Standard Stair Dimensions South Africa
Geppe Warton
This South African standard was approved by National Committee SABS TC 59, Construction standards, in accordance with procedures of the SABS Standards Division, in compliance with annex 3 of the WTO/TBT agreement.
Compliance with the requirements of this document will be deemed to be compliance with the requirements of part M of the National Building Regulations, issued in terms of the National Building Regulations and Building Standards Act, 1977 (Act No. 103 of 1977).
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies. Information on currently valid national and international standards can be obtained from the SABS Standards Division.
regulation that sets out in qualitative terms what is required of a building or building element or building component in respect of a particular characteristic, without specifying the method of construction, dimensions or materials to be used
person who has long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, might hinder his full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others
part of a building which provides a route of travel between different levels in such building and is formed by a single flight or by a combination of two or more flights and one or more intervening landings
NOTE 1 SANS 10400-S reduces the rise of the step, increases the width of the stairway and the length of the landing, requires solid risers where stairs overlap the next lower tread, and requires handrails on both sides of the stairway.
NOTE 2 SANS 10400-T, in the case of emergency routes, increases the width of stairways, prohibits the use of spiral stairways, and requires solid risers on any occupancy class of building other than D4.
4.2.4 No door shall open onto a stairway unless such door opens onto a landing and the width of such landing is not less than that of such door. The position of the door relative to the landing and its direction of opening shall be such that it does not obstruct the flow of persons on the stairway when in the fully open position.
4.2.6 The going and width of any tread shall be not less than 250 mm, provided that where the stairway does not have solid risers, each tread shall overlap the next lower tread by not less than 25 mm (see figure 2).
4.2.7 The variation in the dimensions of the risers and the goings of the treads in any one flight shall be not more than 6 mm, provided that this requirement shall not be construed as prohibiting the use of tapered treads in the same flight as non-tapered treads.
4.3.1 Any flight of steps which contains more than three risers shall have protection on both sides provided by a secure wall, screen, railing or balustrade which shall be not less than 1 m high and so erected that any such wall, screen, railing or balustrade in any occupancy classified as E2, E3, E4, H1, H2, H3, H4 or H5 shall not have any opening above the pitch line that permits the passage of a 100 mm diameter ball; provided that such protection in any occupancy that is not an occupancy classified as E2, E3, E4, H1, H2, H3, H4 or H5 shall consist of at least a handrail and one other rail midway between such handrail and the stair tread.
4.3.2 Any flight of stairs which contains more than five risers shall be provided with at least one continuous handrail extending the full length of such flight, provided that this requirement shall not apply to any building classified as H4, or within individual dwelling units in an occupancy classified as H3.
Masonry stairways and landings in occupancies classified as H3 and H4 in single-storey and double-storey buildings shall be in accordance with the provisions of figure 5 and the relevant requirements of SANS 2001-CM1 and SANS 2001-CC1 or SANS 2001-CC2.
4.5.1 Timber stringer beams to support timber treads in stairway construction that does not exceed 1,2 m in width in occupancies classified as H3 and H4 in single-storey and double-storey buildings, shall be of minimum size 48 mm 225 mm, of grade 5, comply with the requirements of SANS 1460 or SANS 1783-2, and be sufficiently free of warp in any direction to be fit for purpose.
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Differences in platform height (and platform gap) can pose a risk for passenger safety. Differences between platform height and train floor height may also make boarding much more difficult, or impossible, for wheelchair-using passengers and people with other mobility impairments, increasing station dwell time as platform or staff are required to deploy ramps to assist boarding. Platform ramps, steps, and platform gap fillers together with hazard warnings such as "mind the gap" are used to reduce risk and facilitate access. Platform height affects the loading gauge (the maximum size of train cars), and must conform to the structure gauge physical clearance specifications for the system. Tracks which are shared between freight and passenger service must have platforms which do not obstruct either type of railroad car.
To reduce construction costs, the platforms at stations on many railway systems are of low height, making it necessary for passenger cars to be equipped with external steps or internal stairs allowing passengers access to and from car floor levels. When railways were first introduced in the 19th century, low platforms were widely used from the 1880s, especially in rural areas, except in the United Kingdom. Over the years, raised platforms have become far more widespread, and are almost universal for high-speed express routes and universal in cities on commuter and rapid transit lines. Raised platforms on narrow gauge railways can prevent track gauge conversion to standard gauge or broad gauge.
The height of platforms on the Disneyland Resort line and the urban lines are 1,100 mm (43.307 in). The urban lines include the Tsuen Wan line, Kwun Tong line, Tseung Kwan O line, Island line, and South Island line.
Trains at Hong Kong West Kowloon railway station travel along the XRL on China's high-speed rail system and so must be compliant with the platform height standard of 1,250 mm (49.213 in) above the rail.
In at least one case, with the E721 series EMU used on JR East lines in the Tohoku region, the floor of the train itself is lowered to be nearly level to existing 920 mm (36.2 in) platforms. This makes level boarding feasible at many stations (and boarding less of a hassle at stations with the lowest 760 mm (29.9 in) platforms). However, this (along with a different standard of electrification) also makes through service southward to Tokyo impossible, and prevents them from running on certain through lines, such as the Senseki-Tohoku Line, since the Senseki Line portion uses the higher 1,100 mm (43.3 in) platforms (and DC electrification).
In contrast to the above standards, the standard gauge Shinkansen (Bullet Train) has, since its original inception, used only 1,250 mm (49.2 in) platforms. However, exceptions from this include the "Mini-Shinkansen" Yamagata Shinkansen and Akita Shinkansen lines, which use 1,100 mm (43.3 in) platforms to maintain compatibility with conventional JR trainsets.
Korail adopted 550 mm (21.7 in) high platforms to operate KTX. Typically, older platforms are lower than 500 mm. For metro trains, higher platforms which height after 1,135 mm (44.7 in)[7] are used. Nuriro trains are using mechanical steps to allow both type of platforms. Korail has a long-term plan to change platform standards to higher platforms; both KTX-Eum and EMU-320 are designed to use higher platforms.
Previously, the Philippine National Railways had lower platforms prior to the 2009 reconstruction of its network. Some stations such as Santa Mesa have its 200 mm (7.9 in) curb height platforms still intact as of 2020, while others such as Naga and EDSA have 760 mm (29.9 in) platforms built during the early 2000s.
Old railway platforms are usually less than 500 mm (20 in) in height. New platforms along double tracking projects, red line projects, and metro stations are built at 1,100 mm (43.3 in) height. Bang Bamru railway station is built with both high and low platforms.
Belgium has been using mixed type of platform heights (due to the age of the network, and the different companies running it before 1923). As of 2017 the most common platform heights for small stop places and stations are low platform heights of 280 mm (11.0 in).[17]
There is a plan to comply with the European TSI by raising all low platform heights to one of the European Standard Heights. Most stations will by then be equipped with 550 mm platforms, and direct current EMUs dedicated platforms will be upgraded in their final version to 760 mm. Some stations, or stopping points, already having 760 mm platform heights will keep the platforms at these heights.
Germany's EBO standard specifies an allowable range between 380 mm (15.0 in) and 960 mm (37.8 in).[19] This does not include light rail systems that follow the BOStrab standard, with newer metro lines to use low-floor trams which have a usual floor height of 300 to 350 mm (11.8 to 13.8 in) so that platforms are constructed as low as 300 mm in accordance with BOStrab that requires the platform height not to be higher than the floor height.[20]
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