HISTORY

The stairs are one of the oldest buildings in architectural history; they have always played a central role
in the history of humanity, although it is difficult to tell exactly in which year they were born, it is
believed his appearance was by the year 6000 before Christ. The stairs seems to change shape with the
change of architectural eras, reflecting the trends used in different ages and revealing the talent of
those who designed them.

SPIRITUAL IMPORTANCE OF STAIRS

In the history of the stairs they first emerged as a solution to a problem, although, years later it was
found in China the first granite staircase leading to the sacred mountain in Tai Shan, this indicates that
one of the utilities that were given to the stairs in his story was for religious purposes. Confucius in one
of his stories said to have gone up this ladder to the top in the year 55 BC. The ladder was used in a
metaphoric way reach the divine height and establishes a connection between earth and sky. Other
examples of stairs built for religious purposes are: the biblical Jacob's ladder, the tower of Babel, which
was a helical tower, the pyramids of Egypt that had stairs, the celestial ladder of Shantung in China, the
stairs in India, a peculiarity of the stairs in India is that they had also scientific utility. All these stairs have
something in common; they symbolize the rise of the light, the sun, and a way in to the god’s path.

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EVOLUTION IN STAIRCASE DESIGN

The end of the nineteenth century is regarded by many as the golden era of construction of stairs, Peter
Nicholson developed a mathematical system for stairs and railings approaching the art of the stairs to
the workers of wood and metal.

By the end of 1980 Eva Jiricna in London started designing stairs in glass and stainless steel which gave
the stairs a sleek and futuristic look.

Today it is increasingly common to exit the conventional design of iron and wood and move on to
different materials such as stainless steel, glass and titanium.

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 TYPE OF STAIRS

A stair is a series of steps arranged in such a manner as to connect different floors of a building. Stairs
are designed to provide as easy and quick access to different floors. A staircase is an enclosure which
contains the complete stairway.

http://civilblog.org/2015/09/28/10-different-types-of-stairs-commonly-designed-for-buildings/

Generally stairs are of following types

 Straight stairs

A straight flight stair has a single flight or several flights linked by landings.
The stair does not change direction. Straight flight stairs range from climbing poles to ladders and
companionways and from garret stairs to Michelangelo’s masterpiece for the Laurentian Library. A
straight flight ramp is in this sense a stair without risers.
 1. Helical stairs

"This winding, gyring, spiring treadmill of a stair is my ancestral stair."

- W.B. Yeats

"All rising to great place is by a winding stair."

- Francis Bacon

The helical stair is also called the spiral stair, winding stair, circular stair, elliptical stair, oval stair,
geometric stair, vis, vice, vis de Saint Gilles, St. Gilles screw, belfry stair, turret stair, caracole, turnpike,
cochlea, cockle, corkscrew, and ascensorium. Helical is possibly the least poetic but also the most
accurate generic title.

2. Composite stairs

Helical or straight flights with landings as couplings are the elements from which composite stairs are
formed. A dogleg stair consists of two straight flights and a landing; an imperial stair has two parallel
straight flights separated from a third by a landing.
http://www.eberliron.com/category/History_of_Stairs/1146.html

Types of Stairs

1. Straight stairs
2. Quarter turn stairs
3. Half turn stairs
4. Three quarter turn stairs
5. Circular stairs
6. Spiral stairs
7. Curved stairs
8. Geometric stairs
9. Bifurcated stairs and
10. Combination above types

1. Straight Stairs

These are the stairs along which there is no change in direction on any flight between two successive
floors. The straight stairs can be of following types.

 Straight run with a single flight between floors

 Straight run with a series of flight without change in direction
 Parallel stairs
 Angle stairs
 Scissors stairs

Straight stairs can have a change in direction at an intermediate landing. In case of angle stairs, the
successive flights are at an angle to each other. Scissor stairs are comprised of a pair of straight runs in
opposite directions and are placed on opposite sides of a fire resistive wall.
 Straight Stair with Single Flight

Straight Stair with

Two Flights

2. Quarter Turn Stairs

They are provided when the direction of flight is to be changed by 900. The change in direction can be
effected by either introducing a quarter space landing or by providing winders at the junctions.
3. Half Turn Stairs

These stairs change their direction through 1800. It can be either dog-legged or open newel type.
In case of dog legged stairs the flights are in opposite directions and no space is provided
between the flights in plan. On the other hand in open newel stairs, there is a well or opening
between the flights and it may be used to accommodate a lift. These stairs are used at places
where sufficient space is available.

Half turn stair

1. Three quarter turn stairs

These types of stairs change their directions through 2700. In other words direction is changed three
times with its upper flight crossing the bottom one. In this type of construction an open well is formed.

