Staircase Configurator

"Civil Engineering" docking window" > Steel Engineering > Stairs+Railings > Stairs > Staircase Configurator

Use the new Staircase Generator to create single-flight, straight stringer staircases with intermediate platforms - with or without utilisation of stairwell contours. Individual settings, such as various stringer or step variants, as well as various connection options for stairs to stringers, or the definition of standardized platforms are available.

Left: Staircase with entrance stringer as pillar, intermediate and landing platform; Right: Staircase with entrance, intermediate and landing platform

A prerequisite for the start of the Staircase Configurator is that the current drawing contains a main assembly. If this is not the case, a corresponding message will be displayed.

 

Extensive information on main assemblies can be found in the topics

Assemblies, Main Parts and Sub-Parts,

Part Drawing or Assembly Drawing and

Edit Part/Assembly Structure .

After calling the Staircase Configurator, HiCAD will prompt you to identify the stairwell, or to press the middle mouse button if you want to work without stairwell.

 

Working with stairwell contours

Here you fit the staircase into a stairwell. For this to happen, a suitable sketch for the stairwell must exist in your drawing. This sketch serves the purpose of positioning the staircase in the stairwell and defining the stair start (the so-called "entrance"). Therefore, the first step will be creation of a stairwell with the help, of the functions on the Sketch tab.

  • The length of the stairwell must not be smaller than the total length of the staircase. If this is the case, HiCAD will display an error message.

    Identify the sketch in the vicinity of the stair start.

    (1) Identified sketch, (2) Sketch length, (3) Distance at stair start, (4) Distance at stair end, (5) Walking direction

     

  • Working without stairwell

    • If you work without a stairwell contour, the fitting point of the staircase will be placed in the origin of the World Coordinate System. You can freely select this fitting point when you insert the staircase.


    The input fields of the Staircase Configurator dialogue window will always be initialised with the last saved values when you open it to create a new staircase.

    The window consists of the following tabs:

    Specify the desired staircase parameters on the tabs.

    Click OK to start the staircase generation.

     

    If the Check conformity checkbox has been activated, HiCAD will first check whether the staircase can actually be constructed on the basis of the specified parameters. If this is not the case, the symbol will be shown on the OK button. In the dialogue window, fields with an incorrect value will be marked with the symbol. Move the cursor over the symbol to obtain further information, and correct the staircase parameter. You can click on the Set parameters according to standard button to correct the parameters automatically.

    If the check was successful, HiCAD starts with the staircase generation. The current status of the generation will be indicated by a progress bar at the bottom of the window. A feature called Stairway will be entered in the Feature log.

     

    Working with Favourites

    The settings specified in the dialogue window can be saved as favourites and re-used at any time if desired. To do this, click the symbol at the bottom left of the dialogue window.

    More information on favourites management can be found in the Manage Favourites topic of the HiCAD Basics Help.

    'Calculation' tab

    On this tab you specify the size of the staircase, the number of steps and platforms.

     

    Stair start

    Here you choose the type of the stair start by clicking on the corresponding symbol. The graphic in the dialogue window will then be automatically adjusted accordingly.

    Type

    Parameters

    Stair start with platform

    • Height fin. floor (Sketch)
    • Platform length

    Entrance stringer as pillar

    • Unfinished floor height
    • Height fin. floor (Sketch)

    Cut, vertically

    • Unfinished floor height
    • Height fin. floor (Sketch)

    Cut, horizontally

    • Unfinished floor height
    • Height fin. floor (Sketch)

    Depending on the stair start type you then specify the height of the finished floor and the platform length. If a flooring will be used, which requires the taking into account of an "unfinished floor", enter this value here, too.

    If you choose "Entrance stringer with pillar", the height of the pillar will be automatically calculated automatically, based on the value for the unfinished floor.



    Stair end

    Here you choose the type of the stair end by clicking on the corresponding symbol. The graphic in the dialogue window will then be automatically adjusted accordingly.

    Type

    Parameters

    Stair end with platform

    • Stair end height, Fin. floor level
    • Platform length

    Cut, rear edge last step
    • Stair end height, Fin. floor level

    Cut, perpendicular, stair end

    • Stair end height, Fin. floor level

     

    Distance to stairwell

    When you work with a stairwell contour, you can specify the stair start and the stair end (distance of stair start and stair end to stairwell), as well as the stairwell length here. When you work without a stairwell contour, these fields will be greyed out.

     

    Step areas / Intermediate platforms

    In addition to platforms at the stair start and stair end, several intermediate platforms are now possible. It should be noted that intermediate platforms must be added depending on the DIN standard. For example, according to DIN 18065, a maximum of 18 steps without intermediate platforms is possible for building staircases. This means that the staircase may have to be divided into several staircase segments, whereby an intermediate platform must be installed between two staircase segments.

