Staircases provide means of movement from one floor to another in a structure. Staircases
consist of a number of steps with landings at suitable intervals to provide comfort and safety
for the users.

Types of Stairs
For purpose of design, stairs are classified into two types; transversely, and longitudinally
supported.
a- Transversely supported (transverse to the direction of movement):
Transversely supported stairs include:
§ Simply supported steps supported by two walls or beams or a combination of both.
§ Steps cantilevering from a wall or a beam.
§ Stairs cantilevering from a central spine beam.
b- Longitudinally supported (in the direction of movement):
These stairs span between supports at the top and bottom of a flight and unsupported at the
sides. Longitudinally supported stairs may be supported in any of the following manners:
a. Beams or walls at the outside edges of the landings.
b. Internal beams at the ends of the flight in addition to beams or walls at the outside edges of
the landings.
c. Landings which are supported by beams or walls running in the longitudinal direction.
d. A combination of (a) or (b), and (c).

e. Stairs with quarter landings associated with open-well stairs.