x25 cm
 For residential building ranges from15x27 to
17x22cm.

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Types of staircase
 Straight stairs
 Steps in one direction only, may have one or
more flight, access to porch etc.
 Quarter-turned
 L-shaped stair having landing at the corner.
 Doglegged
 Two straight flights running in opposite
direction, no space between flights.
 Open well (open newel)
 Opening is left between two flights of doglegged
stair.

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Types of staircase
 Geometrical
 Similar to open well, but the space left between
flights is curved.
 Circular
 Stair takes the shape of segment of circle.
 Bifurcated
 Wide common flight is bifurcated to two flights with
quarter turned landing.
 Spiral
 All steps are radiated from a common newel post.
 Helical
 Spiral stair having well or open space in the middle.

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Types of staircase

Straight stair Dog-legged stair Open-well stair

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Types of staircase

Circular stair Spiral stair

Bifurcated stair

Geometrical stair

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Types of staircase

Helical stair

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Dimension for Stair (IS Code)
Types of bldg. Riser (mm) Tread (mm) Slope Unobstructed
width of stair

Min. Opt. Max. Min. Opt Max Opt. Max Min. (mm)
.
Residential 100 175 190 225 250 350 350 400 800

Semi-public 100 165 190 250 275 350 310 380 1000
(Factory, office,
school, shop)
Public 100 150 280 280 300 350 270 330 1000
(cinema, theatre, 1200 for hospitals
stadium,
hospitals)

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Design of stair

 It is the calculation of number of steps with

the presumption of comfortable access to
desired floor.
 The size of the steps should be assumed in
such a way that the stair can be
accommodated in the given space with
highest level of comfort.
 Stair is the center of focus in building &
attention should be given for comfort and
aesthetic beauty.
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Procedure of design of Stair
 Given the level difference between two floors (ceiling
height plus thickness of floor slab).
 Assume the types of building and stair and
accordingly the size of riser(R).
 Find the number of risers by NR = (level
difference/size of riser).
 Find the number of treads by NT = (NR - 1).
 Assume the size of tread (T).
 Assume the width of the stair.
 Consider the size of landing (L) equal to width of
stair.
 Assume the entry space (E), generally equal to
landing).
 Find the total length of stair = (NT * T) + L +E.
 Adjust the size of riser and tread if required.
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