As a common set for the class to compare, everyone gave a qualitative
feel for the stairs outside Needles Hall
to assess whether or not they were uncomfortable on those
stairs. The vote was 7 were fine with them, 8 were uncomfortable
(plus two instructor votes for "uncomfortable"). These stairs
have 6.5" rise and a 11.5" run. The rise times run is 74.7, while
the rise plus run is 18. The standards given in Dietz suggest the
rise is a bit low, although reasonable; the rise times run is okay;
and the rise plus the run is a bit too large.
As a second common set for the class to compare, everyone is to give
a qualitative feel for the stairs inside the Davis Centre. These
stairs match Dietz's criteria, with a 7.5" rise, a 10" run. The
vote was unanimous: everyone felt these stairs were comfortable
(although one student said they were uncomfortable when taken
two-at-a-time).
The point is: when stairs are made to the common guidelines, everyone finds them comfortable. When built outside the guidelines, a reasonable fraction of people will find them uncomfortable.
Disclaimer: everyone in the group goes up and down the Davis Centre stairs multiple times per day. Thus, the evaluation may be biased based on "what we're used to".
In the table below are links to the stairs that each student (and one instructor) measured and photographed. Click on a picture to get their report.
 Alsubhi |
 Bian |
 Emilov |
 Fourquet |
 Greene |
 Hahn |
 Hartfiel |
 Kajarekar |
 Kinnear |
 Lam |
 Mann |
 Meraj |
 Pytel |
 Safri |
 Zhang |