I believe we are all familiar with the 4" and 6" sphere rules for stair guards, my question surrounds when we are talking guards comprised of cables (graphic below) are you guys testing for tension to ensure 200lb? Are there additional concerns for horizontal vs vertical? Do you write tension as a limitation? Is there another way to handle it? Do I even care if they are reasonable taut?
I am curious how others are handling these situations, note I did do a search first looking for this specific topics and found a couple conversations with broken links so I am bubbling this up to the community and didn’t intend to duplicate anyone’s previous request.
John, as long as that stair railing is sturdy, it probably would not make it in my report. Those, more than likely, would be considered diagonal as opposed to the ones on the landing which are horizontal. In that case, I always mention the “ladder” effect in that small or young children may want to climb on them and could pose a safety hazard. Even with that, I don’t mention it as a “defect”, but just an FYI. 99.9% of the time, no one is going to change anything.
Just my 2 pennies.
David and Thomas I appreciate both of you leaning in and value the feedback giving me an attack plan. The ladder affect is in play over looking a living room below approximately 12’.
John, are you confused about strength and tension? These are two very different things.
Those cables could be slack (e.g. tension = 0) and still easily satisfy code requirements that the guardrail and handrail be able to resist a 200 lbf concentrated LOAD. Each one of those 3/16 thick steel wires can lift a Buick.
There is no tension requirement, so no, do not test tension. Inspect the guardrails and handrails and report on any safety issues or damage that you find.
I’m assuming your question about 200 lbf comes from this code:
I write up probably 75%+ of cable railing systems I see… they’re ALWAYS loose. I grab two, pull them apart and put a big circle in the picture in my report of the opening a kid’s head could fit through. I seem them done right in commercial buildings more often and the cables are far thicker and tensioned properly with something more than a small bolt at the end.
I am more along the camp with @mfellman . I always go to them in the middle of the run between posts and look for a loose one or pair. I have the plastic sphere for sizing to reference and if it is more than the sphere, it gets written up as needing more tension. The buyer can opt to do what they want with it, but I look at it as I have done my job to point out the concern. If a child were to get hurt in any manner, they have been warned and my conscious is clear.
I also warn of the ladder effect with horizontal cables at guardrails, but state they are allowed.
I do not want to be the recipient of the phone call saying a toddler has fallen through or climbed over, and the client was not warned of the concern.
I admit I am still researching this; I want to do the right thing for the client and be consistent in my approach. I have looked at the manufacturers install docs who give vague answers or instructions, in addition so far all the videos on “how tos” avoid specifics beyond calling out the following:
The IBC and IRC both require handrails and guards to be able to handle a linear load of 50 lbs. per linear foot and a concentrated load of 200 lbs. Infill components must be able to resist a concentrated load of 50 lbs.
The approach most on this thread practice will be my go forward practice at least in the short term. I am however looking to refine that and be more consistent in my findings.
I do not see how this device is practical. You are venturing into technically exhaustive and engineering evaluation. For example the video says tension is not to exceed 225 pounds. Why? Is this for a specific manufactured system? A cable manufacturer? A safety perspective? For code?
I do not call out horizontal ballusters, I call out climbable guards. In this case, there is very little chance a small child is going to be able to climb that guard due to the angles involved. If the wires can resist 50 lbs lateral force, then it would past muster for me for safety.
From the last time I checked, some time ago, Code committee rejected “Climb ability” restrictions, Brian.
I will look into it later and await others to chime in.
all the child has to do is start climbing, then when the foot slides down to the baluster, they go on up and over. it’s way too easy to climb these to have children in the home. i would call it out as a safety issue. even if the client didn’t have kids, who is to say they don’t have children who visit with family? then if the tension isn’t good enough, the children could slip through and not fall but hang themselves. yeah, i think it would be a nightmare in that situation if it wasn’t called out at all on a report, but maybe that’s just me.
Hi John, thanks for asking the question and starting a conversation that is about something we encounter daily on our inspections.
That is not how you load a railing. Its not a tug of war. A guardrail should keep people from falling over the edge of where they are standing/leaning.
Let my assistant show you how we load a guardrail to see if it is sturdy. Experience is our calibration, we don’t use a scale to apply a destructive load.
I will direct you to a nicely written essay on this topic that does a better job than I can.
here is a snapshot:
“By the IRC requirement in Table R301.5, a guard must resist 200 lb. “in all directions”—which would include inward. Of course, a guard isn’t there to protect an inward fall, and it doesn’t require anything be attached to it for someone to grab, like a handrail. Consequently, the 2021 IRC makes a distinction between guards and handrails in their minimum design loading. Now, a guard must resist the 200-lb. concentrated load only in the outward and downward direction, with the recognition that a guard capable of resisting such loads in those directions would be sufficiently stable if it were pulled inward.”
Here is the whole article. I suggest that you read it and inspect guardrails and handrails based on IRC codes or local codes using this as a guide. Guards, Handrails, and the 2021 IRC | JLC Online
