What is a Flight of Stairs? A flight of stairs is defined as two or more steps linked together by common risers and treads.
Highlights. A typical flight of stairs has 13 to 16 steps. The average length (vertical height) of a flight is 8 1/2 to 11 feet. Your local building codes impact the number of steps and other dimensions.
Have you ever heard of a “flight” of stairs? This term is defined as an uninterrupted series of steps. This can mean the set of stairs between floors or those between landings. There's really no set rule for what can be called a flight of stairs.
Determine the height of each step: Decide on the desired height of each step. Building codes typically specify a maximum height of 7.75 inches (19.7 cm) per step. Divide the total rise by the desired height of each step to get the number of steps needed.
Stairways clearances
Stairways shall be ≥ 600mm wide inside the stiles and it is to have a minimum clearance of 550mm between rails. For stair landing; the width of the landing shall not be less than the stairway width and a minimum of 600 mm clear of cross-traffic, door swing or any other structure.
So to calculate the number of treads (steps) you will need, we simply take the height to deck measurement and then divide this figure by 175 (rise height).
What is code for rise and run of stairs? The 2018 IBC building code for rise and run of stairs is a maximum 7" rise and minimum 11" run (tread depth). The OSHA standard for rise and run of stairs is maximum 9.5" rise and minimum 9.5" run (tread depth). The IBC maximum rise of a single stair flight is 12.
The floor is the whole level space of a building - literally, a 'floor'. A flight of stairs is a means of access from one floor to another floor. A flight of stairs cannot be a 'floor', and a floor is not a flight of stairs.
A stair flight is a run of stairs or steps between landings. A staircase or stairway is one or more flights of stairs leading from one floor to another, and includes landings, newel posts, handrails, balustrades and additional parts.
The students climbed three flights of stairs (60 steps) three times a day with one to four hours recovery between bouts — a protocol they followed three days a week for six weeks.
The number of steps in a flight of stairs is generally 13 to 15 for residences. This number is rather common due to the ceiling height being either 8 ft. or 9 ft. for most buildings. The international residential code does not stipulate an exact number of steps for buildings.
It depends on the height of the ceilings. A normal residential 8-foot ceiling would have 12 steps. Higher ceilings would have more, and more than about 15 steps would normally be divided into 2 flights with a landing in the middle.
The recommended maximum number of steps between landings is 18, with no more than two flights without a change of direction. The depth of any landing should be at least equal to the width of the stairs.
Stair landing should be provided at the top and bottom of each flight of exterior and interior stairs.
Most buildings only have one staircase, but some large buildings might have 2 or 3 separate staircases. One "flight of stairs" connects two floors. For example, between the ground floor and the 2nd floor is one flight of stairs; between the 2nd and 3rd floor is another flight, and so on.
Handrail height for stairs according to the Australian standards is the height of a handrail above the floor or the nosing of a stair tread, shall be no less than 865mm. On a landing where fall from height is significant the height of the guardrail must be at least 1000 mm.
The edge of treads should be visible against the background. Slip resistant nosings can be added to meet these standards. Treads must be solid if the stairway is more than 10 metres high or connects more than 3 stories. Additionally, the tread depth must be greater than or equal to 185mm.
At and below the handrail height, the required width of the stairway, including treads and landings, is only 27 inches (686 mm) if handrails are installed on each side, and only 31-1/2 inches (800 mm) if there is only one handrail installed.
For school buildings, the preferred rise is 150 mm and the preferred going is 280 mm. For dwellings, for external tapered stairs that are part of the buildings, the going should be a minimum of 280 mm.
Stair Dimensions and Calculations
The general rule of thumb says the sum of two risers and a tread should be equal to 24" to 25". Therefore, a stair with 6½" risers needs 12" treads, while one with 7¼" risers should have 10½" treads.
Does the landing count as a step? Yes it does. It amazes me how many people like to argue this one. Remember that when counting stairs, you are counting how many times you have to lift your foot.
For general access stairs a maximum allowance of 12 steps before a landing is required. With utility stairs, a maximum of 16 steps is allowed before a landing.
7.3, states that a flight of stairs shall not have a vertical rise greater than 12 feet 7 inches (3835 mm or 151 inches) between floor levels or landings. The code also states that there are exceptions to this vertical height limit.