2nd International Conference on Emerging Trends in Engineering & Technology, April12, 13, 2013

College of Engineering, Teerthanker Mahaveer University.

Analysis of Helical Stair Slab

Md. Fozail Ahmad 1, Abdul Baqi 2 and Mohammed Arif 3

Staircase is an essential part of a building yet it is not given appreciable attention, as far as its actual behavior is
concerned, in various leading codes of practice. Dog legged and open well staircases are however being modeled and
tested by various researchers due to their simple geometry. The behavior of helical stair slab has not been well
understood due to its inherent geometry. The true understanding of the helical stair slab requires comprehensive
theoretical investigations backed with thorough prototype/model experimental tests. Using ANSYS software package
employing finite element technique, the present study is aimed at validating the results obtained by earlier investigators.
The deflections at the inner, central and outer edges were obtained. The analytical test result obtained using ANSYS
are found to be in close agreement with the results obtained by earlier investigators. Across the width of the staircase,
the maximum deflection occurs along outer edges and its value decreases as we move towards inner edge whereas
along the flight, the deflection reaches its maximum value at the mid span. The stress contours for  x ,  y ,  z ,  xy ,
 yz ,  zx ,  1 ,  2 ,  3 and  von Mises were also obtained. The stresses  y ,  1 ,  3 and  von Mises are found to be
significant.

Keywords: Helical Stair Slab, Analysis using ANSYS, Deflection and Stress Contours.

1. Introduction and experimental tests conducted on full scale or

Stair is one of the most important functional elements of
a building. Depending on the architectural and structural
forms; there may be different types of stairs, e.g., simple
straight stair, dog legged stair, saw tooth/slab less stair,
free standing stair, helicoidal stair, etc. Among these, the
helicoidal stair is increasingly getting popular among
architects because of its elegant appearance. However,
the analysis and design of helicoidal stair slabs are more
difficult because of their complex geometric
configurations. Staircases are designed as slab supported
on the beams or walls or frame structure at edges of
landings. The design is generally based on the guidelines
provided in different codes of practices, considering no
special treatment for varying support conditions and
shape of the stair slab. Specially, the behavior of helical
stair slab has not been well understood due to its inherent
geometry. Individual attempts made by few researchers
claim drastic change in the behavior due to varying
support conditions and the specifications provided by
codes of practices are insufficient for the designers to
help in rational design of stair slabs of different types.
The real behavior of the stair slab may be established by
comprehensive theoretical analysis with different
support arrangements
1 Graduate Student, Department of Civil Engineering,
A.M.U., Aligarh, Email: fozailwasti@gmail.com
2 Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, A.M.U.,
Aligarh, Email: baqiamu@rediffmail.com
3 Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, A.M.U.,
Aligarh, Email: marifamu@gmail.com
(Corresponding Author)
prototype staircases. The present study aims at analytical
validation of results obtained by Amin and Ahmad
(1998).
2. Review of Literature
There are two basic approaches used by earlier
researchers. In the first approach Bergman (1956)
reduced the helicoid to its horizontal projection and
produced the simplest solution by resolving the problem
into that of a fixed ended curved beam. The structure is
thus idealised as a two dimensional structure. In the
second approach Holmes (1957), Young and Scordelis
(1958), Scordelis (1960) and Morgan (1960) considered
the helicoid as a helical girder (a space structure). In this
approach, the helicoid is reduced to its elastic line having
the same stiffness as that of original structure. The efforts
on the development of an 'exact' procedure of analysis of
helicoidal stair reached its culmination through the works
of Santathadaporn and Cusens (1966) where the stair was
assumed as a helical girder. The work presented thirty six
design charts for helical stairs of a wide range of
geometric parameters. Based on this work, four design
charts were compiled in somewhat modified form in
current design hand books by Reynolds and Steedman
(1988). But both curved beam and helical girder solution
fail to take into account the three dimensional
characteristics of helicoid and its inherent structural
efficiency. Ahmad (1969), Ahmad et al. (1970) used
finite element method for the analysis of stair slab.
Amanat (1993) analysed free standing stairs; the thick
shell clement was used in the analysis. Amin and Ahmad
(1998) analysed the helicoidal stair slabs without any

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2nd International Conference on Emerging Trends in Engineering & Technology, April12, 13, 2013
College of Engineering, Teerthanker Mahaveer University.

