STAIRCASE WORKING DRAWING
Architectural Detailing for Residential Buildings
A staircase is an essential means of vertical circulation in a building. It should be designed with due consideration to its proportion, convenience, safety, structural requirements, materials, and method of construction. In an architectural working drawing, the staircase should be represented sufficiently clearly to establish its geometry, levels, finishes, supporting arrangement, and constructional details.
The staircase should be considered in relation to the complete building and not as an isolated element. The position of beams, slabs, walls, openings, doors, windows, floor finishes, and services should be coordinated before the staircase drawing is finalized.
1. Elements of a Staircase
The principal components of a staircase are the riser, tread, nosing, flight, landing, handrail, balustrade, waist slab, and supporting members.
Riser is the vertical height between two consecutive treads.
Tread or going is the horizontal distance between the faces of two consecutive risers, measured in the direction of travel.
Nosing is the projecting portion of a tread beyond the face of the riser below.
Flight is a series of steps arranged continuously between two landings or between a landing and a floor.
Landing is a horizontal platform provided at the end of a flight or between two flights.
A pitch line is an imaginary line joining the nosings of consecutive steps.
The waist is the inclined structural slab supporting the steps in a conventional reinforced-concrete staircase.
Soffit is the underside of the staircase.
Handrail is provided to assist a person while ascending or descending the staircase.
A balustradeA handrail or guard is provided along an open side of a staircase to prevent accidental falling.
Headroom is the clear vertical distance between the pitch line or stair surface and the obstruction above.
2. Planning of a Staircase
The staircase should be planned after establishing the difference in finished floor levels between the two floors.
The following information should be determined before commencing the drawing:
Finished floor-to-floor height.
Available area for the staircase.
Required staircase width.
Type of staircase.
Riser and tread dimensions.
Number of risers.
Number and arrangement of flights.
Landing dimensions.
Stairwell opening.
Headroom.
Structural support.
Floor and stair finishes.
Handrail and balustrade arrangement.
The staircase should be designed from finished floor level to finished floor level. The thickness of floor finishes at the upper and lower floors should therefore be taken into account while establishing the final riser dimensions.
3. Proportion of Riser and Tread
The comfort of a staircase depends largely upon the relationship between the riser and tread.
A commonly adopted empirical relationship is
2R + T = 600 to 650 mm
where:
R = height of riser
T = tread or going
For example, if the riser is 150 mm and the tread is 300 mm:
2(150) + 300 = 600 mm
The above relationship provides a useful basis for preliminary design. It should, however, be used in conjunction with the dimensional requirements prescribed by the applicable building regulations.
A lower riser with a proportionately wider tread generally produces a more comfortable staircase, provided sufficient floor area is available.
4. Determination of Number of Risers
The number of risers is obtained by dividing the floor-to-floor height by the proposed riser.
For example:
Floor-to-floor height = 3000 mm
Assuming approximately 170 mm as the riser:
3000 / 170 = 17.65
The number of risers must therefore be adjusted to obtain an integral number and, consequently, an equal riser throughout the staircase.
If 18 risers are adopted:
3000 / 18 = 166.67 mm
Thus, the actual riser is approximately 167 mm.
The final number should be selected only after checking the available stairwell, tread dimension, flight arrangement, and applicable regulations.
Where a traditional preference for an odd number of risers is followed, the arrangement may be adjusted accordingly, provided that the resulting riser and tread dimensions remain suitable and compliant. The preference for an odd number of steps should not be treated as a statutory building requirement.
Uniformity of risers is essential. Differences between individual risers should not be introduced merely to absorb discrepancies at the top or bottom of the staircase.
5. Types of Staircases
Straight Staircase
A straight staircase consists of one continuous flight without a change in direction. It is simple in construction and easy to detail but requires comparatively greater horizontal space.
Dog-Legged Staircase
A dog-legged staircase consists of two flights arranged in opposite directions and connected by a landing. It is compact and is commonly adopted in residential buildings.
