Stair Detail

I'm a designer in Toronto, Canada with a project in Las Vegas, Nevada
looking for a steel stair detail that will satisfy local code

Can anyone help?

 

Look in their code and design one

 

Actually a more usefull answer would be that you have supplied insufficient
information.
What type of stair? what is floor to floor height? What material? So many
unknowns...where/how is the stringer attached? With this info I would be
happy to design one for you for a fee.

 

You might add to this list:
Inside or outside? Residential or public? Utilitarian or formal? Expensive
or cheap?

You lookin' for work?

 

Nevada.

 

ZOOM>EXTENTS

 

Well I'm still in school right now but as of now I can design anything
residential and apply for a permit in Ontario. But if you have some
freelance work I am on my co-op work term I would be happy to see what I can
do.

 

lol thats a bad joke

 

What school/program?

 

This year Sheridan College's Architectural 3 Yr Program
But Sept 2005 I will be going to Ryerson University for my undergrad and
then
University of Toronto for my graduate degree. My dream is to become an
architect.

 

DON'T DO IT !!!!!!!!!(seriously)

If there is any way you can allow yourself to be talked out of it....do so.
One guy tried to talk me out of it when I was aiming at admission to UofT,
but it didn't work. He just made me go into "bull moose mode". I often
wonder where I'd be had I taken his advice. I've more or less decided that
I'd either be dead, imprisoned, or much more affluent by now.

You should be realistic about practice before spending your life achieving
it. I'd highly recommend attending the SPOT (Small Practices of Toronto)
meeting the second Thursday of every month at the Granite Brew Pub. It might
put the dream of practice into some perspective, or alternately, put you in
contact with a bunch of "small" architects in the city who might help mentor
you. The big guys will generally chew you up and spit you out.

A lot of people have romantic delusions about what an architect's life is
like. Absolutely no one writes about it with even a smidge of realism, and
way too many people have seen/read the "Fountainhead".

 

Well Michael, you're certainly full of encouragement!

anywho Gary, design your stair according to the ADA and NAAMM requirements and you should be OK. Here's the links:

http://www.access-board.gov/adaag/html/adaag.htm CHECK THE GRABRAILS, HANDRAILS, AND STAIRS

http://www.naamm.org/literature.php (get the "Metal Stairs Manual")

and for good measure, here's the OSHA link:

http://www.osha-slc.gov/pls/publications/pubindex.list (get publication 3124 "Stairways and Ladders" - free pdf download)

AND ALSO, CHECK INTO THE ACTUAL CODE FOR NEVADA - IN TEXAS, FOR EXAMPLE, THE MAXIMUM RISE IS 7" BUT OTHER LOCATIONS VARY. http://www.license.state.tx.us/AB/ab.htm
http://www.license.state.tx.us/ab/tas/abtas.htm
CODES ALSO VARY ACCORDING TO USEAGE. IE; INDUSTRIAL VS. COMMERCIAL VS. RESIDENTIAL - SEE THE NAAMM STAIR MANUAL FOR A FULL EXPLANATION.

Garth.

 

this is the texas stairs spec. the one I sent below was wrong:

http://www.license.state.tx.us/ab/tas/abtas4a.htm#4.9

you can see that stair treads must be min. 11" wide:

4.9.1 General.

(1) Minimum Number. Stairs required to be accessible by 4.1 shall comply with 4.9.

(2) For mounting heights suitable in schools and other facilities used by children see section 2.1.1.

(3) Each stair adjacent to or serving an area of rescue assistance shall have a minimum clear width between handrails of 48" (1220 mm).

4.9.2 Treads and Risers. On any given flight of stairs, all steps shall have uniform riser heights and uniform tread widths. Stair treads shall be no less than 11 in (280 mm) wide, measured from riser to riser (see Fig.18(a)). Open risers are not permitted.

4.9.3 Nosings. The undersides of nosings shall not be abrupt. The radius of curvature at the leading edge of the tread shall be no greater than 1/2 in (13 mm). Risers shall be sloped or the underside of the nosing shall have an angle not less than 60 degrees from the horizontal. Nosings shall project no more than 1-1/2 in (38 mm) (see Fig. 18).


(I guess it's in Houston that the risers must be 7" MAX. I can't seem to find that link but anyway, check into the local codes for Las Vegas to be sure you're stair won't be rejected by the building inspector after it is all installed or you may be responsible - or do like a lot of slime-ball architects do and put a disclaimer on the drawing that the contractor is responsible for stair design and code requirements).

garth.


