--- title: "Stair elements, ladders, lifts, elevators and ramps" subject: "Building Technology" chapter: 5 key: "semester_6/building_technology:stair-elements-ladders-lifts" source: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_6/building_technology/stair-elements-ladders-lifts site: BCT Engineering --- # Stair elements, ladders, lifts, elevators and ramps Building Technology · Chapter 5: Stair, lifts and escalators - Asked in: 2071 Bhadra, 8 marks - Video: [Standard size of staircase | Components of staircase | How to calculate number of risers |civil tuto](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQyl7EqnoCM) — Civil Tutor - Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort) on 2026-10-14 - Page: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_6/building_technology/stair-elements-ladders-lifts - Whole chapter: https://www.bctengineer.com/md/semester_6/building_technology/chapter-5 ## Question Describe essential elements of a stair. Define ladders, lifts and elevators and ramps. ## Short answer Stair elements: step, tread/riser, nosing, flight, landing, going/rise, waist slab, soffit, handrail, baluster, newel, headroom, winder, pitch line. Ladder: steep rungs (60-90 deg). Lift (elevator): mechanical car in shaft. Ramp: inclined plane with slope 1:12 for wheelchairs. ## Answer #### Essential elements of a stair A stair has the following essential elements: - **Step:** one riser plus one tread; steps are the basic unit. - **Tread and riser:** the tread is the horizontal surface (250-300 mm), the riser the vertical face (150-175 mm). - **Nosing:** the rounded projecting edge of the tread (about 25 mm). - **Flight:** an unbroken series of steps between landings (3 to 12 steps). - **Landing:** a level platform at the ends of a flight or between flights; quarter-space or half-space. - **Going and rise:** the horizontal and vertical measurements of a step or flight. - **Waist slab / stringer:** the inclined slab or beam which supports the steps. - **Soffit:** the underside of the flight. - **Handrail, baluster and newel post:** the balustrade that protects the open sides; the handrail is about 0.9 m high. - **Headroom:** the clear height above the steps (minimum about 2.0-2.2 m). - **Winder:** a tapered step used to turn the stair in a restricted space. - **Pitch line:** an imaginary line joining the nosings; its angle with the horizontal is the pitch. ```text handrail /| baluster newel /_|__ | | nosing riser |____|__ tread ______| going <---> ``` #### Ladder A **ladder** is a set of rungs (steps) fixed between two side rails, set at a steep slope (60-90 degrees). It gives access to lofts, roofs, water tanks and manholes, and is used for fire escape or maintenance. Fixed ladders are made of steel, timber or aluminium, with rungs 250-300 mm apart. A ladder takes little space but is steep, unsafe for children and the elderly, and not suitable for regular traffic. ```text | | |=| rung |=| |=| | | ``` #### Lift and elevator A **lift (elevator)** is a mechanical device which carries persons or goods between floors in a vertical shaft by a car moving on guide rails. Main parts: lift car, hoistway (shaft), guide rails, counterweight, wire ropes, traction machine and motor in the machine room (or machine-room-less), control panel, safety gear and buffers, landing doors and a pit. - Types by drive: electric traction, hydraulic and machine-room-less (MRL) lifts. - Types by use: passenger, goods (freight), hospital (bed), service and observation lifts. - Speed 0.5-1 m/s for low-rise and 1.5-2.5 m/s for high-rise buildings. Lifts are required in buildings of more than about 4-5 storeys (as per building bye-laws), and fire lifts in tall buildings. ```text machine room [motor] | | [CW] [CAR] | | | | <- guide rails ---pit--- ``` An **elevator** is the American term for a lift; both mean the same. #### Ramp A **ramp** is an inclined plane (without steps) connecting two floors at different levels; it carries wheelchairs, trolleys, bicycles, vehicles and stretchers. - Slope: 1 in 12 for wheelchairs (up to 1 in 10 only for short lengths), and about 1 in 8 to 1 in 10 for goods trolleys and vehicles. - Width at least 1.2 m (1.5 m in public buildings), with a level landing of at least 1.5 m x 1.5 m at the top, at the bottom, at turns and after every 9 m of ramp length (barrier-free design requirements). - Handrails at 0.8-0.9 m on both sides, a kerb or edge protection, and a non-slip surface. - Requires a long horizontal space: a rise of 1 m needs about 12 m of ramp. ```text ______ upper level /| / | rise ____/__| length = 12 x rise ``` ## Check yourself The answer's key points as multiple-choice questions, with the correct option and why. 1. Which is a part of a lift? A. Counterweight with guide rails and wire ropes B. Newel post C. Winder D. Purlin Answer: A. Lifts run a car on guide rails with counterweight, ropes and traction machine. (Key point: Lift parts) 2. How do a lift and an elevator differ? A. Elevator is hydraulic only B. They are the same; elevator is the American term C. Lift is only for goods D. Elevator is for ramps Answer: B. Both mean the same device. (Key point: Lift vs elevator) 3. Where is a ladder suitable? A. Main regular traffic B. Wheelchair access C. Occasional access such as lofts, tanks, manholes D. Hospital beds Answer: C. Ladders are steep and unsafe for regular use. (Key point: Ladder) 4. What is a ramp? A. A stepped flight B. A vertical shaft C. A rung ladder D. An inclined plane without steps connecting levels Answer: D. Ramps carry wheelchairs, trolleys and vehicles. 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