Open-Well Staircase
In an open-well staircase, the flights are arranged around an open space. It provides better visual connection between the floors and may allow natural light to enter the staircase.
Three-Quarter Turn Staircase
This arrangement consists of flights turning through approximately three quarters of a revolution. It may be adopted where the available plan area or circulation arrangement requires multiple changes in direction.
Bifurcated Staircase
A bifurcated staircase consists of a wider lower flight, which divides into two upper flights. It is generally associated with larger residential, institutional, or public buildings where sufficient floor area is available.
Spiral Staircase
A spiral staircase consists of steps arranged around a central vertical axis. It occupies comparatively little floor area but has limitations in respect of comfort, movement of furniture, and accessibility. It should therefore be used only after considering the intended function and applicable regulations.
Cantilever Staircase
In a cantilever staircase, the steps are supported from one side or from a concealed structural system. The apparent lightness of the staircase depends upon careful structural design and accurate execution.
6. Staircase Width
The width of a staircase is determined according to the occupancy, number of users, building regulations, and functional requirements.
For residential buildings, the applicable local regulations should be consulted before fixing the staircase width. The Karnataka Model Building Bye-Laws, for example, specify different minimum widths for different categories of buildings. The requirements for a dwelling, apartment building, and educational building are not identical.
The architect should also consider practical requirements such as movement of furniture, circulation at the landing, handrail projections, and emergency movement.
The clear width shown in the architectural drawing should correspond with the dimension intended to remain available for movement after considering relevant projections.
7. Landing
A landing should provide adequate space for comfortable movement and change of direction. Its dimensions should be coordinated with the width of the staircase and the arrangement of doors, walls, and other circulation elements.
The landing should not be treated merely as the residual area between two flights.
Particular attention should be given to doors opening towards the landing. The door leaf should not obstruct the movement of persons using the staircase.
The finished level of every landing should be clearly indicated in the section and plan wherever necessary.
8. Headroom
Headroom should be checked in the staircase section. The complete flight should be examined for possible obstruction from slabs, beams, landings, false ceilings, services, and other building elements.
The required clear headroom should be verified with the applicable building regulations. The Karnataka Model Building Bye-Laws contain specific provisions regarding minimum staircase headroom.
It is not sufficient to establish headroom only at the center of the staircase. The complete path of movement should be examined.
9. Structural Considerations
The architectural design of a staircase should be coordinated with its structural system.
Common forms of structural support include:
Reinforced concrete waist slab.
Beam-supported staircase.
Wall-supported staircase.
Landing-supported staircase.
Stringer-supported staircase.
Cantilevered staircase.
Folded-plate staircase.
The architectural drawing should establish the position and geometry of the staircase, while the structural design should determine the structural thickness, reinforcement, support conditions, and connections.
The architect should coordinate the following with the structural drawings:
Beam positions.
Slab openings.
Landing supports.
Wall supports.
Structural levels.
Stair thickness.
Reinforcement requirements.
Reinforcement should not be indicated arbitrarily in an architectural working drawing. Where reinforcement is designed separately, the architectural drawing should refer to the corresponding structural drawing.
10. Staircase Finishes
The finish of a staircase should be considered as part of the construction detail.
A typical finished RCC staircase may consist of:
Reinforced concrete structure.
Screed, mortar or adhesive layer as required.
Tread and riser finish.
Nosing or edge treatment.
Common finishes include granite, marble, natural stone, ceramic or vitrified tiles, timber,mortar, and exposed concrete.
The selected finish should be considered with respect to durability, slip resistance, cleaning, maintenance, and the possibility of damage at exposed edges.
The thickness of the finish should be coordinated with the calculated riser so that the finished risers remain uniform.
11. Nosing
The nosing should be shown clearly in the enlarged staircase detail.
The drawing should indicate the projection, material, edge profile, and anti-slip treatment where provided.
