16 Questions
Stairs are a set of steps leading from one floor to another and are provided in a building to afford a means of communication between the various floors. Steps arranged in series and placed in an enclosure is called ______.
Staircase
Access in buildings can be classified into categories: Moving and ______.
Stationary
Moving access in buildings includes elevators, escalators, a staircase, or a belt that moves by using different kinds of electrical or hydraulic driving motors. For example, an elevator or lift, escalator, and ______.
Conveyor
For the case of handicaps, there are moving ______.
chairs
Stationary access in buildings is the most widely used access and includes stairs, different kinds of ladders, ramps, and ______.
corridors
Essential requirements of a good stair include safety, fire protection, and ______.
durability
Stairs should be designed properly to provide proper: ▪ Ventilation ▪ Light (Natural) ▪ Location: Near Main Entrance for Public Buildings and Centrally for easy access and privacy in Residential Buildings. The primary function of stairs is to provide a means of circulation between floor levels, establish a safe means of travel between floor levels, provide an easy means of travel between floor levels, and provide a means of conveying fittings and furniture between floor levels.
A step is a portion of stair which permits ascent or descent. It is comprised of a ______ and a riser.
tread
The tread of public buildings must be wide enough to provide safe ______.
footing
Going is the horizontal distance between the nosings or front edges of two consecutive steps. It is usually 30cm for public buildings so that it is wide enough to provide safe ______.
footings
Rise is the vertical distance between the upper surface of two consecutive steps. The rise of public building is about 15cm while a higher value can be used for private ______.
buildings
Nosing: it is the projecting part of the ______ beyond the face of the riser.
tread
Flight: is a continuous set of steps between floors and/or ______.
landing
Baluster: is the vertical member which supports the ______ rail. The combined framework of hand rail and baluster is known as balustrade.
hand
String or stringer: is the structural member which supports the steps and act as inclined ______.
beams
Run: it is the total length of stairs in a horizontal plane, including ______.
landings
Study Notes
Stairs and Access in Buildings
- A set of steps leading from one floor to another, providing a means of communication between floors.
- Classified into two categories: moving access (e.g., elevators, escalators, staircase) and stationary access (e.g., stairs, ladders, ramps).
Characteristics of Stairs
- A staircase is a set of steps arranged in series and placed in an enclosure.
- Essential requirements of a good stair include safety, fire protection, and durability.
- Stairs should be designed to provide proper ventilation, natural light, and location (near main entrance for public buildings and centrally for easy access and privacy in residential buildings).
Components of a Stair
- A step consists of a tread and a riser.
- Tread: the horizontal portion of a step, which should be wide enough to provide safe passage (e.g., minimum 30cm for public buildings).
- Riser: the vertical portion of a step, with a typical height of 15cm for public buildings.
- Nosing: the projecting part of the tread beyond the face of the riser.
- Flight: a continuous set of steps between floors and/or landings.
- Baluster: a vertical member that supports the handrail.
- Balustrade: the combined framework of hand rail and baluster.
- String or stringer: a structural member that supports the steps and acts as an inclined beam.
- Run: the total length of stairs in a horizontal plane, including landings.
Test your knowledge of the vertical circulation topic in architecture with this quiz covering technical terminologies, classification of stairs, materials used in stairs, ladders, ramps, elevators, and escalators.
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