We were approached by a customer about replacing his ageing rickety wood stairs with concrete steps to improve the aesthetics of his home and the safety of the step’s users. We appreciate a challenge and accepted this one.
We originally sketched up what the new concrete steps would look like, which were relatively similar to the present ones, showing where more support for the concrete stairs would be needed. Because the existing design suited the property we decided to basically replace the wood steps with concrete ones, keeping within the original dimensions.
For the cantilevered steps, a massive 24′′ thick structural wall had to be built first. Rebar connected all of the piles and footings in a monolithic pour.
The cantilever landings are highly stressed; connecting them above the structural wall needed an inordinate amount of rebar, both 15M and 20M. Both sides of the structural wall were dowelled with epoxy-coated rebar, guaranteeing that the concrete would not move or pull away in the future.
This project used a 35mpa air entrainment concrete with plasticizer. After pouring the concrete, the forms and shoring were left in place for 28 days to enable the concrete to reach 90 percent of its strength, assuring that there would be no movement at any hinge points in the concrete when the forms were removed. It worked well, since there were no perceptible fractures on this concrete stair job.
The project was a huge success. The end-result product was a success with the owners. We were able to maintain the original design they loved and transform it into a new contemporary structural concrete step.
If you have a concrete stair project or any other job that demands high workmanship, please give us a call or email us your drawings now; we would be delighted to create your concrete project.
Please feel free to contact us with any questions or comments about this project we love feedback.