STAIRS

Stairs
 Stairs give access from one floor to another
 Means of ascent and descent
 The room or enclosure in which stair is
located is called staircase
 Stairs consists of a number of steps arranged
in a single flight or more number of flights.
TREAD:
 Tread is the upper horizontal portion of
a step which the feet is placed.
 The top portion of the step called tread.
 The trade length is mainly used 250
mm in residential buildings.
 270-300 mm tread length is used for the
public buildings.
RISER:
The riser is the vertical distance
between the two tread faces.
In public buildings, we mainly use
the rise 150mm.
In residential buildings, we use 190
mm mainly.
STEP:
 The 1 trade and 1 rise make a complete
1 step and it is the important part of a
staircase.
 The step area depends on the rise and
tread we want to provide.
 It is may be made up of brick, concrete
or wood.
NOSING:
 Nosing is the part of the tread beyond the
face of the riser and it is usually to give
good architectural shape.
 It is projected to increase trade foot space.
 It end is usually in the rounded shape.
 The nosing length is not more than 1.5″.
 LANDING:
 Landing is the platform at the top or bottom of a
flight between the floors.
 Landing is present in the two excessive flights.
 It is also known as resting position in the stairs.
 It is also provide to change the direction of the
flights.
FLIGHT:
 Flight is a series of steps without any
break or landing.
 It is made up of many steps.
 In one flight 8 to 10 or may in some
places 12 to 15 steps, we constructed
 It is made up of wood or RCC.
SOFFIT:
The soffit is the underside of the
stair or bottom of the stair slab.
Under the surface of the stair called
soffit.
It is either finished with plaster or
may be covered with the ceiling.
HANDRAIL:
 The inclined rail over the string is termed
as a handrail.
 It provides stability and support.
 It is mainly used in descending and
ascending staircases.
 Handrails are mainly supported with the
help of posts or walls.
BALUSTER:
 The baluster is a vertical member of metal
or wood and supporting a handrail.
 It is also called spindle.
 It is mainly made up of plastic, steel, wood
and some times with stones.
 The baluster is supporting the handrail or
the caping of a parapet of the staircase.
WAIST:
 The waist is the thickness of the structural slab
of RCC stair.
 In this waist the steps rest.
 It is made up of RCC or wood
 The waist is the minimum thickness
perpendicular to the soffit of the staircase
 The steps on the waist are may be made up of
brick, wood or concrete.
RUN:
 It is the total length of stairs in the
horizontal plane.
 The length of landing length is included in
the run.
 It is also calculated by adding the tread
lengths and landing length (if provided).
 It is a horizontal distance of the stair.
GOING:
The horizontal distance between the
first and last riser.
It is the width of the tread between
two successive risers.
It is measured from stair nosing to
nosing.
PITCH LINE:
 The line connecting the nosing of all treads in a
flight of stairs.
 It is an imaginary line along the nosing tip of the
treads.
 The pitch slop is measured with angles (tangent)
 The horizontal line angle is measured in degrees.
PITCH:
The angle between the pitch line
and horizontal called pitch.
Pitch also called rake.
Its angle is measured with the
degree.
BLOCKING:
Blocking supports the underside of
the steps.
It is mainly provided in wood steps.
It provides additional support to the
step.
SCOTIA
It is a triangular wooden block
used below the nosing to give it
additional strength.
NEWEL
 The newel is a steady vertical post at the end
or turn of a baluster.
 Newel is also known as a central pole or
support column.
 extends below the floor and subfloor to the
bottom of the floor joists and is bolted right
to the floor joist.
 STRING
 It is also known as stringer or stringer
board.
 There are the structural supports that
run along either side of the staircase
 The stringers are sometimes notched so
that the risers and treads fit into them.
HEADROOM.
• It is the vertical distance
between the line of nosing and
the under surface or ceiling of
the stair-case or the next flight.
• (tread and overhead structure)
Requirements of stair
 a) Width: 0.9 m in residential buildings and 1.5 m to 2.5 m in
public buildings.

 (b) Number of Steps in a Flight-Maximum number of steps in a

flight should be limited to 12 to 14, while minimum is 3.

