Open Riser Stairway- with Iron Rod instead of risers

[adegnan]

Hi. I couldn't figure this one out yet or find another post to help. I want to create a timber-framed stairway with about 2" x 10" treads and no risers. But Wisconsin UDC code requires that the 4" sphere cannot pass through between treads. (I assume the IRC is like this as well?) We area allowed 8" risers. So I'll end up with about 5 1/2" between treads. I want to use an iron rod as part of the timber framed construction to break up the open riser space between treads. Do you know how I could insert something to represent that as part of the stair model process rather than an in-place family? See attached; the cyan ovals represent the rods I'd like to place in section.

Thanks,

[Wesley]

Hey Abe,
If your posts are set to by tread, then you could include the bar as part of your railing construction...
Wes

[adegnan]

Thanks. I ended up doing it as in place family. But, to expound on your idea-- how would I make an element that is following the axis of stair risers, rather than handrail or balusters? Can you explain?

In fact, I tried adding it to the stair nosing profile-- that would be the way it would make the most sense to me! But, there can only be one enclosed area within a stair nose profile, so that didn't work. It would have been a great way to do it.

[Dean Camlin]

You're right, Abe. I tried loading a profile that consisted of a circle a few inches removed from the reference planes of the profile family. I got this error message:

"This profile cannot be used for the front of treads. Please choose a profile composed of a closed loop of lines with exactly one lines coincident with the y-axis. This lines will define the connection of this profile to the tread."

So, despite some strange grammar in the message (it must be a holdover from a very early version of the program, never revisited), I now see how nosing profiles are supposed to work. Too bad they're so specialized.

[ron.sanpedro]

Thanks. I ended up doing it as in place family. But, to expound on your idea-- how would I make an element that is following the axis of stair risers, rather than handrail or balusters? Can you explain?

In fact, I tried adding it to the stair nosing profile-- that would be the way it would make the most sense to me! But, there can only be one enclosed area within a stair nose profile, so that didn't work. It would have been a great way to do it.

You could also just make a 2 point generic model. You pick two points on one tread and get your first rod, then copy tread to tread. Not ideal, but also not a bunch of in-place families. And if you you change the rod profile or something, it updates at every tread.You would have to do them again if the treads moved, but by the time you are at this level of stair design, I suspect the floor to floor heights are pretty much set.

Gordon

[Joef]

Make a baluster family that is your round bar (a horizontal extrusion) and create a railing using this as the (only) baluster. Set it to one per tread and fiddle with the family till you have it where you want it. Does require a bit of fiddling but it seems to work OK.

[adegnan]

Gordon,
Ultimately that is what I did. Thanks.

Joef,
I'll try this out when I have a chance so that I learn. Thanks for the advice and clarification. I've done very little with customized stairways over the years so I suppose I should do something!

[Paul P.]

I think Phil Read posted a spiral stair back in the old zoog days that might be useful in what your trying to achieve, see attached image. I can upload if needed.