14.3. Hand Rails
Creates a full railing mounted on the beams of your choice and with many configuration options to suit your needs.
The rail must be placed on existing sections in your model. The railing does not have to cover the full length of the selected sections. Railings can be created on slopes (such as stair stringers) or horizontal beams and may be straight or curved and can go around corners.
Advance Steel 2011 Training Manual
• AS Modeling > Structural Elements > Hand-railing
• Select base beams for railing ~> Select objects: Select the sections you want to add the railing to. The sections do not have to be exactly end to end but must make a sensible and obvious path for the rail to follow.
• Select start point of railing Select the point you want your railing to start at (does not have to be the end of a beam)
• Select end point of railing Select the point you want your railing to finish at (does not have to be the end of a beam)
• Do you want to select a nosing point relative to the start point? [Yes/No] <N>: If going up a stair you may want to measure your railing dimensions from the nosing point of the stair instead of the stringer top. If so, answer yes and select a nosing point. Otherwise say No.
The default railing will be created along the path you specified and the Railing Properties box is displayed.
• Post > Post tab
o Section – Select the section you want to make the railing posts out of.
o Alignment of post – Set the desired position of the railing posts relative to the beams the railing sits on.
o Post offset along rail axis – Normally the railing posts are equally spaced but if you need to move one post to avoid an obstacle you can use this option to do so.
• Post > Set out of posts tab
o Prefer distance 1 and 2 – Which value is more important to you, the spacing between posts or the distance of the first and last posts from the end of the rail?
o Prefer max dist. Between posts – If ticked the number of posts is calculated to create an equal spacing no larger than the defined max distance. If un-ticked a fixed number of posts are created at whatever spacing it ends up.
o Calculate dist. for each beam – If working on more than one beam and this is ticked there will be a start and end post on each beam plus more posts according to the rules above. If un-ticked the whole length of rail will be used to calculate the spacing and quantity of posts even if the space goes around a corner.
o Move start or end base point – When picking start and end points it is often easiest to pick nodes on the ends of beams. If this would cause a clash (with a column for example) you can adjust the end positions using these values. Enter a negative value to make the rail shorter.
• Post > Post – top handrail tab – Select the joint between the posts and the top rail. Can be fitted, flush or cap & stool.
• Post > Post – middle handrail tab – Select the joint between the posts and the middle handrail(s).
• Post > Post – kickrail tab – Select the joint between eh posts and the kickrail if there is one.
• Handrail > Top handrail tab
o Section – Select the desired section to make the top handrail from.
o Distance from top of beam – Height to the top handrail from the top of the beam it is placed on. If using a tube for the top rail the distance is measured to the centre line of the tube. If using another section the distance is measured to the top of the section.
o Distance from top of sloped beam – You can set a different height for handrails on a slope.
• Handrail > Middle Handrail – horizontal tab
o Section – Select the section to make the middle rail(s) out of.
o Distance from bottom handrail – Height of bottom rail from the beam the railing is based on.
(horizontal railing)
o Number of middle handrails – You can have as many equally spaced middle rails as you wish.
o Distance between axis – Spacing of the middle rails on a horizontal railing.
o Start and End extra length – Set where the middle rail should end relative to the top hand rail. You can also choose to end at the last rail post.
• Handrail > Middle handrail – Sloped tab – Spacing of middle rail(s) on a sloped portion of railing.
• Handrail > Balusters tab – Set the section and distances for the baluster posts.
o Create Balusters – If ticked vertical balusters will be created between the bottom and top middle rails. If there is only one middle rail the balusters will go to the top handrail.
• Handrail > Kick plate tab – Select the section and spacing for your kick rail. Can choose whether to have a rail at all on horizontal or sloping sections of rail.
• Handrail > Handrail – Handrail tab – Select the joint between each section of rail when based on more than one beam.
• Handrail > End of handrail – start or End tabs – Set the type of ending you want at the start or end of your rail. You can select from None, Downstand, Radius, Return, Loop or Loop Return and set the properties of each as appropriate.
• Post Fixing tab group – Set parameters for how the railing posts fix to the beams the railing is based on.
• Hang off rail tab group – Set parameters for a hang off rail if you want one.
Any railing created with the macro will be constructed as a set of fabricated assemblies, one per beam selected. The top rail will be one length per assembly regardless of how long that is. If you have short railings going round a corner you can make that into one piece by setting the Weld Type option on the Handrail > Handrail – handrail tab to Shop.
As with any macro you can store your preferred settings in the Table to save having to input the settings every time (see topic 9.4 Joint Table au-dessus). If the table has an entry for the section size selected when placing the rail it will automatically select that specification of railing.
When choosing end points for the railing special grips are placed at these points. An alternative way of adjusting the overall length of your railing is to move these grips.
14.3.1. Handrail Joint
If you make two independent hand railings and then wish to make a smooth transition between them you should use the Stairs & Railings > Handrail Joint from the Connection Vault.
Length grip for handrail
Advance Steel 2011 Training Manual
• Connection Vault > Stairs & Railings > handrail Joint
• Select first beam ~> Select objects: Select the first handrail to join and accept.
• Select second beam ~> Select objects: Select the second handrail to join and accept.
The rails will be adjusted and the Handrails Joint Properties displayed.
Select which type of joint you want – Mitre or radius – and complete the properties as appropriate. If you choose radius the inserted curved piece of beam will match the section of the first piece of rail.