 (c) Rise: Rise provided should be uniform. It is normally 150

mm to 175 mm in residential
buildings while it is kept between 120 mm to 150 mm in public
buildings.
 (d) Tread: In residential buildings tread
provided is 250 mm while in public
buildings it is 270 mm to 300 mm.
 (e) Head Room: Head room available in the
stair case should not be less than 2.1 m.
 (f) Hand Rails: Hand rails should be
provided at a convenient height of a normal
person which is from 850 mm to 900 mm.
types
 (a) Straight stairs

 (b) Dog legged stairs

 (c) Well or open-newel stairs

 (d) Geometrical stairs

 (e) Spiral stairs

 (f) Turning stairs

Straight Stairs:
 If the space available for stair case is narrow
and long, straight stairs may be provided.

 In this type all steps are in one direction.

They may be provided in single flight or in
two flights with landing between the two
flights
Dog legged stairs.
 It consists of two flights running in opposite directions,
separated by a half space landing or a quarter space landing
and a set of winders.
 The dog-legged stair is so called because the bent of the
stairs is similar to the dog’s leg.
 When the space available is equal to twice the width of the
stairs, dog legged stair is used.
Open newel stairs.
 It is similar to the dog legged, stair except that in this case
the two flights are separated by an open well.
 The open newel stair is a convenient type of stair and is
generally used in public buildings.
 The width of the open well depends upon the space available
but the varies from 60 cm to 120 cm.
 The two flights ate either separated by a half space lending’
or two quarter space landings with a set of steps
 The open well between the two flights can be used for fixing
a ‘Lift’.
Quarter turn stairs.
 In this type of stair, the two flights run at
right angles to each other and are
separated by a quarter space landing.
 the stairs are generally provided when
wall support is on one side only, or when
in a huge appartment such as an entrance
hall, stairs are to be provided.
Bifurcated stairs.
 commonly used in public buildings.
 the bottom flight is wider and is bifurcated into two
narrower flights at the landing.
 The bifurcated stairs may be of two types, viz. Quarter
turn and half turn.
 In the quarter turn type, the upper the lower flights run at
right angle
 in the half turn bifurcated stairs, the sets of flights go in
opposite directions as in a quarter turn stair and dog-legged
stair respectively.
Geometrical stairs.
 The geometrical stairs are generally used in high class
residential buildings.
 The stair is in the form of some curve, having all the steps as
winders, radiating from the-centre of curvature of the curve.
 The hand rail of a geometrical stair, continues without
interruption and without any angular turn-Considerable skill
is required for fie designing and construction of a
geometrical stair.
 The minimum width of this stair has been, fixed at 1.75 m.
Spiral stairs.
 These stairs are generally constructed either of
cast iron or R.C.C.
 The steps which are all winders, radiate from a
central vertical shaft and are attached to it.
 The steps are generally pre-cast and are fitted to
the central pillar.
 These stairs are used on the back-side of a
building for emergency use as well as in those
places where the space is limited.
ROOF
 Roof is the upper most portion of the building which
protects the building from rain, wind and sun .
TYPES
 1 Flat roofs
 2. Pitched roofs
 3. Curved roof
1. Flat Roofs:
 These roofs are nearly flat. However slight slope
(not more than 10°) is given to drain out the rain
water.
 All types of upper storey floors can serve as flat
roofs.
 With advent of reliable water proofing techniques
such roofs are constructed even in areas with
heavy rain fall.
 2. Pitched Roofs:
 In the areas of heavy rain falls and snow fall sloping roof are used.
 The slope of roof shall be more than 10°. They may have slopes as much as 45°
to 60° also.
 The sloped roofs are known as pitched roofs.
 The sloping roofs are preferred in large spanned structures like workshops,
factory buildings and ware houses. In all these roofs covering sheets like A.C.
sheet, G.I. sheets, tiles, slates etc. are supported on suitable structures.
The pitched roofs are classified into
(a) Single roofs
(b) Double or purlin roofs
(c) Trussed roofs.
(a) Single Roof:
 If the span of roof is less than 5 m the following types of
single roofs are used.
 (i) Lean to roofs
 (ii) Coupled roofs
 (iii) Coupled-close roof
