Materials
The separate parts of the staircase were made before the Bricking It trainees even started work on the site. The treads and the side panels are made of acrylic - a clear plastic material that looks like glass.
The centre pole
The first job for the trainees was to erect the main pole. This is the centre of the staircase which and supports the treads. The pole was bolted to the floor through a 300mm metal plate and the top fixed onto the landing above.
The treads
Next the brackets which hold the treads were slotted over the pole. From above it looks a bit like a propeller. The acrylic treads are pre-fixed to these brackets, which needed to be fanned out to their correct positions.
Side panels
After the treads were in place, the acrylic side panels were fitted. The side panels are 12mm thick and trapezoid (diamond) in shape as well as being curved. They run all the way up the stairs and are fixed to the treads with bolts.
Precision workmanship was vital for our trainees. They had to ensure a constant gap of 25mm between each of the side panels. All their work was inspected afterwards.
The Balustrade (handrail)
The balustrade, or handrail, was the last thing to be fitted. It's a stainless steel, 42mm diameter tube. A slot is cut into it which goes over the side panels before it is glued into place and the job is done.
