DETAILING STAIRS:

Basic Principles & Common Practices

Figure 1: Stair
Terminology

By Andrew J. Bellerby The tread can be made from grating or

from pans (both shown in Figure 1).
This article is designed to provide an Grating is typically used in industrial
introduction to detailing stairs. It buildings while pans are usually used in
explains the basic principles and com- commercial structures. The grating type
mon practices of detailing stairs, both by of tread is plate, but the pan shape dips
hand and with automated programs. down so that the concrete can be poured
Covered in this article are typical into its base.
stairs in American and Canadian indus- Sanitary-type pans, which are com-
trial and commercial buildings, where mon in hospitals, have an additional lip
grating and concrete-filled pans are that prevents dirt from falling into the
used. This article does not cover orna- corner of the pan.
mental or circular stairs. (Pan and grating treads are shown in
Figure 2.)

STRUCTURAL STEEL Stringers: The stringers support the

COMPONENTS ends of the treads. Stringers are often
rectangular hollow sections, channels or
plate. The top of the stringer is connect-
Tread: The tread is the piece of steel
ed either to a supporting beam or to a
that makes up the steps of the stair.

Modern Steel Construction / October 1999

dog leg (see Figure 3).
The bottom of the stringer is connect-
ed to a supporting beam, a dog leg, or
the ground. If attached to a supporting
beam, the stringer can be bolted or
welded. If attached to a dog leg, the
stringer will be welded.

Supporting Beam: The supporting Figure 2: Grating and

Pan Threads
beam supports the stringer or the dog
leg (if it exists). Each stringer can be
independently supported. Alternately,
both stringers can be supported with
the same supporting beam. The sup-
porting beams are usually wide flange
sections or channels.
Dog legs: The location of the support-
ing beams determines whether dog legs
are actually needed (as shown in Figure
4). A dog leg is needed when a viable
connection cannot be made to the sup-
porting beam directly from the stringer.
The dog leg can be the support for the Figure 3:
landing at the top of the stair, if one Typical
Stringer &
exists.
Dog Leg
Connection
Special pans: These are required at
the top and bottom of a pan stair. One
special pan closes the stair against the
concrete or platform, and the other pan
closes off the top of the stair (see Figure
5).

Figure 4:
Determining
whether a dog-leg
is required

Modern Steel Construction / October 1999

 LOCATION

The main parameters for

locating the stairs are:
• Rise and tread
• Nosing points and nosing line
• Stringer offset values
• Dog leg to nosing point height
• Safe rise and safe run
• Number of treads

An explanation of these terms

follows:
Figure 5: Special
pans at top and Rise and tread: Although the
bottom of stair actual stair step is called the
tread, there is also a measure-
ment, as shown in Figure 1,
which is termed the 'tread'. This
is the horizontal distance
between two consecutive treads.
The rise is the vertical distance
between two consecutive treads.

Nosing line and nosing

points: In order for the stair to
be set up properly, every corner
of every tread should pass
through a single line. That line
is called the nosing line, and the
corner points on the tread
through which the line traverses
are called the nosing points.

Stringer offset value (top of

steel of stringer to nosing
line): As shown in Figure 6, the
stringer offset is the perpendicu-
lar distance between the top of
steel of the stringer and the nos-
ing line. The stringer offset
value is required for locating the
Figure 6: Stringer stringer in space.
offset (T.O.S. to
Nosing Line)
Dog leg to nosing point
height: Where dog legs are
required (i.e. cases where the
stringer can't directly make a
viable connection to the support-
ing beam), it is necessary to
locate the dog legs. The top dog
leg to nosing point height is the
distance from the top nosing
point to the top of steel of the top
dog leg. The bottom dog leg to
nosing point height is the dis-
tance from the bottom nosing
point to the top of steel of the
bottom dog leg.

Modern Steel Construction / October 1999

Safe rise and safe run: The fol-
lowing general guidelines are
typically used for indoor stairs in
insuring that the stair is safe:

• 3/16 maximum variation in rise

or tread is allowable.

• 2 x rise + tread should be

between 24” and 25”.

• Rise + tread should be

between 17” and 171/2”.

• Angle of the stair should be

between 20 and 50 degrees.

Note: tread minimum and rise

maximum, as well as other Figure 7: Typical
important parameters are gov- trtead to stringer
erned by local or state codes. connections

Number of treads: The number

of treads is obtained by dividing
the total rise by the safe rise, or
alternately by dividing the total
run by the safe run.

CONNECTIONS

Grating to stringer: A typical

grating to stringer connection is
shown in Figure 7. The grating
manufacturer specifies the loca-
tion of the bolt holes.

