Along with the role of protection against falling, railings can also function as a pillar or support for other structures. Extended downwards and transfering the load onto the floor, the railing can take up and distribute the weight of the steps.
The railing profiles also act as a supporting structure and are a robust and safe method of taking or transferring the weight of the staicase whilst additionally reducing the vibrations generated by its use.
CNC cutouts enable the staircases to be fixed and fitted together with maximum precision, either mechanically or with adhesive. CNC processing, using .dxf or .dwg AutoCAD files, ensures ‘accuracy of execution’ and enables the precice cutting of 2 or 3 glass sheets at the same time, in exactly the same area. So, after lamination, we have a panel with several perfectly aligned cutouts, into which the free ends of the steps are to be inserted. Embedding one end of the tread into the wall ensures rigidity and reduces vibration and the insertion of the free end into the perfectly aligned and finished CNC cutouts combine the stairs and structural railing into one unit.
There is a variant of railing, with a very rigid structure, that is specifically calculated to be fixed into the ceiling. In these cases, the glass descends along the free ends of the stairs, incorporating and stiffening them. Since the space required to build this type of staircase is quite large, the surface area underneath it becomes unusable for pedestrian traffic but can be used for other purposes.
Another situation where a railing has a structural role is where it supports the free end of the steps.