Glossary
2D - A two dimensional visual representation that are displayed in a flat surface with only two dimensions: width and height.
3D - A threee dimensional visual representation that allows for manipulation and viewing from various perspectives, like rotating or zooming in and out to see different sides.
Anchor Bolt - A heavy-duty fastener used to secure the ladder support brackets or floor supports into concrete.
Ascending - Upward movement on a staircase (from a lower level to a higher level).
ASD - Allowable Strength Design
Bar Hoops - Curved reinforcing bars shaped into loops or semi-loops, typically used to support ladders, provide safety clearance, or maintain spacing between components.
Base Plate - A foundation plate, typically bolted or welded to the surface, designed to securely anchor the railing post.
Beam Assembly Mark - A marking on a beam that helps in the assembly of a framed construction.
Bent Plate - A steel plate that has been formed at an angle or multiple angles. It is used to create brackets.
Compressive Strength - A material’s ability to resist loads that would reduce its size. It’s the maximum amount of compressive stress a material can withstand before it breaks or deforms.
Concrete Base - A solid foundation made of concrete used to support structures or components.
Concrete Hollow Blocks - A concrete material with a hollow center, commonly used for constructing both load-bearing and non-load-bearing walls and partitions.
Concrete Wall - A solid reinforced-concrete structural element. It serves as a support surface for anchors, ladders, or embedded components.
Connection Angle - A steel angle used to join two members together.
Connection Plate - A flat steel plate used to fasten structural components were bolted or welded plate to main member to wall connector.
Descending - Downward movement on a staircase (from a higher level to a lower level).
Design Guide 34 - This AISC developed guide provides information related to the design and layout of steel elements for steel-framed stairways, guards, handrails and related components.
Dry Wall - A lightweight construction material made of gypsum plaster between paper layers, used for creating interior walls and ceilings.
Dynamic Sketch - A sketch technique that adds movement and vitality to sketches, breaking away from the limitations of still life.
Eccentricity - The distance between an object’s theoretical center and its physical center, or the distance between the axis of rotation and the axis of symmetry.
End Connection View - A predefined view showing the termination point of a member and its connection details. Useful for reviewing bolts, plates, welds, and geometry alignment.
End Plate - A flat steel plate used to connect the end of a beam or column to another member, typically through welding or bolting; It is also used to connect the ladder to a stud wall. It provides a solid surface for screws to fasten into the wall blocking, ensuring the ladder is securely attached.
Flat Bar - A rectangular steel bar with constant thickness. It is used for brackets, rung and ladder side rail.
Floor Support - An end connection welded directly to the ladder side rail and anchored to the concrete floor using expansion anchors.
Grab Rail - A horizontal or angled hand-hold installed for safety near ladders or platforms. This component can be placed or extended as part of access systems.
Grain Direction - The direction of the wood’s structural cells, which run parallel to the tree’s trunk and growth rings. It’s also known as the longitudinal direction, and it’s the texture you see on a cut surface of wood.
Grating Platform - A platform surface made of open-steel grating. This as a walkable area supported by framing and surrounded by rails as needed.
Guardrail - A passive fall protection designed to prevent accidents or falls, typically installed along the edges of roads, bridges, stairways, or other elevated surfaces.
Handrail - Key safety features of stairs that people can hold onto for support or guidance, especially when going up or down stairs.
Header Beam - in stairs, it is a structural beam that bear the load of the staircase, transferring the weight from the steps to the supporting structure of the building.
Horizontal - Parallel to the plane of the horizon; at right angles to the vertical.
HSS - Hollow Structural Sections (HSS) are manufactured hollow steel sections, typically of circular, rectangular, or square cross-section.
Intermediate Beams - are structural elements used to support stair flights, landings, or both. They help distribute loads effectively and provide additional strength to the staircase, especially in large or long-span staircases.
Ladder Cage - A vertical ladder with a surrounding protective cage designed to prevent falls. This is modeled as a combined assembly of rungs, rails, and a safety cage.
Ladder Rung - The horizontal step of a ladder. Rungs appear at fixed spacing along the side rails.
Ladder Side Rail - The vertical rails that support the rungs. This component determines the ladder’s height, orientation, and connection points.
Lag Screw - A heavy-duty wood screw used to attach ladder components such as end plates or brackets into wood block.