The nosing should be coordinated with the riser finish so that there is no unexpected reduction or increase in the effective tread.
For stone or tile finishes, the treatment of exposed edges should be specified rather than left to be determined during construction.
12. Handrail and Balustrade
The handrail and balustrade form part of the safety provision of the staircase and should be incorporated into the design at an early stage.
The working drawing should indicate:
Height.
Profile and section.
Material.
Finish.
Baluster arrangement.
Guarding.
Brackets.
Base fixing.
Connection to wall or structural member.
Where a metal railing is used, the fixing method should be clearly indicated. Where glass, timber, stone, or other materials are used, the supporting and fixing arrangement should be detailed separately.
A railing shown only as an elevation without a fixing detail is generally insufficient for construction purposes.
13. Staircase and Building Junctions
The following junctions should be considered carefully:
Stair and Floor
The first and last risers should be coordinated with the finished floor levels and floor finishes.
Stair and Landing
The structural connection, finish, and edge treatment should be established.
Stair and Wall
The junction between the stair finish, wall finish, skirting, and handrail support should be resolved.
Stair and Beam
The beam position should be checked for both structural requirements and headroom.
Railing and Slab
The fixing should be detailed so that the contractor can determine the method of installation without assumption.
These junctions are often more important in construction than the general appearance of the staircase.
14. Architectural Staircase Working Drawing
A complete architectural staircase working drawing should normally include the following.
Staircase Plan
The plan should indicate:
Staircase width.
Riser and tread arrangement.
Number of risers.
Number of treads.
Flight arrangement.
Landing.
Direction of movement.
Stairwell opening.
Finished floor levels.
Structural walls and supports.
Handrail and balustrade.
Relevant dimensions.
Staircase Section
The section should indicate:
Finished floor levels.
Landing levels.
Riser.
Tread.
Nosing.
Waist slab or structural system.
Structural support.
Floor finish.
Stair finish.
Headroom.
Handrail.
Balustrade.
Soffit.
Enlarged Details
Where necessary, enlarged details should be provided for:
Tread and nosing.
Stair and wall junction.
Stair and landing junction.
Stair and floor junction.
Handrail fixing.
Balustrade fixing.
Special structural connections.
A scale of 1:10 or 1:5 is generally appropriate for such details, depending upon the complexity of the construction.
15. Dimensioning of the Staircase
Dimensions should be arranged in a logical hierarchy.
Overall dimensions should establish the size of the staircase and stairwell.
Functional dimensions should establish the riser, tread, flight, and landing.
Construction dimensions should establish finishes, structural thicknesses, nosing, and railing components.
Levels should be clearly marked for the lower floor, intermediate landing, and upper floor.
Dimensions should not be duplicated unnecessarily. The objective is to provide sufficient information for setting out and construction while maintaining clarity of the drawing.
16. Common Errors in Staircase Drawings
Unequal Risers
The first and last risers are frequently affected by floor finishes. All finished risers should be checked after the complete floor build-up has been established.
Incorrect Tread Calculation
The number of treads should be derived from the actual arrangement of the flights, floors, and landings rather than assumed to be equal to the number of risers.
Ignoring Headroom
A staircase may satisfy the plan requirements while failing to provide sufficient clearance in section.
Beam Interference
Structural beams located above the staircase should be checked before finalizing the stair geometry.
Uncoordinated Stair Opening
The architectural opening should correspond with the structural slab opening.
Railing Without Fixing
The material and appearance of a railing are insufficient information for construction. Its support and fixing should also be detailed.
Ignoring Finish Thickness
Variation in floor or stair finish thickness can alter the final riser dimensions.
Poor Landing Arrangement
The landing should be coordinated with doors, corridors, and adjacent rooms.
Excessive Information
A working drawing should be sufficiently detailed but should not be overloaded with unnecessary dimensions or notes. Clarity is an important part of construction documentation.
