External fire escape stairs are often required on office buildings, halls and extensions to existing buildings. They are fire safety elements, so the rules come from the fire safety regulations, and the solution must be in the approved design. The workshop that builds the stairs works from the design; it does not invent it.

Below is what the design needs to contain so that fabrication goes ahead without delays.

Who does what

  • The architect and the fire safety specialist decide where the stairs go, how many levels they serve, the width of the escape route and the fire performance requirements.
  • The structural designer sizes the stairs and their fixings to the building.
  • The design is checked and approved in line with current legislation, including for fire safety.
  • The workshop produces the fabrication drawings from the design, fabricates, applies corrosion protection and installs.

What the design must contain

Geometry

  • width of the flights and landings
  • height and width of the treads, number of treads per flight
  • the level of each floor, measured on the actual building
  • height of the balustrades and the spacing between infill elements

Structure and fixings

  • sections for stringers, posts and landings
  • type of fixing to the building: chemical anchors, cast-in plates, separate foundations
  • design loads
  • execution class to EN 1090, set by the designer

Materials and protection

  • type of treads: pressed or welded grating (non-slip, does not hold water and snow) or checker plate
  • corrosion protection: galvanising, paint or both, depending on the environment
  • the colour, if the architecture requires it

Mistakes that delay fabrication

  • Levels taken from the original design, not from the building. On existing buildings, differences of a few centimetres are normal. That is why we carry out a site survey before fabrication.
  • Undefined fixings. If the design does not say how the stairs are fixed to the wall, work stops until the designer replies.
  • Corrosion protection not specified. An external staircase painted as for an interior rusts quickly.
  • Unsynchronised access doors. The door on each level has to open correctly onto the landing. Check it before fabrication.

How we work on a fire escape staircase

  1. We receive the approved design and carry out a site survey on the building.
  2. We prepare the fabrication drawings and send them for confirmation.
  3. We fabricate in the workshop: cutting, welding, corrosion protection.
  4. We install in sections, with our own crew.
  5. We hand over the documents required by the design.

See more on the metal fabrication and steel structures page, and our other services.