..
Well Michael, you're certainly full of encouragement!

anywho Gary, design your stair according to the ADA and NAAMM requirements and you should be OK. Here's the links:

http://www.access-board.gov/adaag/html/adaag.htm CHECK THE GRABRAILS, HANDRAILS, AND STAIRS

http://www.naamm.org/literature.php (get the "Metal Stairs Manual")

and for good measure, here's the OSHA link:

http://www.osha-slc.gov/pls/publications/pubindex.list (get publication 3124 "Stairways and Ladders" - free pdf download)

AND ALSO, CHECK INTO THE ACTUAL CODE FOR NEVADA - IN TEXAS, FOR EXAMPLE, THE MAXIMUM RISE IS 7" BUT OTHER LOCATIONS VARY. http://www.license.state.tx.us/AB/ab.htm
http://www.license.state.tx.us/ab/tas/abtas.htm
CODES ALSO VARY ACCORDING TO USEAGE. IE; INDUSTRIAL VS. COMMERCIAL VS. RESIDENTIAL - SEE THE NAAMM STAIR MANUAL FOR A FULL EXPLANATION.

Garth.

 

I was trying to *dis*courage him. If it can be done, someone should do it.

Well Michael, you're certainly full of encouragement!

 

I have no disillusionment sir. I like residential design as well as
commercial / industrial. If I want to design over 6000 sqft then I need to
be an architect or engineer. I don't want my own practice. I don't like
limitations that is my primary reason for wanting to become one. I also
have my foot in the door to 7 large architecture firms in Ontario/Quebec
through contacts at my work so I have guarenteed employment. Please if you
have something constructive to say then say it. If not I have a long road
ahead and dont need any hassle before it even begins.

Chris

 

My response was similar to yours, and while angry I never called anyone
"sir". At the time, I did not consider the
comments of the guy I met at that party 25 years ago to be constructive
either, but I realize now
that in a way he was doing me a favor. Like you, I paid no attention to it,
and just charged ahead.
Perhaps you will do the same. If you do, it will be one sign that you may be
cut out for this work. It requires
DETERMINATION above all.

As for "guaranteed employment", in this business that's quite a funny idea.
It is a severely cyclical
industry and even the very best people can find themselves out of work in a
downturn. (I assume you were
not working in the field in 1990-1992. That was *brutal*.) I always seemed
to be able to find work, though, and
maybe you will do the same.

As for being constructive, wait twenty years before you judge my intentions.
If your resolve is so weak
that a discouraging comment could dissuade you, I have done you a favor. The
road behind me is littered
with the dashed hopes of dozens of people I knew, and more than one nervous
breakdown.

The odds of getting in to UofT were 1 in 20.
The odds of graduating in five years were 1 in 4.
The odds of passing the NCARBS in one go was less than 1 in 10.
My point is that if you can't deal with a little discouraging now, I don't
like your odds Chris.

 

Are you a designer or an engineer or an architect? Just curious

Chris

 

...

In my time have worked with a vast range of Architects with varying
skill levels. From very Senior Architects that did not know the size
of a brick and how to work out course lengths and wall elevations to
ensure that there were no cuts in the brickwork.

To Architectural Technicians who's drawings have everything on them
that a builder needs to construct.

Some of my best friends and worst knightmares are Architects.

As you may have guessed, I'm a Structural Engineer. And I just know
that on the other side of the coin, there are Architects that can say
the same as I about Engineers.

Bottom Line, Chris if it's your dream, go for it, but listen to
everyone, All the people you come in contact with have something to
teach you. The road ahead is not easy, but if it were easy would you
want it ?

As for Mikes advice, I have given the same advice in the past,
regarding Structural Engineering - I would get paid more for being a
Traffic Engineer - or road Manager, or Planner. But I could not design
and install road calming systems all day, it would drive me crazy.

Bottom line you are at work for 1/3rd of your day after sleeping 1/3rd
the bit in the middle is spent getting too and comming from work,
whatever you do make sure it is something you are going to enjoy.

Because from 16 - 70 years old is a bloody long time (I'm 45 so trust
me..)

Alan (Cadalot)

 

I beat all those odds, Chris.

--


Michael Bulatovich, Architect
B.Arch., OAA, MRAIC
www.michaelbulatovich.com

 

So as an architect you say that I am better off staying as a designer?
Every Architect I speak to says something different, but the ones that are
my friends say to go for it. I will be going to Ryerson for the 4 year
undergrad program regardless. Whether I take that extra step for my
masters, I'll see when I get there. After being in school for 6 or 7 years
depending if I finish my last year of the college program we'll see how
strong my resolve is. I won't discount it yet.

Chris