Pan to stringer: A typical pan

to stringer connection is shown in
Figure 7. Other connection types
include double angles with a
square rod bent around the pan
and welded to both the pan and
the stringer.

Stringer to dog leg: A common Sketch 1: Stair nosing set-out points

stringer to dog leg connection is
shown in Figure 3. This is a
welded connection with both
ends mitered.

Stringer to ground: A common

stringer to concrete floor connec-
tion is shown in Figure 3.

Modern Steel Construction / October 1999

 HAND DETAILING OF STAIRS

Information from the engi-

neer: The detailer must first
review the engineer's layout
drawings to determine whether
or not all the required informa-
tion is present (see "Information
which designers should provide
to detailers"). If this information
is not present then the detailer
should submit an RFI to the
Sketch 2: Stair layout with engineer.
stringer connections
Layout of the nosing points:
If the required information is
available, then the supporting
steel can be drawn to scale using
construction lines, and the nos-
ing lines can be drawn. See
Sketch 1.

Adding the main members:

Next, draw the main stringers,
and if required, draw the dog
legs onto the stair layout. See
Figure 5 for the method of deter-
mining whether dog legs are
required. Once the main mem-
bers are in position then the
stringer connections are detailed
both to the concrete floor and / or
to the supporting steel. See
Sketch 3: Stair layout
Sketch 2.
with detail dimensions
Adding the Pans or Grating
Treads: Draw in the gratings or
pans along the nosing line at the
calculated positions. If a pan
stair is being detailed, only the
top, bottom and one typical
intermediate pan are required to
draw the nosing line. See Sketch
3.

Completing the Detail: After

the completion of the stair dia-
gram the dimensions for fabrica-
tion can be calculated and added
to the detail. The weights must
also be calculated for the Bill of
Materials to complete the stair
drawing. See Sketch 4.

Sketch 4: Stair layout The entire process in 2-D,

with detail dimensions including drawing the connec-
tions, can be completed in about
two to three hours.

Modern Steel Construction / October 1999

 Sketch 5: General
3D layout

3-D STAIRS The detailer specifies whether be completed in less than 10 min-
a pan or a grating tread will be utes.
Because fabrication and erec-
used, the number of risers
tion of stairs is a 3-dimensional
required, the stringer section Conclusions
problem, using 3-dimensional
size and the stringer offset (or Stairs can be detailed manual-
modeling can be a very useful
distance from top of steel of ly in 2D, or automatically in 3D.
method of detailing. In 3-D, the
stringer to the nosing line). The Although complex, manual draft-
detailer models a physical full
tread vs. rise ratio and whether ing is very common and is widely
size representation of the struc-
the stair is generally safe (see used. Automatic detailing of
ture, and the computer then
the section on 'safe rise and safe stairs in 3D is becoming increas-
automatically produces the fabri-
run') are automatically deter- ingly common because it is sim-
cation drawings. The detailer
mined. ple and fast, helps the checker
can walk around the structure
(because the stair can be visual-
and view it from any perspective,
If a standard rise and tread ized in 3-D), and ensures a good
and build any connection. Every
are selected then the pan can be fit and subsequent ease of erec-
aspect of the structure is seen on
picked from a database of exist- tion.
the screen in front of the detailer
ing sections. If not, then the new Information which designers
so potential problem areas can
pan section will be created auto- should provide to detailers
be eliminated immediately. The
matically (an automatically mod- • Number of treads and the rise
general layout for 3D stairs is
eled pan is shown in Figure 8). (typically given as 16@61/2")
shown in Sketch 5.
The detailer can specify dimen- • Stringer size and type of
sions for the tread thickness and stringer (i.e. channel, or tube)
Method of producing stairs
the toe space but the tread and • Supporting beam sizes and
in 3-D: A stair will usually con-
rise is automatically determined. positions
nect either to concrete or to a
• Nosing points (if possible)
steel platform, so the detailer
From beginning to end, the • Connection details (if possible)
must tell the computer which
entire stair, including modeling
type of platform to use.
the stair, producing the drawing
and drawing the connections, can

Modern Steel Construction / October 1999

 Figure 8: Automatic
modeling of pans

Andrew J. Bellerby is the

Taining and Support Manager
for AceCad Software’s support
and development office in Exton,
PA. He can be reached via the
world wide web at
www.strucad.com.
The authors and publisher do
not warrant, and assume no lia-
bility for the accuracy or com-
pleteness of the text, or its fitness
for any particular purpose. It is
the responsibility of readers to
apply their professional knowl-
edge in using the information
contained in this article, and if
they themselves are not profes-
sional engineers to consult the
professional engineer when
appropriate.

Modern Steel Construction / October 1999