17. Example: Residential Dog-Legged Staircase
Consider a residential building having a floor-to-floor height of 3000 mm.
Assume a preliminary riser of approximately 165–170 mm.
With 18 risers:
3000 / 18 = 166.7 mm
Therefore:
Number of risers = 18
Actual riser = 166.7 mm
If a tread of 280–300 mm is considered, the proportion should be checked using:
2R + T
For a 300 mm tread:
2(166.7) + 300 = 633.4 mm
This falls within the commonly adopted ergonomic range.
The 18 risers may then be divided between two flights according to the proposed landing arrangement. The exact number of treads should be established from the plan rather than assumed.
The resulting stair should subsequently be checked for:
Stair width.
Flight length.
Landing.
Headroom.
Floor finish.
Structural support.
Handrail.
Balustrade.
Applicable building regulations.
The example is intended to demonstrate the design procedure. Final dimensions should be established for the actual building and applicable regulations.
18. Codes and Reference Documents
The following documents should be referred to when preparing staircase drawings for Indian projects.
National Building Code of India, 2016
The National Building Code provides provisions relating to general building requirements, development control, fire and life safety, structural design, construction, and other building-related requirements. It should be read together with the regulations adopted by the relevant local authority.
Bureau of Indian Standards: https://www.bis.gov.in/standards/national-building-code/
IS 456 — Plain and Reinforced Concrete
Relevant to reinforced-concrete staircase construction and structural design. Architectural drawings should be coordinated with the structural design prepared in accordance with the applicable structural standards.
IS 875 — Design Loads for Buildings and Structures
Relevant for understanding imposed loads and other loading considerations applicable to building components.
Harmonized Guidelines and Space Standards for Universal Accessibility in India
Applicable where accessibility and barrier-free requirements are to be incorporated. The current applicable guidelines should be referred to along with local statutory requirements.
Local Building Regulations
The building bye-laws and development regulations applicable to the project location shall always be checked. Requirements may vary between states, municipalities, development authorities, and building occupancies.
For projects in Karnataka, the applicable Karnataka building regulations and subsequent amendments should be consulted.
19. Staircase Drawing Checklist
Before issuing a staircase working drawing, verify the following:
Planning
Floor-to-floor height established.
Stair type selected.
Stair width established.
Available stairwell checked.
Flight and landing arrangement finalised.its risers,
Geometry
Number of risers established.
All risers equfinalized.risers areal.
Tread dimension established.
Number of treads verified.
Flight length checked.
Landing dimensions checked.
Levels
Lower FFL indicated.
Landing FFL indicated.
Upper FFL indicated.
Floor finish thickness considered.
Structural levels coordinated.
Safety
Headroom checked.
Handrail provided.
Balustrade provided where required.
Nosing and edge treatment considered.
Slip resistance considered.
Fire and accessibility requirements checked where applicable.
Structure
Support condition established.
Beam and wall locations coordinated.
Slab opening coordinated.
Landing support coordinated.
Structural drawing referenced.
Construction
Tread finish specified.
Riser finish specified.
Nosing detailed.
Stair-wall junction detailed.
Stair-floor junction detailed.
Landing junction detailed.
Handrail fixing detailed.
Balustrade fixing detailed.
20. Conclusion
The aim of a staircase working drawing is to translate the architectural vision into precise construction details.The drawing should define the staircase's geometry, its connection to building levels, structural coordination, finishes, safety features, risers, and construction joints.
A well-prepared staircase drawing should enable the staircase to be laid out and built without needing major decisions on-site.
The crucial sequence is:
Establish levels → calculate risers → determine tread → arrange flights → design landing → check headroom → coordinate structure → detail finishes → detail railing → check regulations → prepare working drawing.
The quality of a staircase is judged not only by its look but also by the precision with which these individual elements are integrated.
