I come from a family of carpenters, building all kinds of stairs for most of my life, and I’ve never heard of this. This is why I love construction; learn something new all the time. Thanks!
I’m curious how this compares to eras before this formula was normalized and if this is universal or more so just a matter of keeping things the same so people get used to them.
I know of a few cases in religious buildings where stairs were designed to have a mystical effect. In Angkor Wat, for example, the stairs have a steep and tall tread pattern. Commoners weren’t used to them so they’d be exhausted, but the local monks were used to them so they could ascend and descend with ease.
I guess in China the number is smaller because the average people are smaller. Otherwise it is universal. It has been found out, not made up arbitrarily.
The “magical formula” for stairs.
If this rule isn’t followed when building stairs, then it feels uncomfortable and more accidents will actually happen there.
In easy terms, it says: 2x riser + tread = average step lenght, usually 63cm.
Oh man I hate it when stairs are not built to the proper ratio. It feels so weird.
I come from a family of carpenters, building all kinds of stairs for most of my life, and I’ve never heard of this. This is why I love construction; learn something new all the time. Thanks!
I’m curious how this compares to eras before this formula was normalized and if this is universal or more so just a matter of keeping things the same so people get used to them.
Visit any old city in the UK (York and Edinburgh for example) and a lot of passages between streets have steps with uneven heights.
When you’re expecting it, its fine, you take extra care. But when its a modern building and they’ve fucked it up you really notice
How about the stairs leading up from a subway stop?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ap-22FjgoE4
I know of a few cases in religious buildings where stairs were designed to have a mystical effect. In Angkor Wat, for example, the stairs have a steep and tall tread pattern. Commoners weren’t used to them so they’d be exhausted, but the local monks were used to them so they could ascend and descend with ease.
I guess in China the number is smaller because the average people are smaller. Otherwise it is universal. It has been found out, not made up arbitrarily.