 (iv) Collar beam roof
In all these roofs rafters placed at 600 mm to 800 mm
spacing are main members taking load of the roof. Battens
run over the rafters to support tiles.
(b) Double or Purlin Roofs:
. For spans more than 5 m double purlin
roofs are preferred. The intermediate support
is given to rafters by purlins supported over
collar beams
 1. Span
Span of roof is the clear distance between the two supports on
which roof is positioned by some other elements.
 2. Ridge
The apex of the angle which is developed at top by the inclined
surfaces at the top of slope.
 3. Rise
The vertical distance or height of top of ridge from wall plate is
called as rise.
 4. Wall plates
Wall plates are provided at top of wall or supports. And these are
generally made of wood and are used to fix the common rafters.
 5. Pitch
 Pitch is nothing but slope of roof with the horizontal plane and
is calculated as the ration of rise to span.
 6. Eaves
 The bottom edge of sloped roof surface is called as eaves from
which rain water is drops down during raining.
 7. Hip
 Hip is a place where two sloping surfaces meet, where exterior
angle is more than 180o.
 8. Hipped end
 At the end of a roof sloped triangular surface is formed which is
called as hipped end.
 9. Valley
 It is also a place where two sloping surfaces intersects but the exterior
angle is less than 180.
 10. Verge
 Verge is the edge of gable roof which runs between ridge and eaves.
 11. Ridge board
 Ridge board is a wooden member which is provided long the ridge lie or
apex of the roof. Common rafters are supported by this ridge board. This
is also called as ridge beam or ridge piece.
 12. Common Rafters
 Common rafters are wooden members fixed to the ridge board
perpendicularly. They run from ridge to the eaves. These are fixed to the
purlins at intermediate points. Batten or boarding’s are supported by this
rafter. In general, the spacing between rafters is 30 to 45 cm.
 13. Purlins
 Purlins are wooden or steel members supported by truss or wall. If
the span is large they are used to support the common rafters.
 14. Hip rafters
 These rafters are provided at the hip end. And they run diagonally
from ridge to the corners of the wall.
 15. Valley rafters
 Valley rafters run diagonally from ridge to the eaves. They are
provided in sloping positions to bear support valley gutters. The ends
of purlins and jack rafters will receive by the valley rafters.
 16. Jack rafters
 The rafters run from hip to the valley are called as jack rafters and
usually they are short in length.
 17. Eaves board
 The ends of lower most roof covering materials are rests on eaves board. It is
made of wood and usually 25mm x 25mm thickness and width. It is placed at
the feet of common rafters.
 18. Barge board
 To hold the verge formed by the common rafters a wooden board is used which
is called as barge board.
 19. Post plate
 Post plate is similar to wall plate. Post plates are parallel to the face of the wall
and run continuous. Post plates provide support for the rafters.
 20. Battens
 Battens are usually made of wood and they are nailed to the rafters to give
supports for the roof covering material.
 21. Template
 Template is a masonry block made of concrete or stone which is placed under
the truss to provide larger load area of the wall.
 22. Boarding’s
 Boarding’s are similar to battens and these are also used to
give support for the roof covering material by nailing them
to the rafters.
 23. Truss
 Truss is frame which consists of triangles and designed to
support the roof tops.
 24. Cleats
 To support the purlins, short sections of steel or wood are
fixed to the rafters and these sections are called as Cleats.
(c) Trussed Roof:
 If span is more, a frame work of slender members are used to support sloping
roofs.These frames are known as trusses.
 A number of trusses may be placed lengthwise to get wall free longer halls.
 Purlins are provided over the trusses which in turn support roof sheets.
 For spans up to 9 m wooden trusses may be used but for larger spans steel trusses
are a must.
 In case of wooden trusses suitable carpentry joints are made to connect various
members at a joint. Bolts and straps are also used.
 In case of steel trusses joints are made using gusset plates and by providing bolts
or rivets or welding.
Roof Coverings for Pitched Roofs
 (a) Thatch
 (b) Shingle
 (c) Tiles
 (d) Slates
 (e) Asbestos cement (A.C.) sheets
 ( f )Galvanised iron (G.I.) sheets
Lean to roof
Gable roof
Hip roof
Gambrel roof
Mansard roof