2. Circular stairs

These stairs, when viewed from above, appear to follow circle with a single centre of curvature and large
radius. These stairs are generally provided at the rear of a building to give access for servicing at various
floors. All the steps radiate from a newel post in the form of winders. These stairs can be constructed in
stone, cast iron or R.C.C.
 3. Spiral stairs

These stairs are similar to circular stairs except that the radius of curvature is small and the stairs may be
supported by a center post. Overall diameter of such stairs may range from 1 to 2.5 m.

4. Curved stairs

These stairs, when viewed from above, appear to follow a curve with two or more centre of curvature,
such as ellipse.

5. Geometric stairs

These stairs have no newel post and are of any geometrical shape. The change in direction in these
stairs is achieved through winders. The stairs require more skill for its construction and are weaker than
open newel stairs. In these stairs the open well between the forward and the backward flights is curved.
 6. Bifurcated stairs and

These stairs are so arranged that there is a wide flight at the start which is subdivided into narrow flights
at the mid-landing. The two narrow flights start from either side of mid landing. Generally these stairs
are more suitable for modern public buildings.

7. Combination above types

Depending upon the requirement of a building or as per owner’s demand few of the types as mentioned
above can be combined to design a new stair.
 ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF STAIRS

1. Straight stairs.

Advantages:

 Straight stairs tend to be the easiest to go up and down or ascend/descend as we say in the
industry.
 They are typically the easiest to build however this depends allot on the level of detail in the
design.
 Straight stairs only need to be connected at the top and the bottom (no intermediate supporting
structure is required).
 They work well with minimalist designed homes due to their inherent simplicity.
 By selecting thinner treads, open risers and thin metal stringers, straight stairs can be made
more transparent than other types of stairs allowing less obstruction to the view beyond.
 No landing is required if the number of risers are kept under 16 or the overall vertical height is
less than 12 feet.
 Its relatively easy to build railings and handrails for straight stairs.
 Measuring for railings is simpler also.

Disadvantages:

 Straight stairs use up a fair amount of linear space which has to be planned for in your design.
 Some of the other stair types create a privacy barrier between the floors of your home. Straight
stairs do not offer this privacy.
 A stair 12 feet high requires a landing to break up the span. The addition of a landing will use up
allot more space and therefore these types of stairs are seldom used in residential construction.
You will see these more frequently in large commercial buildings.

2. L-shaped stair

Advantages:

 L Stairs can be more visually interesting.

 They provide a visual barrier between floors so they can add some privacy.
 Also L Stairs can help somewhat with sound transmission between floors if the stairs are
contained within walls.
 Some believe they are safer than straight stairs as the central landing reduces the number of
treads one could fall in a given flight.
 The landing can provide a place to stop and rest while ascending.
 They can be located in a corner of a room if this works better for your design.

Disadvantages:

 L shaped stairs are a bit more difficult to build.

 A support is typically required for the landing in a L type stair. Often this is built into the
surrounding walls so it goes unnoticed. In modern dwellings however it is usually desirable to
 open up the space leaving the stair structure visible. In these cases the supporting structure can
be visually minimized by taking advantage of the strength of steel to create slim supporting
members. Through careful engineering, it is possible to eliminate the landing support all
together.
 Handrails for these types of stairs require more skill and planning to construct.
 In climates where basements are used, stairs are typically stacked over each other for efficient
use of space. Since basements are often used for storage, large items can be difficult to move in
and out of the basement.

3. U-shaped stair

Advantages:

 U shaped stairs can be easier to fit into an architectural plan.

 They offer some architectural interest.
 The landing(s) can offer a resting point part way up the stairs.

Disadvantages:

 These types of stairs are a bit more difficult to build.

4. Winder stair

Winder stairs are a variation of an L shaped stair but instead of a flat landing, they have pie shaped or
triangular steps at the corner transition.

L Shaped Winder Stairs

Advantages of Winder Stairs:

 The main advantage of winder stairs is that they require less space than many other types of
stairs. They are very common in older homes, often used as a secondary staircase where the
grand staircase may have been in the entry and the winder used as a access to the kitchen.
  They have more visual interest. Winder stairs seem to create a more seamless
transition,visually, as they meander around corners. For this reason they have gained popularity
in modern homes. Their compactness has also made them attractive in sustainable home
designs.

Disadvantages of Winder Stairs:

 Winder stairs are a little harder to navigate than L stairs.

 It can be more difficult to add a handrail to these than some of the other types of stairs.
 Like L shaped stairs, a center support is typically required.

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