Stairs Design and Constuction - Essay Example

Introduction Stairs is a very important architectural element in a building as it requires a series of informed decisions for deciding its proportion, sizes and materials. It requires careful designing and placement in the building. The smaller constituting elements of the stair require to be manufactured with appropriate precision in order to produce an error free stair. A stair can be identified as one of the most dangerous elements in the building that could invite accidents and mishaps if improperly realized. Inadequate attention is given to the stairs design result into risky usability conditions. With proper research, it can be found that many accidents occur on account of improper designs of stairs. The National Safety Council reports more than 10,000 stair deaths per year in the entire United States and a much greater number of people get injured because of such accidents. The following paper discusses various aspects of stair safety in terms of its overall design and the designs of its individual elements. A stair is a composition of one or more riser elements in combination with the treads to achieve a desired elevation. A riser can be defined as a vertical distance between two horizontal surfaces of adjacent treads. A tread could be understood as a distance measured horizontally between the vertical planes of the foremost projection of adjacent treads at a right angle to the tread's leading edge. For assuring safety, it becomes imperative to check that uniformity is maintained in these sizes of the riser and treads. Dimensional uniformity in the widths of treads and the heights of riser is one of the most important safety factors in the stair design. On account of the psychometric calculations of the user, a mere difference of a quarter inch between adjacent riser height can cause and accident. The elderly people are more prone to such accidents as compared to the young users. Therefore the stairs that are not dimensionally uniform are significant hazards. Treads that are less than 9 inches wide result in the greatest number of missteps. Research indicates that riser heights between 6-8 inches and tread widths of 10 to 13 inches are most comfortable and fit most people's preferences. As per specification in building code, a maximum difference of 9.5 mm is permissible between the sizes of the largest and the smallest tread and the greatest riser height shall not exceed the smallest by more than 3/8 of an inch (9.5 mm). In case of the winders, treads should have a minimum depth of 10 inches at a distance of 12 inches from the smaller side. Optimal stair dimensions are 7.2 inch riser heights with either an 11 or 12 inch tread width. Providing a handrail assures greater safety to the stairs even if it is protected from both the sides with walls. The use of handrail prevents the loss of balance while using the stair. The absence of handrail is a major factor in stair accident. The human factors design handbook, 1992 suggests the rail height to be around 34 inches (there are varying data on the specified height where the handrail should be installed), and it should be seen that the rail has an appropriate size and section that could facilitate proper grip. The handrail should be maintained regularly and it should be checked that it is properly anchored to the surface. The handrail should be continuous throughout the entire flight and should not break anywhere in between. At the end, it should terminate in a newel post or should be treated to fix in an adjacent wall but should not be left untreated and open. When anchored against the wall, the rails should have a minimum space of one and a half inches with the wall to provide space for the knuckles during the grip. The stairs that are open from the sides should be installed with guards in combination with the handrail to provide lateral support. The guards should be placed close enough to each other that disallow the passage of a four inches sphere. While proposing an architectural design, stairs with one or two steps should be avoided in a building. If at all it needs to be done then it should be done with the use of different colors in its tiles or the flooring material that could differentiate the stair structure from the rest, as it is more often difficult to identify level difference of a lesser value resulting into accidents. The 2003 residential stair building code specifies a minimum of 36 inches of clear stair width. It also specifies that the minimum head room in all the parts of the stair should not be less than 6 feet 8 inches. Landings should be provided at appropriate distances. A maximum flight of 12 feet can be taken without any landing in between, if the distance increases then it becomes imperative to provide a landing in between. The landing should have a minimum measurement of the stair width as its sides. In addition to the discussed issues, there are a number of other important issues that influence stair safety. It should be seen that the stairway is properly lit and there should be enough illumination to support visibility. Light switches should be provided at both the ends of the stairway. Proper visibility can also be assured with the difference of color and texture at both the ends of the stair. This could be achieved by changing the flooring pattern or by applying other materials (carpets for example) on the floor. Visual and tactile clues can help to draw attention of the changing floor level to the user. Special adhesive strips can also be applied on the edge of each step to enhance visibility. The edge of each tread should also be treated to form grooves that could help in achieving a better grip and prevent skidding. The steps should be regularly maintained and it should be taken care that there is no broken tread, torn carpet or a protruding nail on the surface of the tread. As a practice, it should be followed that the steps are kept free from clutter. For a stair to be efficient, it needs to be designed by skilled designer with due respect to the building codes and specifications and built by an experienced craftsperson. It also needs to be consistently maintained in accordance to the rules. In spite of all these there is still a possibility of accident on account of personal reasons. References Ubell, L & Ubell, A (2005). Watch Your Step & Hold On. The gotham city inspectors, vol 2. Templer, J. (1992). The Staircase: studies of hazards, falls, and safer design. Massachusetts: MIT Press. Woodson, W., B. Tillman, and P. Tillman (1992). Human Factors Design Handbook. New York: McGraw Hill. Stair building code 2003 Read More