Description
You have been asked to design a spiral staircase that extends beyond a full 360-degree revolution. However, when attempting to create this design in Archicad, the staircase does not complete a single full circle. How can a spiral staircase be modeled to continue past a full revolution?
Solution
In Archicad, spiral staircases that extend beyond a 360-degree turn cannot be modeled as a single piece due to the need for clear and accurate floor plan representation. This limitation is in place to maintain the integrity of floor plan documentation. To address this, the staircase can be divided into two seamlessly connected segments.
Here’s how:
- Create the Initial Spiral Staircase:
Begin by designing the first segment of the spiral staircase, completing a full <360-degree turn. Also, make sure to change the “Linked Top Story” function to Not Linked then provide the proper height value. - Duplicate and Align the Stairs:
The next step involves duplicating the first staircase segment and aligning the starting point of the second segment precisely with the endpoint of the first. This ensures the spiral continues seamlessly. The offset height from the Homestory of the second stair should be equal to the height of the first stair. Link the Top Story to the corresponding next story onto where the Spiral Staircase ends. - Fine-Tune the Connection:
To ensure a smooth transition between the two segments, set the Flight-Start of the second staircase to Vertical Cut. Adjust the dx value to “0”, ensuring that the two segments connect seamlessly, appearing as one continuous spiral.
- Edit Floor Plan Display.
To further enhance the floor plan representation of it, you can adjust some display parameters:- In the first segment, change the Floor Plan Display Layout to Show on Home Story Only. Change the Layout on to With Break Mark: Visible-Hidden. Delete the default Down value in the Text 1.
- In the second segment, change the Floor Plan Display Layout to Show on One Story Up. Change the Layout on to No Break Mark:Visible. For the Numbering, change the value of the Start Numbering From based on the last number of the First segment step. Delete the default Up value in the Text 2