    (1) Click on to insert an intermediate platform. Enter the length of the platform in step lengths. Note that the last element in this area must be a stair segment and that several platforms must not follow each other.

    (2) Click on to insert a stair segment (steps). Enter the number of rises. Note that there must always be a platform between two stair segments.

    (3) Click on the delete symbol to remove a stair segment or an intermediate platform.

    (4) Use the arrow symbols to change the order of the stair segments and intermediate platforms.

     

    You can specify for intermediate platforms whether the length of the platform is to be calculated by the number of steps or by entering a value. The checkbox Calculate length by number of steps is available for this purpose. If the checkbox is active (default setting), the length is automatically calculated and displayed after entering the number of steps. This value cannot be edited. If the checkbox is not active, you can determine the length by entering a value.

     

    Steps

    The parameters for the steps are as follows:

     

    You can enter one of the parameters a, u and α here. To be able to do this you need to activate the radio button next the the input field. The other values and the Rise s will then be calculated on the basis of the entered value and the values entered for Total number of rises and Rise before intermediate platform in the Dimensioning area of the dialogue window.

    The step depth results from the step variant chosen on the Steps tab of the dialogue window.

     

    Dimensioning / Basis for calculation

    Here you can specify the Total number of rises and Rise before intermediate platform.

    The other values will be automatically calculated by HiCAD on the basis of the specified parameters:

     

    Basis for calculation

    In the listbox you can choose the guideline to be respected for the calculation. These guidelines, e.g. national regulations for stair construction, are specified in the Configuration Editor at Steel Engineering > Products > Staircase > Guidelines. The regulations according to DIN 18065 have ben pre-set here. For defining further guidelines, right-click on one of the existing guidelines and choose Derive structure in the context menu.

     

    If the Check conformity checkbox has been activated, HiCAD will first check whether the staircase can actually be constructed on the basis of the specified parameters. If this is not the case, the symbol will be shown on the OK button. In the dialogue window, fields with an incorrect value will be marked with the symbol. Move the cursor over the symbol to obtain further information, and correct the staircase parameter. You can click on the Set parameters according to standard button to correct the parameters automatically.

     

    To place the cursor in a particular input field, you can also click on the corresponding markers in the graphic of the dialogue window. If, for example, you click on the  marker in the graphic of the Calculation tab, the cursor will be placed in the Unfinished floor input field.

    'Stringers' tab

    On this tab you can specify the stringers to be used for the staircase.

    First select the variant:

    Then, enter the base offsets for platforms and stairs.

    Select - depending on the selected stringer variant - the beam or the plate/sheet from the HiCAD catalogue by clicking the symbol. In the case of Sheet Metal stringers you need to specify the parameters Width, top (1), Width, bottom (2) and Height (3).

    If you use Sheet Metal U stringers, specify the desired values for Width, top (1), Height (2) and Width, bottom (3).

    If you use Sheet Metal C stringers, specify the desired values for Width, top (1), Height (2), Leg length (3) and Width, bottom (4).

    For elongated plates you determine the width of the stringer:

    'Platforms' tab

    Here you specify the data for the entrance, landing and intermediate platform.

     

    Specify the distance of the entrance platform at the front, and the landing platform at the rear. If you want to use the same data for different platforms, activate the All equal checkbox.

     

    Grating
    Currently only grating platforms are available. Click the symbol and select the desired grating from the catalogue. Enter a distance to the stringers.

     

    Support profile
    Select the support profile from the catalogue by clicking the symbol, and specify its size - either by entering the edge distance or the length.

     

    Connection Support profile - Stringer

    Activate this checkbox if you want to create a connection between support profile and stringer. You can choose between a bolted and a welded connection.

     

    Connection Grating - Support profile

    If desired, proceed likewise to specify the bolted connection between grating and support profile .

    'Steps' tab

    Here you specify the data for the stair steps.

     

    Variants/Material

    Select the desired variant and enter the required data.

    (1) Sheet Metal step, (2) Sheet Metal step without support profile - Corner processing: Rectangular cut-out (3), Circular cut-out (4), Closed (5)

     

    Support profile

    Select the support profile from the catalogue and specify its length.

     

    Connection, Stringer

    If you want to create a connection between support profile and stringer, activate the corresponding checkbox. You can choose between a bolted or a welded connection. Please note however that bolted connections are only possible for particular support profiles, e.g.for L-beams.

     

    Connection, Step

    If desired, proceed likewise to specify the bolted connection to the step.

    'Assembling' tab

    On this tab you specify whether (and which) assembly joints between staircase sections are to be created.

    One distinguishes between:

    Boltings can be installed as loose parts or be assigned to the assembly of the respective level. Activate the desired option. When installing them as loose parts the bolting connections will be assigned to the Accessory Parts assembly.

    Staircase Configurator - Important Notes (3-D SE) • Stairs and Railings (3-D SE) • Sketch (3-D)