Additional Data 001:
Project-Specific Drawing Conventions
The staircase working drawing should follow the general drawing conventions established for the project. Dimensions, levels, material indications, line weights, annotations and references should remain consistent throughout the architectural drawing set.
A. Drawing Number and Identification
Each staircase drawing should carry a unique drawing number and title.
The drawing title should clearly identify the element, for example:
STAIRCASE – PLAN AND SECTION
STAIRCASE – DETAIL
STAIRCASE – HANDRAIL DETAIL
Where more than one staircase occurs in a project, each should be identified separately, such as:
ST-01 – MAIN STAIRCASE
ST-02 – SERVICE STAIRCASE
The same identification should be maintained in plans, sections, schedules and detail references.
B. Levels
All staircase levels should follow the project datum.
The finished floor level should be identified as FFL, while structural levels may be identified separately where required.
For example:
±0.000 FFL
+1.500 LANDING FFL
+3.000 FFL
The same datum and notation should be used throughout the architectural drawing set. Levels should not be independently established for individual drawings.
Where a project uses a different level convention, such as GL, SSL, TOS or FFL, the established project convention should be followed consistently.
C. Dimensions
Dimensions should be expressed in the project-standard unit, generally millimetres for architectural working drawings unless otherwise specified.
The following should preferably be dimensioned:
Overall staircase width
Flight length
Landing dimensions
Riser
Tread
Structural opening
Relevant offsets
Handrail and balustrade dimensions
Important construction dimensions
Repeated dimensions should be avoided where the information is already clearly established.
Riser and tread dimensions should be written without ambiguity, for example:
R = 166.7 mm
T = 300 mm
Where a series of equal dimensions is involved, both the number of repetitions and the individual dimension should be clear.
D. Stair Direction
The direction of movement should be indicated in plan using the project's standard stair symbol and an UP indication.
The arrow should clearly indicate the direction in which the staircase rises.
Where necessary, the starting point of the flight may also be identified.
The same stair-direction convention should be maintained throughout the project.
E. Section Marking
The staircase plan should clearly indicate the location and direction of the section.
For example:
A–A
The corresponding drawing should be identified as:
SECTION A–A
Section markers should correspond exactly between the plan and section. The section should pass through the portion of the staircase necessary to explain its construction.
F. Detail References
Enlarged details should be identified using a consistent project convention.
For example:
D-01 – TREAD AND NOSING DETAIL
D-02 – HANDRAIL FIXING
D-03 – STAIR AND WALL JUNCTION
The detail reference shown on the staircase drawing should correspond exactly with the drawing or enlarged detail to which it refers.
G. Line Weight
Line weights should follow the project's established CAD or BIM graphic convention.
As a general principle, elements cut by the section plane should have the strongest line weight. Elements immediately beyond the section should have a medium line weight, while background elements should be represented with lighter lines.
Dimensions, extension lines and construction lines should remain lighter than the building elements.
Hidden elements should follow the project's established hidden-line convention.
The purpose of line-weight hierarchy is to establish depth and make construction information immediately legible.
H. Materials and Hatching
Materials shown in section should follow the project's standard hatch patterns.
Typical materials may include:
Reinforced concrete
Masonry
Stone
Brickwork
Metal
Timber
Glass
Insulation
Screed or mortar
The same hatch convention should be maintained throughout the project.
Material hatching should represent the actual construction material and should not be used merely as graphic filling. Where the hatch is not sufficiently clear, the material should be labelled.
I. Annotation Convention
Annotations should be concise and construction-oriented.
Examples include:
20 mm THK GRANITE TREAD
10 mm THK GLASS BALUSTRADE
MS HANDRAIL, PAINT FINISH
RCC WAIST SLAB – REFER STRUCTURAL DRAWING
ANTI-SKID FINISH TO TREAD
Material, thickness and finish should be stated wherever they affect construction.
J. Structural References
Where structural information is contained in a separate drawing, the architectural staircase drawing should clearly refer to it.
