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Steps & Ramps : in PDF format

Please Select a Design Sheet Timber Board & Agg Steps Ramped Sleeper & Agg Steps Stone Block & Agg Steps Stone Block Steps Stone Slab Steps

Steps & Ramps : Key Design Principles

General Guidance | Steps | Steps Key Design Principles | Ramps | Ramps Key Design Principles | Handrails | Design to Accommodate Cyclists, Pushchairs etc. | Design List | Evaluation Summary

Steps

• it is preferable that steps are not constructed in long straight lines; they can look intimidating and are out of place in the countryside;
• care should be taken to avoid creating opportunities for people to take short cuts or 'desire lines' across corners or bends in the path; where this is not possible, potential alternative routes should be blocked (with judiciously placed boulders, logs or brash) or disguised by planting with trees and shrubs;
• steps will be stronger and more robust if they are constructed by being cut into a slope, not built on top of it;
• ideally, steps should be at least 1200mm wide, and preferably 1700mm wide if heavy use is envisaged; in remoter locations, particularly where stone steps are constructed, widths are often reduced, but should preferably not be less than 600mm;
• risers (i.e individual step heights) should preferably be no more than 250mm and treads (i.e individual step depths) no less than 300mm; where disabled people and people with mobility difficulties need to be accommodated, the maximum riser height should be kept to 170mm;
• as a general guide, the total rise of any single flight of steps should preferably not be greater than 2000mm; where this figure is to be exceeded, a level landing or rest area should be provided for at least every 2000mm rise; it is also recommended that in such situations the number of steps between landings should not exceed fourteen; these guidelines can, however, often be relaxed in remoter and more inaccessible landscapes where path users are likely to be better able to cope with more demanding climbs;
• round timber is not recommended for the construction of step risers since it can become slippy and dangerous when wet; square sawn timber is a safer alternative;
• on timber steps, square stakes are preferable to round stakes as supports for the risers; although they may be more difficult to keep square to the riser, they are neater and stronger, providing a far greater surface area in direct contact with the riser;
• the best type of aggregate fill for use in tread construction is one that has a high proportion of fines; the protection of the sides of the steps with stone or timber revetments, where necessary, will help to prevent loss of fill;
• steps that curve around a hillside are easier to drain than those that go straight up since water can be taken off from the downhill side;
• to help shed surface water, steps should be constructed with a slight rise from front to back and should slope across the tread to the naturally draining side;
• the installation, where necessary, of a side drain will assist in the removal of surface water and prevent erosion;
• on stone steps, stones should be securely and firmly bedded; larger stones will be more stable than smaller stones, especially when used to form the risers.