IES60790B2 - A stairway - Google Patents

Description

A Stairway This invention relates to a stairway, and in particular to a stairway for a domestic dwelling.

Stairways in houses are commonly of wooden construction. One drawback of wooden stairways is the fact that in the event of a fire in the building the stairway itself may readily easily burn, thus cutting off an escape route to people in an upper floor of the building.

The present invention is directed towards overcoming this problem.

According to the invention there is provided a concrete stairway for a building, comprising a number of individual precast concrete steps mounted between an associated pair of spaced-apart walls of the building to form a flight of steps, each step being built-in to each of the walls.

Thus, advantageously the stairway is fireproof to provide a possible escape route for persons in the building in the event of fire within the building. A further advantage of the precast concrete step is the fact that they are relatively cheap and easy to produce.

Further, as each step is built into the building structure advantageously during construction of the building the need for ladders is reduced, the stairway being provided as the walls go up allowing access to the upper floor of the building. Thus, the upper floor is more readily and more safely accessible to construction workers.

In a preferred embodiment each step is of reinforced concrete material and is L-shaped in section having a substantially horizontal tread portion with an upright - 2 riser portion adjacent a front edge or a rear edge of the tread portion.

In a particularly preferred embodiment each step has a substantially horizontal tread portion with an upright 5 riser portion depending downwardly at a front edge of the tread portion, a reinforcing steel bar being mounted within the riser portion adjacent the lower end of the riser portion extending between side edges of the riser portion.

In a further embodiment at least some of the steps are provided with means for mounting a balustrade thereto. Said means may comprise one or more through holes in a step for through passage of one or more mounting bolts to secure a balustrade to the step.

In an alternative arrangement said means may comprise a fastener element embedded in a step for attachment of the balustrade. This fastener element may conveniently be provided by a bolt projecting outwardly of the step for engagement with the balustrade. In another arrangement 20 the fastener element is a nut mounted in the step for securing the balustrade thereto by means of an associated mounting bolt.

In another aspect the invention provides a precast reinforced concrete step for a stairway as described above. Preferably the step is of reinforced concrete material and is L-shaped in section having a substantially horizontal tread portion with an upright riser portion adjacent a front edge or a rear edge of the tread portion.

In a particularly preferred embodiment the step has a substantially horizontal tread portion with an upright riser portion depending downwardly at the front edge of the tread portion, a reinforcing steel bar being mounted within the riser portion adjacent the lower end of the riser portion extending between side edges of the riser portion.

In a further embodiment the step is provided with means for mounting a balustrade thereto. Conveniently said means may comprise one or more through holes in the step for through passage of one or more mounting bolts to secure the balustrade to the step.

Alternatively in some cases said means may comprise a fastener element embedded in the step for attachment of the balustrade.

In another embodiment, the fastener element comprises a bolt projecting outwardly of the step for engagement with the balustrade.

In another embodiment, the fastener element is a nut mounted in the step for securing a balustrade thereto by means of an associated mounting bolt.

In a still further aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for constructing a stairway in a building, comprising; forming a number of individual precast reinforced concrete steps; constructing a pair of spaced-apart block walls for the building, building a number of the steps into the walls, spanning the walls, as the walls are being erected to form a stairway extending upwardly between the walls and integrally formed therewith.

Preferably the walls are of block or brick construction and each step is mounted between associated courses of 5 blocks or bricks in each of the walls.

The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description of some embodiments thereof, given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:10 Fig. 1 is a perspective view of portion of a stairway according to the invention provided in a building; Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of portion of the stairway; Fig. 3 is a side sectional elevational view of a step 15 forming portion of the stairway; and Fig. 4 is a detail partially sectional front elevational view showing portion of a step of another stairway.

Referring to the drawings, and initially to Figs. 1 to 3 20 thereof, there is illustrated a stairway for a building according to the invention indicated generally by the reference numeral 1. The stairway 1 comprises a number of precast reinforced concrete steps 2 mounted in a row to form a flight of steps, each step 2 being mounted 25 between two spaced-apart block walls 4, 5 in the building, the steps 2 being built into each wall 4, 5.

Each step 2 is L-shaped in cross-section having a horizontal tread portion 7 and an upright riser portion 8 extending perpendicularly downwardly at a front edge of the tread portion 7. A reinforcing steel bar 9 (Fig. 3) is embedded in the riser portion 8 adjacent a lower end of the riser portion 8 extending between side edges of the riser portion 8.

As the building is being constructed the walls 4, 5 are built together. One of the steps 2 is laid on and extends between each corresponding course of blocks in the walls 4, 5. It will be noted that the riser portion 8 of each step 2 overlies a free end 10 of the tread portion 7 of the step 2 immediately below it. An in-fill of mortar 11 may be provided to seal any gap between adjacent steps 2.

In the embodiment of Fig. 1 the inner support wall 5 does not extend above the steps 2. A balustrade 14 may be attached, for example by bolts 16, to the inner support wall 5 to support a hand rail (not shown). A hand rail 18 may also be mounted on the outer support wall 4.

Referring now to Fig. 4 portion of another stairway is shown. Parts similar to those in the stairway of Figs. 1 to 3 are assigned the same reference numerals. In this case each step 2 overhangs the inner support wall 5. At an inner end of at least some of the steps 2 a through hole 18 is provided for through passage of a bolt or screw 19 to secure a balustrade 20 to the step 2.

It will be appreciated that the stairway according to the invention can be readily, easily and cheaply produced. It can conveniently be in-built in the building structure as the walls are constructed. This advantageously will reduce the need for ladders during construction as the stairway is built at the same time as the walls giving access to the next upper floor.

Advantageously also the stairway is fireproof and thus will greatly improve the chances for persons in an upper floor to escape from the building in the event of fire. The stairway is also quieter in use than a wooden 5 stairway.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments hereinbefore described which may be varied in both construction and detail.

Claims (5)

CLAIMS:

1.

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5. A concrete stairway for a building, comprising a number of individual precast concrete steps mounted between an associated pair of spaced-apart walls of the building to form a flight of steps, each step being built-in to each of the walls. A stairway as claimed in claim 1, wherein each step is of reinforced concrete material and is Lshaped in section having a substantially horizontal tread portion with an upright riser portion adjacent a front edge or a rear edge of the tread portion, preferably each step has a substantially horizontal tread portion with an upright riser portion depending downwardly at a front edge of the tread portion, a reinforcing steel bar being mounted within the riser portion adjacent a lower end of the riser portion extending between side edges of the riser portion, and optionally some of the steps being provided with means for mounting a balustrade thereto. A stairway substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. A precast reinforced concrete step substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings . A method for constructing a stairway in a building, comprising: forming a number of individual precast reinforced concrete steps; constructing a pair of spaced-apart block walls in the building, building a number of the steps into the walls, spanning the walls, as the walls are being erected to form a 5 stairway extending upwardly between the walls and integrally formed therewith, preferably each wall being a block or brick wall, each step being mounted between associated courses of blocks or bricks in each wall.