geometric idealisation using the finite element approach edge as compared to inner one and the staircase tends to
employing thick shell element. It was indicated that lean outwards. Furthermore it is also clear from the
around 47% economy of reinforcement for moment and contour that the deflection is maximum at the mid span
thrust can be achieved with an overall economy of around of the stair case and its value diminishes gradually as we
17%. The investigations clearly demonstrated the move towards the end supports. In the Table-2, a
potentials of the finite element approach over the comparison of the analytical test result obtained using
traditional helical girder solution for designing the ANSYS has been made with the results obtained by
helicoidal stair slabs in a cost-effective way. An Amin and Ahmad (1998). The results appear to be in
extensive parametric study in terms of different close agreement.
geometric parameters has therefore been carried out to
generalise the behaviour of this form of stair slab. Table-2 Comparison of deflection obtained by Amin
and Ahmad (1998) and present study
3. Mathematical Modelling Central Deflection (m)
Angle Inner edge Middle edge Outer edge
The finite element method has become a powerful tool Amin Present Amin Present Amin Present
and study and study and study
for the numerical solution of a wide range of engineering Ahmad Ahmad Ahmad
problems. The analytical modeling of stair slabs with (1998) (1998) (1998)
-90 0 0 0 0 0 0
varying geometry has been done using ANSYS. In -80 5.22E- 5.28E- 4.67E- 4.90E- 1.02E- 1.02E-
modelling, 4 node shell 181 element is chosen. 5 5 6 6 4 4
Hexagonal mapped type mesh was chosen in meshing the -70 1.60E- 1.67E- 1.58E- 1.65E- 3.43E- 3.43E-
4 4 5 5 4 4
models. -60 3.00E- 3.06E- 3.62E- 3.72E- 6.24E- 6.24E-
4 4 5 5 4 4
4. Validation of Analytical Test Results -50 4.40E- 4.44E- 6.20E- 6.27E- 8.94E- 8.94E-
4 4 5 5 4 4
-40 5.55E- 5.67E- 8.73E- 8.80E- 1.09E- 1.13E-
The geometry of the stair case used by Amin and Ahmad 4 4 5 5 3 3
(1998) is given in Table-1. The deflection contour in Z -30 6.58E- 6.66E- 1.08E- 1.10E- 1.28E- 1.31E-
direction obtained using ANSYS software for the stair 4 4 4 4 3 3
-20 7.30E- 7.37E- 1.23E- 1.26E- 1.39E- 1.43E-
case used by Amin and Ahmad (1998) is shown in Fig. 1. 4 4 4 4 3 3
-10 7.75E- 7.80E- 1.33E- 1.35E- 1.50E- 1.52E-
Table-1 Stair case geometry used by Amin and 4 4 4 4 3 3
0 7.80E- 8.00E- 1.35E- 1.38E- 1.52E- 1.54E-
Ahmad (1998) 4 4 4 4 3 3
Inner radius 1.52 m 10 7.75E- 7.80E- 1.33E- 1.35E- 1.50E- 1.52E-
Outer radius 3.80 m 4 4 4 4 3 3
20 7.30E- 7.37E- 1.23E- 1.26E- 1.39E- 1.43E-
Height of the stair case 3.73 m 4 4 4 4 3 3
Waist thickness 0.25 m 30 6.58E- 6.66E- 1.08E- 1.10E- 1.28E- 1.31E-
4 4 4 4 3 3
Central angle 180° 40 5.55E- 5.67E- 8.73E- 8.80E- 1.09E- 1.13E-
Live load 4790 N/m2 4 4 5 5 3 3
50 4.40E- 4.44E- 6.20E- 6.27E- 8.94E- 8.94E-
4 4 5 5 4 4
60 3.00E- 3.06E- 3.62E- 3.72E- 6.24E- 6.24E-
4 4 5 5 4 4
70 1.60E- 1.67E- 1.58E- 1.65E- 3.43E- 3.43E-
4 4 5 5 4 4
80 5.22E- 5.28E- 4.67E- 4.90E- 1.02E- 1.02E-
5 5 6 6 4 4
90 0 0 0 0 0 0

5. Stress Values and Stress Contours

Fig. 1 Deflection contours in Z direction for the stair
case used by Amin and Ahmad (1998)
The above contour shows the variation of deflection
along the span as well as across the width of the stair slab.
It can be seen that the deflection is greater along the outer
In the analysis stress contours along with the stress values
were obtained. These stress contours show the variation
of stresses along the span as well as across the span. The
stress contours of  y ,  1 ,  3 and  von Mises had shown
significant value and the same are presented here.

