Staircase tower

As a stairwell ( Austria: the stairwell ) is called a part of the building or space in a building in which a staircase is connecting several floors each other vertically.

The staircase is the vertical access all connected levels of a multi-storey building and is the functional component. In or on the staircase of additions are often brought to the lifts.

Terms

The ceiling of a stairway, the top horizontal ceiling, but not the soffit of platforms, is also called stair mirror. This is a reference to the term ceiling mirror.

Outboard staircase

External staircases are located on an outside wall and can therefore be naturally lit, ventilated and smoke extraction.

External staircases are outside the cubature of a building and are connected to the main building, usually over bridges or ridges. With them the protection from snow and ice should be noted

In the history of architecture, there was the design of the stair tower with round and polygonal ground plan, which contained a spiral staircase in the rule. Today, external staircases are rather functional and usually contain much safer walk two flights of stairs. Spiral staircases are problematic for admission as a fire escape.

Inside one staircase

Internal or internal staircases within the building cubature. They have no wall on the outside of the building, and therefore no way for the windows for natural light, natural ventilation and smoke extraction.

Escape staircase

The staircase is also used as an escape and rescue route for people who are located in the upper floors of a building. For reasons of preventive fire protection special demands are made by the appropriate licensing authorities to stairwells. These differ according to regional building codes as well as the building height and the type of use.

In particular, the staircase may not borrow any further functions that contain no fire loads and must be completed to use other units by appropriate doors. The simple staircase must be on the outside wall of the building and have on the stair landings windows that open.

A special form represents the security staircase, are placed on the particularly high demands, eg because no other escape route is available.

The use of any existing elevator is not allowed in case of fire in the rule.

Since collects in a stairwell by the chimney effect in case of fire the whole smoke at this highest point, provision must there by the window in the outer wall or smoke dampers in the ceiling are created to carry the smoke outside.

Architecture

In the architectural history of the main staircases were often decorated beautifully and served representative purposes mainly.

Construction

Shaft stairs are two flights of stairs underground with half landing and main landing, where a staircase wall is to be found instead of a stairwell. The flights of stairs can be superposed on both sides in the wall. This is the simplest form of construction. For reasons of impact sound insulation but other types of constructions are preferred today.

The flights of stairs can be separated on both sides of the staircase walls by a joint and superposed only on the platforms.

You may also be including the landings clamped in the wall between the flights of stairs and be completely separated by a gap from the surrounding walls.

Lighting

A stairway lighting shall be provided for safety reasons in each case. Even with stairs outdoor stairs lighting should be present in order. To enable turning on and off at the beginning and at the end of steps, appropriate electrical circuits to be used. It may also be useful to provide the lighting with a timer so that the lights will remain on for a sufficiently long period. The installation of a motion switch can be useful. On the market are also handrails with built-in light ( light in the handrail ), which directs the light directly on the treads and thus ensures additional safety.

Legal Aspects

In property law, the staircase is considered community property, because it is necessary for the existence and security of the building, if it is not located within an apartment but is necessary for the development of the apartment. Thus, the development stairs of all types of owners is jointly managed and maintained. Because the staircase is common property, an apartment owner can not convert a cloakroom and thereby give rise to a special right of ownership the area in front of his apartment door.