Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Stairs are the medium through which a person can travel from one horizontal level to another horizontal level although it connects two different horizontal levels.
STAIRS
A STAIR IS A SET OF STEPS LEADING FROM ONE FLOOR TO THE OTHER. IT IS PROVIDED TO AFFORD THE MEANS OF ASCENT AND DESCENT BETWEEN VARIOUS FLOORS OF THE BUILDING. THE ROOM OR ENCLOSURE OF THE BUILDING, IN WHICH THE STAIR IS LOCATED, IS KNOWN AS STAIRCASE. THE OPENING OR SPACE OCCUPIED BY THE STAIR IS KNOWN AS A STAIRWAY. IN A DOMESTIC BUILDING THE STAIRS SHOULD BE CENTRALLY LOCATED TO PROVIDE EASY ACCESS TO ALL ROOMS. IN PUBLIC BUILDINGS, STAIRS SHOULD BE LOCATED NEAR THE ENTRANCE. STAIRS MAY BE CONSTRUCTED BY TIMBER, BRICKS, STONE, STEEL OR REINFORCED CEMENT CONCRETE. STAIRCASES PROVIDE ACCESS AND COMMUNICATION BETWEEN FLOORS IN MULTI-STOREY BUILDINGS, AND ARE A PATH BY WHICH FIRE CAN SPREAD FROM ONE FLOOR TO ANOTHER. STAIRCASE, THEREFORE, MUST BE ENCLOSED BY FIRE RESISTING WALLS, FLOORS, CEILING AND DOORS. IT IS DESIRABLE THAT THE LININGS TO THE WALLS AND THE CEILINGS ARE NONCOMBUSTIBLE AND OF LOW FLAME SPREAD. ANOTHER IMPORTANT ASPECT IN THE DESIGN OF STAIRS IS THE STRENGTH ASPECT. IT MUST BE DESIGNED TO CARRY CERTAIN LOADS, WHICH ARE SIMILAR TO THOSE USED FOR THE DESIGN OF FLOOR.
BIFURCATED STAIRS
In bifurcated stairs the stairs runs at a flight an as it reaches the landing the stairs runs from left and right side reaching the same horizontal level these stairs are provided generally in atrium of a building.
CIRCULAR STAIRS
The stairs made in in a circular form are known as the circular staircase.
SPIRAL STAIRS
Those stairs which are in spiral form is known as spiral staircase,.
THE TECHNICAL TERMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTIONS OF STAIRS ARE:
TREAD: IT IS THE UPPER HORIZONTAL PORTION OF A STEP UPON WHICH THE FOOT IS PLACED WHILE ASCENDING OR DESCENDING. RISER: IT IS THE VERTICAL PORTION OF A STEP PROVIDING A SUPPORT TO THE TREAD. FLIGHT: THIS IS DEFINED AS AN UNBROKEN SERIES OF STEPS BETWEEN LANDINGS. LANDING: IT IS THE LEVEL PLATFORM AT THE TOP OR BOTTOM OF A FLIGHT BETWEEN THE FLOORS. A LANDING FACILITATES CHANGE OF DIRECTION AND PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR TAKING REST DURING THE USE OF THE STAIR. RISE: IT IS THE VERTICAL DISTANCE BETWEEN TWO SUCCESSIVE TREAD FACES. GOING: IT IS THE HORIZONTAL DISTANCE BETWEEN TWO SUCCESSIVE RISER FACES. STRINGS AND STRINGERS: THESE ARE THE SLOPPING MEMBERS WHICH SUPPORT THE STEPS IN A STAIR. THEY RUN ALONG THE SLOPE OF THE STAIR. NEWEL POST: NEWEL POST IS A VERTICAL MEMBER WHICH IS PLACED AT THE ENDS OF FLIGHTS TO CONNECT THE ENDS OF STRINGS AND HAND RAIL. BALUSTER: IT IS VERTICAL MEMBER OF WOOD OR METAL, SUPPORTING THE HAND RAIL. HAND RAIL: IT IS THE SURROUNDED OR MOULDED MEMBER OF WOOD OR METAL FOLLOWING GENERALLY THE CONTOUR OF THE NOSING LINE, AND FIXED ON THE TOP OF BALUSTERS.