Landing Angle Support - L-shaped angles that provide stability and load transfer for stair landings, especially when they connect two flights at an angle
Landing Beam - is a structural beam that supports the landing platform between flights of stairs. It carries the load of the landing and transfers it to the surrounding walls, columns, or other structural elements.
Landing Pan - a metal pan or tray used to support concrete or other flooring materials in stair landings. It is commonly found in steel staircases and is designed to hold poured concrete, tiles, or other finishes, providing a durable and stable landing surface.
Landing Platform - is a flat, horizontal surface in a staircase, providing a resting or transition area between flights of stairs.
LRFD - Load and Resistance Factor Design
Load Duration - The ability of wood to withstand higher stresses for shorter periods of time. It’s a characteristic that’s accounted for in wood design by using a load duration factor (CD). The CD is a multiplier that’s applied to reference design values for wood.
Maps - in stairs, this refers to the stair location and model of a staircase in a building.
Masonry Wall - A wall made of concrete blocks, bricks, or stone. It is used as an attachment surface for anchors, brackets, and ladder supports.
Metal Plate - A flat, rigid sheet of metal, used as structural support base for mounting wall brackets
Modulus of Elasticity - The rate of a material’s tensile stress to it tensile strain.
Multiple List View (MLV) - Refers to a user interface feature that allows the display of multiple lists or sets of template information at once, providing users with a more efficient way to compare, interact with, or manage different data sets simultaneously.
Opacity - the transparency level of the stair components in the sketch.
Orthographic View - A 2D view that displays objects without perspective distortion of Front View and Side View.
Pickets - Vertical or horizontal posts that are evenly spaced and supports the railings.
Pipe - A hollow cylindrical steel tube commonly used for structural support, framing, and as part of various load-bearing systems.
Plate - A flat, typically thick piece of material, often made from metal, used in various construction, manufacturing, and engineering applications.
Point Load - A force or load applied at a specific, single point on a structure or component. It is also known as a concentrated load.
Rail Post - A vertical structure that supports a railing and is a critical part of a railing system.
Railing System - A structural component that provides support and safety in buildings and structures.
Riser Plate - is the vertical component between two stair treads. It closes the gap between steps, providing structural support and enhancing safety.
Round Bar - A cylindrical steel bar.
Session - A job file that organizes different phases of a project into Sets, each with a group of templates for easy management.
Set - A group of templates managed together to organize and distinguish specific areas of a project.
Shear Plate - A rectangular connecting plate. Typically modeled as a bolted or welded plate between a main member and a supporting element.
Single View - Refers to a user interface that displays template properties, sketches, and preview or generate report calculation of the template.
Stair Tread - is the horizontal part of the step that a person will stand on, and along with the riser, is an integral part of a staircase.
Steel Angle - A steel member with an L-shaped cross-section.
Stiffener Plate - Secondary plates or sections which are attached to beam webs or flanges to stiffen them against out of plane deformations.
Stringer - A beam that supports stairs or elevated surfaces, holding the treads and risers in place.
Stringers for Stair - they are long, diagonal members that run along the sides of a staircase, supporting the treads and risers.
Stud Wall - A drywall partition supported by wood or metal studs. For ladder installation, wood blocking is added behind the drywall so screws can securely attach the ladder components.
Switchback Stair - also called as U-shaped or scissors stair, it is a type of a staircase with two parallel flights of stairs that are positioned 180 degrees from each other with a landing between them.
Template - A standard design or configuration that users can customize for specific areas or phases of a project.
Tread Angle Support - L-shaped angles that hold and stabilize stair treads at an inclined angle, ensuring they can bear loads safely while maintaining proper alignment with the stair pitch.
Uniform Load - A force that is applied evenly over the entire length of the support
Vertical - Perpendicular to the plane of the horizon or to a primary axis.
Vertical Bar - A straight vertical steel bar, often used as part of cages. It represents any vertically oriented linear bar element.
Walk-through Ladder Extension - An extension of a safety rail designed to provide continuous handhold support when stepping onto or off a ladder or platform. The model extends the rails to guide user movement safely.
Wall Rail - A handrail that is mounted to the wall with wall rail brackets on the closed side of a stairway.
Wood Base - A strip of wood that is applied to the base of a wall to shield the surface from damage caused by wall brackets or other mounted hardware; A wood block installed inside a stud wall that serves as the solid backing for attaching ladder components. Lag screws fasten into this wood base to ensure a secure connection.