STAIR

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 Definition
 A stair may be defined as series of steps suitably arranged for the
purpose of connecting different floors of a building.
 Stair may also be defined as an arrangement of treads, 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
staircase.
 Stairs may be made from various materials like timber, stones,
bricks, steel, plain concrete or reinforced concrete.
 The selection of the type of material to be used depends upon the
aesthetical importance, funds available, durability desired and fire
resisting qualities expected.
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 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 the
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 so as to
provide easy access from all the rooms and to maintain privacy at
the same time.

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Technical Terms

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 Technical Terms cont…
 Steps is a portion of a stairway comprising the tread and riser
which permits ascent or descent from one floor to another.
 Tread is the horizontal upper part of a step on which foot is placed
in ascending or descending stairway.
 Riser is the vertical portion of a step providing support to the
tread.
 Flight is a series of steps without an platform, break or landing in
their direction.
 Landing is a platform or resting place provided between two
flights. A landing extending right across a stair case is termed as
half space landing and the one extending only half across a stair
case is called a quarter-space landing.

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Technical Terms cont…

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 Technical Terms cont…
 Nosing is the outer projecting edge of a tread. Nosing is usually
rounded to give good architectural effect to the treads and makes
the stair-case easy to negotiate.
 Line of Nosing is an imaginary line touching the nosing of each
tread and is parallel to the slope of the stair.
 Winders are tapering steps which are provided for changing the
direction of a stair.
 Going of step is the run of a step in a stair or the width of the
tread between two successive treads.

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Technical Terms

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 Technical Terms cont…
 Rise of steps is the vertical distance between the upper surface of
the successive treads.
 Soffit is the under surface of a stair.
 Pitch or slope is the angle which the line of nosing of the stair
makes with the horizontal.
 Stringers are the sloping wooden members providing support for
the steps.
 Hand rails is provided to render assistance in negotiating a
stairway. It is supported on balustrades and usually run parallel to
the slope of the stair.
 Balustrade 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.

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Technical Terms

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 Technical Terms cont…
 Newel is a wooden or metallic post supporting the hand rail and is
usually provided at the hand, foot or at points where the
balustrade changes its direction.

 Head room or Head way is the clear vertical distance between the
tread of a step and the soffit of the flight immediately over it.

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 Requirements of A Good Stair
 It should be so located that sufficient light and ventilation is
ensured in the stairway. If possible it should be located centrally so
as to be easily accessible from the different corners of the building.

 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 90 cm respectively.

 For the comfortable ascent of stair-way the number of steps in a

flight should be restricted to a maximum of 12 and a minimum of
3.
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 Requirements of A Good 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 400 and should
not be flatter than 250 .
 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.
 The stair should preferably be constructed of materials which
possess fire-resisting qualities.
 The open well stairs should be provided with balustrade so as to
minimize the danger of accidents.
 The width of landing should not be less than the width of stair.

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 Requirements of A Good Stair
 The introduction of winders in stair should be avoided as far
as possible. They are liable to be dangerous and involve extra
expense in construction. They are difficult to carpet and are
especially unsuitable for public buildings.

 The rise and tread of each step of a stair should be of uniform

dimensions throughout. The ratio of the ‘going’ and the ‘rise’,
of a step should be so proportioned as to ensure a
comfortable access to the stairway.

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 Classification

 The different forms of stairs may be classified under the

following main heads:
 Straight stairs
 Dog-legged stairs
 Open-newel stairs
 Geometrical stairs
 Circular stair
 Bifurcated stairs

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 Straight Stairs
 The most obvious use of the straight stair is to form an access to
entrance, porch or portico.
 Straight stair 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.
 In this form of stair, all the steps rise in the same direction.
 If the ascending is steep, the straight flight may be broken at an
intermediate landing.

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 Dog-legged Stairs
 It consists of two straight flights of steps with abrupt turn
between them.
 Usually, 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 stair-case hall is
just sufficient to accommodate two widths of stair.

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 Open-newel Stairs
 It consists of two or more straight flights arranged in such a
manner that a clear space called a ‘well’ occurs between the
backward and the forward flights.

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 Geometrical Stairs
 This is similar to the open-newel stair with the difference that the
open well between the forward and the backward flight curved.
In this form of stair, the change in direction is obtained through
winders.

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 Circular Stairs
 Circular stair is commonly provided at the backside of a building
for rendering access to its various floors for the service purposes.
The circular stairs are commonly constructed in R.C.C. cast iron or
stone. In this form of stairs all the steps radiate from a newel post
or well hole, in the form of winders.

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 Bifurcated Stairs
 This type of stair is provided in modern public buildings. In this
type of stairs, the flights are so arranged that there is a wide flight
at the start which is sub-divided into narrow flights at the mid-
landing. The two narrow flights start from either side of the mid-
landing.

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 Stairs of Different Materials
 The commonly adopted materials in the construction of
stairs are-
 Wood
 steel
 stone
 Cast-iron
 Plain concrete or reinforced concrete
 Brick work or reinforced brick work

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 Wooden stairs
 Timber is mainly used for stair construction where fire-resistance
is not of much consideration.
 Timber stairs are cheap, easy in construction and maintenance
and light in weight.

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 Stone stairs
 Stair made out of hard, strong, resistant to wear stones are found
to be durable and fire resisting. They are commonly constructed
in workshops, warehouse and other public buildings. Their usage
in residential building is generally restricted to outside stairs.

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 Metal stairs
 They are usually fabricated from steel and cast iron and their use
is generally restricted to factories, godowns etc. In its simplest
form, a metal stair consists of steel stringer to which steel angles
are riveted or welded and metal treads are provided over them.

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 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.

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 Escalators
 A power driven, inclined, continuous stair way, used for raising or
lowering passengers, is called an escalator. The stair way has
continuous operation without the need for operators. The main
components of an escalator are a steel trussed frame work, hand
rails and an endless belt of steps.

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THANK YOU

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