Free-Standing Sawtooth Staircase | Analysis, Design,

and Detailing
structville.com/2021/05/free-standing-sawtooth-staircase-analysis-design-and-detailing.html

Ubani Obinna
May 8, 2021

A free-standing sawtooth staircase is a type of slabless (without waist) staircase that is

freely supported at the landing. By implication, this staircase comprises of the thread and
risers only, which are usually produced using reinforced concrete.

Analytical and detailing solutions exist for reinforced concrete sawtooth and free-standing
staircases, but when the two systems are combined, there may be a challenge with the
detailing due to the well-known structural behaviour of cantilevered type structures.

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 Fig 1: Typical section of a free-standing sawtooth staircase

In cantilevers, the main reinforcements are provided at the top (the tension area), and
furthermore, they must be properly anchored and/or extended into the back-span for good
anchorage/development length, and to resist the hogging moment that exists at the back
of the cantilever.

In reinforced concrete slabs, the cantilever reinforcement should extend into the back-
span by at least 0.3 times the span of the back-span, or 1.5 times the length of the
cantilever, whichever is greater. The same requirement of reinforcements extending
cantilever reinforcements applies to reinforced concrete beams too.

It can therefore be seen that continuity of reinforcements is an important detailing

requirement of cantilevered type structures. Without the introduction of haunches, this
may be difficult to achieve in free-standing sawtooth staircases.

In sawtooth staircases, the main reinforcements are provided on the landing, which is
connected to the risers using links. A typical detailing sketch of a sawtooth staircase is
shown below;

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 Fig 2: Typical detailing sketch of sawtooth (slabless) staircase

Knowing full well that this type of staircase has been successfully designed and
constructed (see Fig. 3). The pertinent questions to ask are, therefore;

(1) What is the detailing procedure of a free-standing sawtooth staircase without the use
of haunches?
(2) Is the continuity of reinforcements necessary at the landing-riser junction?
(3) Are the links rigid enough to provide the needed continuity?

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 Fig 3: Well constructed free-standing sawtooth staircase

To provide an insight to the answers, let us consider a finite element model of a free-
standing sawtooth staircase.

The properties of the staircase are as follows;

Width = 1000 mm
Width of landing = 1000 mm
Height of riser = 175 mm
Width of thread = 275 mm
Thickness of all elements = 150 mm

Loading
(1) Self weight

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(2) Finishes of 1.2 kN/m2
(3) Imposed load of 3 kN/m2
Load Combination
ULS = 1.35gk + 1.5qk

Fig 4: Finite element model of the free-standing sawtooth staircase

Some of the analysis results are given below;

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Fig 5: Deflection profile of the staircase under uniformly distributed load

Fig 6: Transverse bending moment of the staircase (ULS)

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Fig 7: Longitudinal bending moment of the staircase (ULS)

Fig 8: Twisting moment of the staircase (ULS)

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From the nature of the internal stresses distribution, is it safe to say that the true
cantilever behaviour of structures is not properly represented in free-standing sawtooth
staircases? From the deflection profile, this is probably not the case. Can we get sketches
of typical detailing guide from you?

Thank you for visiting Structville today. God bless you.

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