Stainless steel & Glass Helical Stairs
As I indicated earlier, we are currently involved in the manufacture and installation of a helical stainless steel staircase with frameless curved glass balustrades. Here are some pictures of the progress to date.
This 3D drawing shows what the finished helical stairs will look like. The drawing shows the stainless steel feature stairs complete with the curved landing. This 3D drawing shows exactly what the finished helical stairs will look like.
We mapped out the through shape and size on a full scale drawing on our workshop floor.
We then built it step by step with the use of lazer levels and lazer pointers.
It gets a bit more difficult as the height increases.
There is still another full flight to be added.
We are building it to a tolerence of 2mm which is pretty good for a piece this size. We are using 304 grade stainless steel and polishing the stringers to 240 grit satin polish finish. The total weight of stainless steel when complete will be over 3 tonnes.
Well, it’s week 3 into the 7 week programme. Due to a delay in sourcing and polishing the 20mm thick stainless steel stringer plates which needed to be rolled into the spiral shape we find ourselves needing to pick up the pace a little. We have decided to complete the fabrication on site and so eleminate the time in packing, transporting and trying to get large sections in through the 3rd floor window of the building. However, each item still has to be landed by crane onto an external temporary platform outside the 3rd floor window and carried through it. Not easy………….
One of the difficulties we are facing here is that the 19mm toughened curved glass is now in production and we have to make sure now that the site installation is carried out to a tollerance of plus or minus 2mm in order to be sure the glass will fit.
We have installed safety rails along both edges of the feature stairs structure and we are now in a position to install the stringer plates. We are following the highest levels of Health and Safety proceedures and the Lads are really doing a brilliant job inder such tight and difficult conditions.
The stringers are now complete at this stage and we are installing the curved glass elements so we are on the home straight. All of the items you see we lifted onto an external platform at the 3rd floor level and carried through the window. Not ideal but you do what you have to do.
The spiralled stringer plates are manufactured from 250 x 20 stainless steel plates with 250 x 10 stainless steel plates fixed to the outer face to create a continious channel in which the 19mm toughened glass sits.
All welded joints are ground and polished completely to give a very flush and joint free look. This is very difficult to achieve when you are dealing with curves and spirals.
At last, we begin to install the curved glass panels. This section of glass is the largest on the feature stairs and it had to be carried up through the existing escape stairs as it would not fit in the lift. Once the glass is all positioned correctly we then begin the chemical grouting process. Due to the helical shape each panel of glass is completely different but thanks to our design team they all fit perfectly.
The landing glass is completed and awaiting the timber handrail.
We supplied stainless steel curved cover pieces to the floor finishes to provide a clean edge to the opening in the floor.
The finishing touches being applied to the completed feature stairs. All that is left are the wallnut treads to be fitted and then clean off the glass.
The timber treads really add the finishing touch.
This view shows the stainless steel stringer plates spiralled and polished. The joints are seamless and this level of polishing is required to achieve top quality finish.
Well that’s it. Another feature staircase completed by CDS. Thanks and well done to all the team from Design, Fabricators, Transport, Crane and Site Crew. Keep up the good work.
Regards, Martin.
