FOR ACCESS BETWEEN FLOORS OR DIFFERENT

LEVELS IN BUILDINGS.
TERMS AND DEFINITION
LADDERS, STAIRS, RAMPS
Ladders –

A ladder is made as a series of narrow

horizontal steps, fixed between two uprights
of wood or metal, on which a person usually
ascends (climbs up) or descends (climbs
down) facing the ladder. A ladder may be
fixed in an upright, vertical position or more
usually at a slight angle to the vertical for
ease of use.
Fire Escape/Emergency

During construction
Stairs –

A stair may be formed as a series of steps

rising in one direction between floors as a
straight flight of steps. More usually, a stair is
formed as two or more straight flights of steps
arranged to make a quarter or half turn at
intermediate landings between floors. Using
two flights helps to limit the number of steps in
each flight making use of the stairway
potentially safer.
Modern stairs
Ramps –

A ramp is a surface, sloping

uniformly as an inclined plane,
linking different levels.

Because of the comparatively

shallow slope of a ramp it
occupies a considerable area and
this must be considered early in
the design process so that enough
room is allowed.
ILLUSTRATIONS
LADDERS
STAIRS
RAMPS
FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS
THE PRIMARY FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENT OF A STAIR IS
TO ALLOW VERTICAL MOVEMENTS,
SAFELY FROM ONE LEVEL TO ANOTHER.
Strength and stability - A stair, or ramp, and its associated landings serves
much the same function as a floor in the support of the occupants of a
building, with the stepped inclined plane of flights, or shallow rise of the
ramp, serving as support for movement between different levels. The
requirements for strength and stability in supporting dead and imposed
loads for floors apply equally to stairs and ramps.
Ease of use - Many different people will use the stairway. Care should be
taken so that stairs are designed for users of all abilities and ages.
Handrails can help all users, but are particularly important for those less
able to move between levels. Landings may provide well-needed
resting stages, or a platform that allows others to pass, enabling less
mobile users to move at their own pace.
Fire safety - Stairs are one of the principal means of escape to the
outside in case of fires in buildings. Stairways that form part of an escape
route will need to be of sufficient width to allow the occupants to
evacuate the building safely. Where a stairway provides access to more
than one dwelling, it should be situated in a fire-resisting enclosure
(protected shaft).
Control of impact sound - Consideration of materials used for the stair
tread is an important factor in helping to keep impact sound from foot
traffic to an acceptable minimum. For example, metal treads and
timber treads can be noisy and may be a nuisance to building users. This
may not be a problem in a busy bar, but in a house the impact sound
could prove a significant irritation to the building users. Direct impact
sound can be reduced by using resilient packing between stairways and
the building structure and/or with the use of dense material that absorbs
sound energy, such as concrete.
Durability - Both internal and external stairs will need to remain functional
and safe despite heavy use; therefore, the material used and any
applied finishes must be relatively durable. Materials that wear easily
and become loose or unstable are not suitable for stairways and ramps.
Aesthetics - Aesthetic requirements will determine the position and
shape of the stairs or ramp as well as the materials used to construct it.
Open stairways
Glass stairway
Spiral stairways
TYPES OF STAIRS
Section 3, 4 and 8.
MATERIALS AND COMPONENTS
TIMBER, STONE, CONCRETE, METAL, STAINLESS STEEL
AND STRUCTURAL GLASS ARE THE MAIN MATERIALS
USED IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF STAIRS.
Components:

1. Flight - The word flight describes an uninterrupted series of

steps between floors or between floor and landing, or
between landing and landing. A flight should have no more
than 16 risers.

2. Treads and risers - The steps of a stair may be constructed as

a series of horizontal open treads with a space between the
treads or as enclosed steps with a vertical face between the
treads, called a riser.
Components:

3. Pitch - The incline of a

stair can be described
either by the rise and
going of the steps or as
the pitch of the stair,
which is the angle of
inclination of the stair to
the horizontal.
Components:

4. Headroom - For people

and for moving goods and
furniture, a minimum
headroom of 2m,
measured vertically.
Components:

5. Handrails - The general requirement for handrails is that there

should be at least one handrail on a stairway. If the stairway is
greater than 1m, two handrails are required. The height of the
handrails should be between 900 and 1m.

6. Landings - The position and general arrangement of landings to

stairs.
TUTORIAL:

IDENTIFY THE
COMPONENTS OF
STAIRS
Next lecture: Walls