ABSTRACT
This chapter covers the structural analysis of stairs using three different methods such as flexibility method, stiffness method, and finite element method. In the flexibility method of a staircase, the displacement is derived using the strain energy method. In the stiffness method, the unknown involved is the displacement of the joints of a particular staircase. There are essentially two principal ways in which the equations of equilibrium, kinematics and elasticity can be combined to lead to a set of equations in displacements. The two approaches are: the basic stiffness method by involving basic stiffness matrices of members and the direct stiffness method by involving the general stiffness of members. The two types of finite element analysis are: plate flexure analysis using displacement polynomials and isoparametric finite element analysis. The isoparametric finite element method looks at cracks in three directions and their propagation under ultimate loads apart from stresses, strains, yielding and plasticity.