For example:
REFER STRUCTURAL DRAWING S-05 FOR RCC STAIRCASE AND REINFORCEMENT DETAILS.
Structural information should not be duplicated unnecessarily where it is already fully documented in the structural drawing. However, sufficient architectural information should be provided to establish proper coordination between the two drawings.
K. Finish References
Staircase finishes should follow the project's material coding system where one exists.
For example:
FL-03 – GRANITE FLOOR FINISH
ST-02 – GRANITE STAIR FINISH
HR-01 – MS HANDRAIL
The same codes should be used in the relevant material schedules.
L. Existing and Proposed Work
For renovation or alteration projects, existing, demolished and proposed elements should be represented according to the established project convention.
The drawing should clearly distinguish between:
Existing construction
Demolition
Proposed construction
Retained elements
This distinction is particularly important where an existing staircase is being modified or extended.
M. Drawing Revision
Any change to staircase geometry, levels, finishes, structural openings or railing should be recorded through the project revision system.
The revision record should identify:
Revision number or letter
Date
Description of change
Issue or approval status, where applicable
A staircase drawing should not be revised independently of the coordinated architectural and structural drawing set.
N. Drawing Issue and Coordination
Before issuing the staircase drawing, it should be checked against the latest architectural plans, sections, structural drawings and relevant schedules.
Particular attention should be given to:
Floor levels
Stairwell dimensions
Beam positions
Slab openings
Door locations
Floor finish thickness
Stair finishes
Railing locations
Structural supports
Relevant service installations
The staircase drawing should correspond to the latest approved architectural geometry.
O. Drawing Identification
The staircase drawing should contain the standard project information within the title block, including:
Project Name
Project Number
Drawing Number
Drawing Title
Scale
Date
Revision
Drawn By
Checked By
Approved By
Issue Status
Where applicable, the drawing should also identify the consultants responsible for structural, services or other coordinated information.
P. General Principle
Drawing conventions should be established at the beginning of a project and followed consistently throughout the drawing set.
Their purpose is not merely to maintain graphical uniformity. A consistent convention enables the architect, consultant, contractor and site personnel to read and interpret the drawings in the same manner.
A staircase drawing should therefore be considered part of the complete project documentation rather than as an independent drawing.
Consistency in notation, levels, dimensions, line weights, material references and detail numbering is essential for clear and reliable construction documentation.
Additional Data 002
Project Drawing Convention Template
The following template may be adopted as the standard drawing convention for a project. The project architect should establish these conventions at the commencement of documentation and maintain them consistently throughout the drawing set.
A. Project Information
Item | Project Convention |
Project Name | ______________________________ |
Project Number | ______________________________ |
Client | ______________________________ |
Location | ______________________________ |
Drawing Package | Architectural / Working Drawing |
Drawing Series | ______________________________ |
Drawing Number | ______________________________ |
Drawing Title | ______________________________ |
Scale | ______________________________ |
Drawing Status | Preliminary / Tender / GFC / As-Built |
Revision | ______________________________ |
Date | ______________________________ |
Drawn By | ______________________________ |
Checked By | ______________________________ |
Approved By | ______________________________ |
B. Drawing Units
Item | Project Convention |
General dimensions | mm |
Levels | m / mm |
Structural dimensions | mm |
Areas | sq.m |
Detailed fabrication dimensions | mm |
Angles | Degrees |
The unit system should be established at the beginning of the project. If dimensions are expressed in millimetres without a unit suffix, this should be stated in the drawing notes or title block.
General Note:
Unless otherwise specified, all dimensions are in millimetres and all levels are in metres.
C. Level Convention
Level Type | Abbreviation | Example |
Finished Floor Level | FFL | ±0.000 |
Structural Slab Level | SSL | -0.150 |
Top of Slab | TOS | +3.000 |
Bottom of Slab | BOS | +2.850 |
Ground Level | GL | -0.450 |
Finished Ground Level | FGL | -0.300 |
Landing Level | LL | +1.500 |
The project should use only those abbreviations that are necessary and should maintain the same terminology throughout the drawing set.
