In the case of the Residential structures, the staircase should be located at the center of the building for easy access to all the rooms of the building.
In case of the public buildings such as schools and hospitals, the staircase should be preferably located at the entrance of the building so that it can be easily accessible.
In the High rise buildings, there should be more than one staircase should be provided for the easy movement of the occupants.
The staircase should be avoided to locate around or adjacent to the elevator shafts without providing solid walls between them.
Step: A Step is a combination of a staircase tread and a staircase riser. A stair is composed of a set of steps that are used for upward and downward movement.
Riser: The riser, or riser in staircase, is a vertical component of the stair that provides support to the tread.
Tread: The Tread, or tread in staircase, is an upper flat surface or a horizontal portion of a step on which the footrest.
Flight: It is a series of steps without an intermediate platform.
Landing: It is a Flat horizontal platform at the bottom or top of a flight between the floors. It is used to change the direction.
Pitch or slope: It is an angle which the line of the nosing of the stair makes with the floor is known as pitch or slope.
Newel Post: It is a principal post that is used to support the handrail, placed at the ends of flights to connect the ends of strings and handrail.
Hand Rail: It is a moulded member of wood or metal, which is provided to afford assistance and a safeguard to a person while going over a staircase.
Baluster: It is a vertical member which is made from wood or metal that is used to support the handrails.
Balustrade: It is a combined framework of handrail and balusters which is used to protect the users of the stairs.
Head Room: It is a clear vertical distance between the tread and overhead structure or ceiling.
Going: It is defined as the distance between two successive riser faces.
Nosing: It is a projecting edge of the tread.
Line of Nosing: It is an imaginary line that is parallel to the string and tangentially to the nosing.
Strings: These are the sloping members that are used to supports the steps in a stair.
Scotia: It is a moulding that is provided under the nosing to improve the elevation of the step and to provide strength to the nosing.
Waist: It is a thickness of the R.C.C structural slab.
Run: It is the total length of stairs in a horizontal plane, also including the landing.
Header: It is a horizontal structural member that is used to support the stair strings or landings.
Soffit: The underside of a stair is known as the Soffit.
Winders: It is a step that has a tapered shape, which is radiated from a point that is situated at the center of a newel.
Kite Steps: When there is a change in a direction of the staircase, the steps are used to turn at a 90-degree corner then the middle step is known as the Kite Step. The kite step is a step that is located in between the two winders at a 90-degree corner.