Calculations for residential stairs handrail / guardrail to resist 200 Lb/ Sq inch..

[seahorse_saps]

Hi, im a homeowner trying to convert by Basement to living space in San Jose, California.. Im adding stairs from existing house to basement.. Im working with a drafter who prepares the plan and submitted to city for approval. but it has been back and forth with City that the plans does not include calculations for Stairs handrail / guardrail. My Drafter says he has provided everything needed and he does not know what else to do..

below is the comment from City and the Stairs diagram submitted to city.. Can someone help me on what does it mean by "Calculations" and What do i do here..

Im a Mechanical engineer, so i can understand basic structural engineering and terminology but not at the level of Calculations and city code..

 

[Rabbit12]

You need to provide calculations that prove you're details work. Code dictates handrails/guardrails need to support a 200 lb load in any direction.

 

[seahorse_saps]

Hi, thanks for the response.. Yup, i understand i need to provide Calculation but if i could get a reference to see what calculations are, i can probably modify it to fit my needs.. Or if someone else can do it for me, im happy to pay them..

 

[Rabbit12]

I'm sure there are lots of structural engineers in San Jose that could help you out. Highly unlikely that someone will have a set of sample calculations that will fit your needs.

 

[cvg]

https://engineersviewpoint.blogspot.com/2014/11/basic-handrail-calculator-javascript.html

 

[seahorse_saps]

Thanks for the link.. Ive checked it out already and its for metal handrail and my project is wooden handrail inside the house.. I suppose i could switch to metal handrail as well.

 

[oldestguy]

Note the structural guys are saying pounds, not psi.

 

[Ron247]

The drawing looks like you have a short wall that serves as a guardrail so no one falls over the edge. The design load has to be applied at the top of the wall in multiple possible directions per note S14. Since the wall is not laterally supported at the top, it must act as a fixed base wall. To provide what they want, you need to do statics and wood design both. While you may be familiar with statics, the wood design you may not be. If they want a stamp on the calcs, you may get in 2 different issues. Stamping you own project since it is your house and stamping something you are not specifically trained in. If they want stamped calcs, it would be best to contact a local structural engineer.

 

[dold]

First of all, welcome to the world of California code reviewers.

Here are some links that will give you the strongest and most expensive guard posts ever conceived. Simpson Strong Tie must have a hell of a lobbying outfit.

This is the AWC's prescriptive deck guide. It is a legit document that's pretty easy to use. page 19-20 shows the details you want to use (or at least, the details the code reviewer will likely accept)

https://www.awc.org/pdf/codes-standards/publications/dca/AWC-DCA62015-DeckGuide-1804.pdf

Not sure if san jose will be as lenient...
Guardrail Post Attachment
Here are three options for guardrail post attachment; You may use one of these options or may submit a different design
with drawings and calculations prepared by a professional engineer licensed in the State of Oregon.
From

https://www.portlandoregon.gov/bds/article/260368

If they put their foot down and demand calculations, and you dont want to shell out cash for an engineer, this link has a pretty good handle the calculations they want to see.

https://www.deckmagazine.com/design...erifying-the-load-capacity-of-railing-posts_o

If you put those details on your drawings, i'd give you an 80% chance of getting your permit without calcs. Good luck!

 

[dold]

As for example calculations:


The last page has hand calcs

https://weblink.ci.tumwater.wa.us/public/0/edoc/144744/Submittal Documents 03-24-2010 (4).pdf

also, detail 17/S9.0

 

[seahorse_saps]

Awesome.. Thanks for the links Dold.. this is exactly what i was looking for.. Great info.. I will customize them to my need and resubmit the plans.. Its been almost 8 months and the review is very stringent in San Jose.. im not sure how im going to handle to inspectors.. heard lot of nightmare stories from others. Its going to be a owner builder permit and im going to work on it. so it will be fun.

 

[dold]

That should be a fun project. 8 months seems a biiiiit excessive for a permit, but i dont do a lot of residential work. Thats even a long time for a commercial permit though. Then again, most commercial design teams have permit coordinators, etc. As for the inspectors, just try to do quality work and be friendly. If you try to skimp on stuff you'll probably have to redo it. I.e., follow your plans that were permitted. That is quite literally the inspector's job - make sure the plans match what you're doing. Have fun!

 

[seahorse_saps]

Sure.. Will do.. Thanks much for the help

 

[oldrunner]

Can't believe you took 8 months to figure out that a good civil engineer can do your little project in about a hour. Remember the building department is usually the last chance to keep you from screwing up. Sometimes it's a good inspector. There are hundreds of registered civil and structural engineers in your area. Make sure he has E&O (sometimes about a $10,000 per year premium). Attorneys love these kind of possible scenarios.

 

[seahorse_saps]

Its 8 month from the time of plan submission. Its already been 5 reviews with the City and the final comment is on the handrail / guardrail.. if they had provided this comment at the first review, i would have switched to another person. But they are giving this comment on 5th review and its the only comment..

 

[dhengr]

Seahorse_saps:
What sort of details, conditions, omissions, etc. were noted and excepted/rejected on the first 5 reviews? Were they accepted on the first resubmission and later rejected? What new details and changes were added along the way, and did they all pass muster? Is the reviewer finding new items to object to, but which have been on the plans all along, is that so with the handrails? Today, many reviewers at AHJ’s have fairly highly compensated jobs which they are working hard to justify, so they can be pretty pikey. But, you may do yourself a disservice when you hire a drafter (CAD monkey?) as your designer, when they have not had considerable experience with that AHJ. He should have been able to resolve the handrail (guardrail) design and connection problem if he had much experience, or I would question his ability. Also, given your OP and other questions and comments and a need for a set of calcs. to plug your numbers into, suggests you may not be the best engineer for this job, client, AHJ either. You are doing something wrong, after 8 months, on a small house remodel, you might do well to hire a real professional who knows his way around house design, stairway design and the local AHJ. How does that old saw about lawyers go… ‘an attorney who represents himself, has a fool for a client.’

 

[dold]

Drafter =/= Designer