Modeling of Staircase and Its Effect on the Seismic Performance of RCC Building

Abstract

A stair is a convenient means of access between the floors of a building. It is constructed to provide ready, easy, comfortable and safe ascent/descent with series of steps that are neither laborious nor difficult to climb within an enclosure called stairwell (staircase). The main objectives of the stair is that it Should be constructed of materials that are capable of maintaining strength and stability for a period of time sufficient to escape to the outside and able to support for movement between floors, including dead and imposed load. The proper protection and design of stairs is necessary to avoid earthquake hazards resulting from their failure. The work presents simple analysis methods that guides about the failure mechanisms, type of damages, and comparison of results for both the buildings i.e. with and without staircase models. On the basis of results obtained and comparing them for both the buildings it is concluded that proper emphasis should be given to stair modelling and its detrimental effects to avoid complete stair failure or serious damages to its component parts.