Course Outcome

KNS 3643
Reinforced Concrete
Design
Design of Staircase

At the end of this course, you should be

able to
Analyse and design building structural
elements in accordance with the relevant
codes of practice
Display detailed drawings of structural key
plans and building structural elements

Lectures By: Dr. Delsye Teo

Stair Slabs
Can be classified into 2 types:
Those spanning horizontally in the transverse
direction
Those spanning longitudinally

Stair slab spanning horizontally

Stair slab spanning horizontally
May be supported on both sides or they can be cantilevered from
a supporting wall
Figure 1 shows a stair supported on one side by a wall and on
the other by a stringer beam. Each step is usually designed as
having a breadth b and an effective depth of d = D/2. Distribution
steel in the longitudinal direction is placed above the main
reinforcement.
Figure 2 shows a cantilevered stairs. The effective depth of the
member is taken as the mean effective depth of the section and
the main reinforcement must be placed in the top of the stairs
and anchored into the support. Al light mesh reinforcement is
placed in the bottom face to resist shrinkage cracking.

Stair Slabs
Figure 1: Stairs spanning horizontally

Stairs slab spanning longitudinally

Stairs slab spanning longitudinally

Stair Slabs
Figure 2: Cantilevered stairs

Stair Slabs
Figure 3: Stairs spanning into landings

The stair slab may span into landings which span at right angles
to the stairs as in Figure 3 or it may span between supporting
beams as in Figure 4.
The dead load is calculated along the slope length of the stairs
but the live load is based on the plan area. Loads common to
two spans which intersect at right angles and surround an open
well may be assumed to be divided equally between the spans.
The effective span (l) is measured horizontally between the
centers of the supports and the thickness of the waist (h) is taken
as the slab thickness. Span-effective depth ratios may be
increased by 15% provided that the stair flight occupies at least
60% of the span.

Stairs slab spanning longitudinally

Stair Slabs
Figure 4: Stairs supported by beams

Stairs slabs which are continuous and constructed

monolithically with their supporting slabs or beams can
be designed for a bending moment of say Fl/10, where F
is the total ultimate load.
But in many instances, the stairs are precast or
constructed after the main structure, pockets with dowels
being left in the supporting beams to receive the stairs,
and with no appreciable end restraint the design moment
should be Fl/8.

Example: Staircase Design

The stairs shown in the figure spans longitudinally and set into
two supporting beams. The effective span is 3.0 m and the rise
1.5 m, with 260 mm threads and 150 mm risers. The live load is
the characteristic material strengths are fcu = 30 N/mm2 and fy
Design the staircase to carry the loads applied.

pockets in the
of the stairs is
2.0 kN/m2 and
= 250 N/mm2.