Project Datum: ______________________________
Reference Level: ___________________________
D. Staircase Identification
Where more than one staircase occurs in a project, each staircase should be assigned a unique identification.
Staircase | Identification |
Main staircase | ST-01 |
Secondary staircase | ST-02 |
Service staircase | ST-03 |
External staircase | ST-04 |
The selected identification should remain unchanged across:
Architectural plans.
Staircase plans.
Staircase sections.
Detail drawings.
Door schedules where relevant.
Structural drawings.
Material schedules.
Specifications.
E. Drawing Numbering
A simple project numbering system may be adopted as follows:
Drawing Type | Suggested Code |
General arrangement | GA |
Floor plan | FP |
Elevation | EL |
Section | SEC |
Staircase | ST |
Enlarged detail | D |
Door schedule | DS |
Window schedule | WS |
Finish schedule | FS |
Structural reference | S |
Example:
A-ST-01
Architectural staircase drawing, Staircase 01.
A-ST-02
Architectural staircase drawing, Staircase 02.
A-D-05
Architectural enlarged detail, Detail 05.
The actual numbering system should be adapted to the office or project documentation standard.
F. Staircase Drawing Set
A typical staircase drawing package may be organised as follows:
Drawing No. | Description | Scale |
A-ST-01 | Staircase Plan | 1:50 |
A-ST-02 | Staircase Section | 1:50 |
A-ST-03 | Staircase Enlarged Details | 1:10 |
A-ST-04 | Tread and Nosing Detail | 1:5 / 1:10 |
A-ST-05 | Handrail and Balustrade Detail | 1:10 |
A-ST-06 | Stair-Wall and Landing Junctions | 1:10 |
The number of drawings should be determined according to the complexity of the staircase.
G. Section and Detail References
Section Convention
Example:
A–A
B–B
C–C
The same reference must appear on the plan and corresponding section.
Detail Convention
Example:
D-01
D-02
D-03
Each detail reference should correspond to one clearly identifiable enlarged detail.
H. Dimension Convention
The following dimensioning system may be adopted:
Information | Convention |
Riser | R = ___ |
Tread | T = ___ |
Stair width | SW = ___ |
Landing | L = ___ |
Floor-to-floor | FFL–FFL |
Structural thickness | As dimensioned |
Finish thickness | As dimensioned |
Example:
R = 166.7
T = 300
STAIR WIDTH = 1200
FFL +0.000 TO FFL +3.000
The dimensioning convention should clearly distinguish between overall, functional and construction dimensions.
I. Line Weight Convention
The office/project CAD standard should establish the line-weight hierarchy.
A typical arrangement may be:
Element | Suggested Line Weight |
Section cut | 0.50–0.70 mm |
Primary visible elements | 0.35–0.50 mm |
Secondary elements | 0.25–0.35 mm |
Furniture/background | 0.13–0.18 mm |
Dimensions | 0.13–0.18 mm |
Hatching | 0.09–0.13 mm |
Centre lines | 0.13–0.18 mm |
Hidden lines | 0.13–0.18 mm |
The exact values may vary according to the office CAD/BIM standard.
The important principle is that elements cut by the section plane should read more strongly than elements beyond the section.
J. Material Convention
Material | Hatch / Code | Project Specification |
RCC | ______ | ______ |
Brick masonry | ______ | ______ |
Block masonry | ______ | ______ |
Stone | ______ | ______ |
Granite | ______ | ______ |
Marble | ______ | ______ |
Tile | ______ | ______ |
Timber | ______ | ______ |
Steel | ______ | ______ |
Glass | ______ | ______ |
Material codes should correspond with the project's material or finish schedule.
