Coordination Checklist for Stair Design

COORDINATION CHECKLIST FOR STAIR DESIGN

SE University has compiled a Coordination Checklist for Stair Design to assist structural engineers in the coordination of stair design with architects and owners during the design phase. The range of design responsibility for the Structural Engineer of Record (SER) with respect to stair design varies amongst project size and region. Defining and documenting the limits of scope of work early on will help support the detailing and coordination effort throughout construction.

This checklist is intended to serve as an overall starting point for your design coordination efforts as the SER. Please customize as required to meet the needs of your specific project. Do you have additional items to include as part of this checklist? We welcome your feedback! Please email Cathleen Jacinto .

1.Early in the project, discuss and confirm the scope limits for the Structural Engineer of Record (SER) with the architect and owner. Who will design the following elements?

Stair stringers
Stair horizontal bracing as required
Stair posts and/or hangers (typically stair contractor)
Stair connections internal to the stair system (typically stair contractor)
Stair connections to the base building structure
Stair cladding support, if any
Stair roof framing, if any
Stair intermediate landing framing, if any
Stair handrail post and horizontal railing sizes

2.For items not designed by the SER, do the architectural or structural design drawings adequately specify that design elements are to be provided by others?

3.Confirm slab edge locations around the stair openings are consistent with architectural drawings.

Keep in mind that slab edge location could shift during construction when the final stair is submitted. Therefore, it is helpful to keep the beams around the perimeter of the opening a few inches away from assumed slab edge, while maintaining an acceptable slab edge cantilever, to allow for flexibility in slab edge location.

4.If it is in your scope to design any stair framing elements, check that the framing depth provides minimum clearance to landings or floors below. 7’-0” minimum clearance is common at landings. Coordinate with the architect.

5.Coordinate fire protection requirements with the architect. If fire protection piping is required below the stair, ensure sufficient clearance is provided.

6.Provide adequate detailing and/or notes in your drawings to address the load path and connection of framing provided by the Contractor to the base structural framing you provide.

If the stair stringer is designed by others, have you provided adequate detailing to receive the stair stringer connection? If you have a particular connection type that you require, show this in a detail or provide notes. For example, if the stair stringers frame into a CMU wall with a sizable reaction and you want to bear the stringers on a bearing plate, show this detail or provide a note on the drawings. Otherwise thestair supplier may provide a face mounted connection detail that may not be ideal for your loading condition.
It is important to also check this connection detail adequately covers your intended load path during the review of stair shop drawings.
Confirm your supporting framing can accommodate the beam depths and top of beam elevations provided by others.

7.Is a maximum eccentricity for any stair hanger, post, or stair stringer connection to the base building structure indicated on details?

8.Provide isolation to the stair structure from the adjacent structure if required by the owner. Is it desired that the stair be allowed to move independently from the adjacent structure?

9.In a steel stair, provide notes on drawings to coordinate bolt hole locations for stair stringer connections, stair post base plate connections, or stair hanger connections with the stair contractor prior to fabrication.

10.Check that stair framing or stair horizontal bracing connections do not conflict with tread support details that may be shown on architectural drawings.

11.Will the stair be enclosed by full-height cladding and/or a roof? If so, consider appropriate lateral loading, roof, and snow loading, and its load path to the base building structure you provide.

12.Consider the lateral load imposed by stair handrails and its load path to the base structure. Refer to IBC 2012, Section 1607.8.1.

13.Consider the weight of treads, risers, railing, cladding, and roof in stair superimposed dead loads.

14.Consider stair live load per your governing building code. Refer to IBC 2012, Table 1607.1 for minimum stair live uniform and concentrated loads.

15.If you are responsible for the design of stair elements, confirm strength and serviceability criteria are within acceptable limits for those elements. Particularly for atypical or long-span stairs, it is prudent to:

Confirm deflection criteria is acceptable to the owner
Confirm vibration criteria is acceptable to the owner. For steel stairs, refer to Chapter 4 of the AISC Design Guide 11.

16.If the stair stringers will support cladding, ensure the stair stringers and its supporting framing meet appropriate deflection and drift requirements for the cladding element.

17.If stair hangers will be utilized and your project is governed by IBC 2009, have the design loads due to the hanger imposed onto supporting framing been increased by 33% for impact per IBC 2009, Section 1607.8.2?Note this increaseis not required as of the second printing of IBC 2012 Section 1607.8. Confirm with your governing building code.

18.Are stair design loads indicated on drawings? Some engineers also prefer to show location of point loads on drawings to confirm with final stair contractor in the construction phase.

19.Check that all information noted as ‘See Structural’ on architectural stair drawings are noted on structural drawings.

20.Will the stair structure be exposed to view, and if so, should it be classified as AESS? Category 1, 2, 3, or Standard?

21.If the stair is exposed to view, coordinate paint requirements with the architect.

Page 1 of 4