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2nd International Conference on Emerging Trends in Engineering & Technology, April12, 13, 2013
College of Engineering, Teerthanker Mahaveer University.

Fig. 2 Stress contour showing variation of stress  y

Fig 5 Stress contour showing variation of stress

 von Mises

The values of  x ,  y ,  z ,  xy ,  yz ,  zx ,  1 ,  2 ,
 3 and  von Mises are given in Table-3.

Table-3 Stresses in the stair slab

Values (N/mm2)
Stresses
Minimum Maximum
Fig 3 Stress contour showing variation of stress  1
x − 0.42 0.44

y − 2.10 1.60

z − 0.53 0.58

 xy − 0.47 0.38

 yz − 0.72 0.90

 zx − 0.30 0.30

1 − 0.006 2.00

2 − 0.25 0.26

3 − 2.40 0.003

 von Mises 0.08 2.30

Fig 4 Stress contour showing variation of stress  3
6. Conclusion
The analytical test result obtained using ANSYS are in
close agreement with the results obtained by Amin and
Ahmad (1998). Stair slab loaded with uniformly
distributed load has a tendency to lean outwards. The
deflection is maximum along outer edges and its value
decreases as we move towards inner edge. The deflection
is zero at the fixed support and it reaches its maximum
value at mid span. For the stair case considered in the

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2nd International Conference on Emerging Trends in Engineering & Technology, April12, 13, 2013
College of Engineering, Teerthanker Mahaveer University.
present investigation, the stresses  y ,  1 ,  3 and
 von Mises are found to be significant.
References
[1] Bergman, V.R., "Helicoidal Staircases of
Reinforced Concrete", ACI Journal, 28, pp. 403-
412, 1956.
[2] Holmes, A.M. C., "Analysis of Helical Beams
Under Symmetrical Loading", Proceedings,
ASCE, Paper No. ST 1437, 1957.
[3] Young, Y.E. and Scordelis, A.C., "An Analytical
and Experimental Study of Helicoidal Girder",
Proceedings, ASCE, Paper No. ST 1756, 1958.
[4] Scordelis, A.C., "Internal forces in Uniformly
Loaded Helicoidal Girder", ACI Journal,
Proceedings, 56, pp. 1491- 1502, 1960.
[5] Morgan, V.A., "Comparison of Analysis of
Helical Staircases", Concrete and Constructional
Engineering (London), 55, 127-132. 1960.
[6] Santathadaporn, S. and Cusens, A.R., "Charts for
the design of Helical Stairs with Fixed Supports",
Concrete and Constructional Engineering, pp.
46-54, 1966.
[7] Ahmad, S., "Curved Finite Elements in the
Analysis of Solid, Shell and Plate Structures",
Ph.D. Thesis, University College of Swansea,
1969.
[8] Ahmad, S., "General Thick Shell Finite Element
Program", Computer program report, No.23,
Department of Civil Engineering, University
College of Swansea, 1969 .
[9] Ahmad, S., Irons, B. M., and Zicnkiewicz, O. C.,
"Analysis of Thick and Thin Shell Structures by
Curved Finite Elements", Int. J. Num. Methods
in Engineering, 2, pp. 419-451, 1970.
[10] Reynolds, C.E. and Steedman, J.C., "Reinforced
Concrete Designer's Handbook", Tenth Edition,
E. & F.N. SPON (London & Newyork), pp. 386-
391, 1988.
[11] Amanat, K. M., "A Design Rationale for Free
Standing Stair Slabs Based on Finite Element
Analysis", M.Sc. Thesis is, Department of Civil
Engineering, Bangladesh University of
Engineering and Technology, Dhaka,
Bangladesh, 1993.
[12] Amin, S. and Ahmad S., ‘An Economic Design
Approach for Helicoidal Stair Slabs based on
Finite Element Analysis’, Advances in Civil and
Structural Engineering Computing for Practice,
Editor. B.H.V. Topping, Civil-Comp Press,
Edinburgh, pp. 241-246, 1998.