For example:
ST-01 — 20 mm Granite Stair Finish
HR-01 — MS Handrail
BR-01 — Stainless Steel Balustrade
K. Stair Finish Convention
Component | Material Code | Finish |
Tread | ST-___ | __________ |
Riser | ST-___ | __________ |
Landing | FL-___ | __________ |
Nosing | NS-___ | __________ |
Skirting | SK-___ | __________ |
Handrail | HR-___ | __________ |
Balustrade | BR-___ | __________ |
This schedule should be coordinated with the project's finish schedule.
L. General Staircase Notes
The following notes may be incorporated into the staircase drawing where applicable:
All dimensions are in millimetres unless otherwise specified.
All levels are with respect to the project datum.
Verify all dimensions at site before commencement of work.
Do not scale the drawing. Only written dimensions shall be followed.
Staircase dimensions shall be coordinated with the latest architectural and structural drawings.
All risers shall be maintained uniform within the flight.
Floor and stair finish thicknesses shall be considered while setting out the staircase.
Structural reinforcement shall be executed strictly in accordance with the structural drawings.
Any discrepancy between drawings shall be brought to the notice of the architect before execution.
All materials and finishes shall conform to the approved specifications and material samples.
Not every note needs to appear on every drawing. The project architect should retain only those notes relevant to the particular drawing.
M. Revision Convention
Revision | Date | Description | Prepared | Checked | Approved |
P01 | ______ | Preliminary issue | ______ | ______ | ______ |
R01 | ______ | Revised staircase geometry | ______ | ______ | ______ |
R02 | ______ | Finish revision | ______ | ______ | ______ |
R03 | ______ | Construction issue | ______ | ______ | ______ |
Revision descriptions should be concise and should identify the nature of the change.
N. Drawing Status
Each drawing should clearly indicate its issue status.
Possible statuses include:
PRELIMINARY
FOR APPROVAL
FOR TENDER
FOR CONSTRUCTION
GOOD FOR CONSTRUCTION — GFC
AS-BUILT
The issue status should be coordinated with the project's document-control system.
O. Drawing Review Checklist
Before issuing the staircase drawing, the responsible architect should confirm:
Check | Status |
Floor-to-floor levels verified | □ |
Stair width verified | □ |
Riser verified | □ |
Tread verified | □ |
Number of risers verified | □ |
Flight arrangement verified | □ |
Landing verified | □ |
Headroom checked | □ |
Structural opening coordinated | □ |
Beam locations coordinated | □ |
Floor finishes coordinated | □ |
Stair finishes specified | □ |
Handrail detailed | □ |
Balustrade detailed | □ |
Nosing detailed | □ |
Relevant sections provided | □ |
Enlarged details provided | □ |
Structural reference verified | □ |
Applicable regulations checked | □ |
Drawing number verified | □ |
Revision verified | □ |
Title block completed | □ |
Project Convention Record
For office use, the following information may be completed once and retained as part of the project documentation standard.
Project Name: ______________________________________
Project Number: ____________________________________
Drawing Units: ______________________________________
Project Datum: ______________________________________
Level Convention: ___________________________________
Staircase Identification: ______________________________
Drawing Numbering System: ___________________________
Dimensioning Standard: _______________________________
Line-Weight Standard: ________________________________
Hatching Standard: __________________________________
Material Coding: ____________________________________
Revision System: ____________________________________
Drawing Status Convention: ___________________________
CAD/BIM Template: __________________________________
Architectural Drawing Standard: _______________________
Structural Drawing Reference: ________________________
Prepared By: ________________________________________
Checked By: _________________________________________
Approved By: ________________________________________
Date: _______________________________________________
General Principle
The project convention should be established before detailed documentation begins. Once adopted, the same convention should be followed throughout the architectural, structural, and consultant drawing sets wherever coordination is required.
A consistent drawing convention reduces ambiguity, simplifies checking, and enables drawings prepared by different members of the project team to be read as a single coordinated set of documents.
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