Handrail Design Research Articles

A Study on the Development of Delaunay pattern Handrail Design Applying Solar Panel

a Study on the Development of Delaunay pattern Handrail Design Applying Solar Panel

A Review Article: Fall Incidents and Interior Architecture— Influence of Executive Function in Normal Ageing

Many ageing people are staying at home, whether they are self-isolating or social distancing, because of the current Covid-19 situation. Fall incidents at home among the ageing are significantly associated with a high level of mortality. Bathrooms are frequently reported as a major environmental hazard in connection with falls. This serious health risk raises the matter of interior architecture. In terms of preventing falls, more architectural research focuses on interior elements e.g., handrail design, and non-slip mat, whilst less attention is paid to the issue of how ageing causes falls. Therefore, this article sheds light on the normal ageing process through an executive function that helps in the fall prevention of ageing people via decision-making and problem-solving. Normal ageing gradually results in declining executive function, including cognitive and motor functions, which limits and reduces day to day activities. The cognitive function (as a system) involves processing speed, accuracy in response, and error response whereas the motor function (as a mechanism) defines both gross and fine motor functions. A combination of cognitive and motor functions reflects conditions that may lead to a fall. Regarding the executive function, interior architecture for preventing falls in normal ageing people is strongly encouraged e.g., clear layout, timesaving activity, simplicity of design, lighting uniformity, short walking distance, cased opening, lightweight fixtures, and fine texture flooring. This article reviews the literature to address the knowledge gaps between interior architecture and human-centred design through ageing ergonomics, and employs a behaviour-focused aspect to interpret results for interior architects. Electronic databases, including Scopus, PubMed, and Google Scholar, were searched to specify appropriate papers, which were restricted to those in the English language. To improve the quality of the elderly’s life, this article provides recommendations that could assist interior architects in this challenge.

The Effect of Handrail Cross-Sectional Design and Age on the Speed and Quality of Reach-To-Grasp Reactions to Recover Balance.

To determine the effect of handrail cross-section on the speed and quality of reach-to-grasp movements following balance loss in younger and older adults. Grasping a handrail is a common strategy for balance recovery. For handrails to be effective, the design must enable fast and accurate reactive grasping. Little is known about the effect of handrail cross-section on the timing or quality of the reach-to-grasp movement following balance loss. Twenty-four younger and 16 older adults experienced incrementally increasing magnitudes of perturbations in the forward and backward direction until they were no longer able to recover balance. We analyzed the last trial where the participant could recover using only the handrail, without stepping or relying on the harness, the maximum withstood perturbation (MWP). Seven handrail cross-sections were tested. Handrail cross-section did not affect the speed or timing of the reach-to-grasp reaction for younger or older adults. However, handrail cross-section affected the MWP, the grip types used, and the likelihood of making an error or adjustment when grasping. The greatest MWP and fewest errors occurred with 1.5" round handrails. The absence of common strategies for accurately grasping complex shapes (reaching more slowly), combined with the higher frequency of errors with larger handrails, suggests that both older and younger adults prioritized quickly reaching the handrail over prehension during reach-to-grasp balance reactions. This work provides new insights on the effect of age and handrail cross-sectional design on reach-to-grasp reactions to recover balance, which can inform safer handrail design standards.

승객 만족도 향상을 위한 연안여객선 실내공간 개선방향 연구

The purpose of this study is to investigate passenger satisfaction and suggest improvement directions of interior spaces for improving passenger satisfaction in the accommodation area of coastal ferry, Ro-Pax ships. First, previous studies, references, and examples reviewed. Then, the questionnaire survey identifies the characteristics of passengers, passenger satisfaction, space organization and design, interior design problems, and requirements for improving interior spaces. The passenger questionnaires are compared and analyzed with expert questionnaires conducted in previous studies. From the results of research, it mainly suggests that various types of handrails for the weak, color planning and installing digital information system, rearranging the space with usage. With result of the questionnaire survey, improvement plans suggest that different information system for the user, sign design with readability and identification, space and door design for wheelchair users, standard of handrail design, design guideline of staircase, efficient traffic flow of a restaurant, esay accesible to the rest seat, affordable space organization.

The effect of handrail cross-sectional design and age on applied handrail forces during reach-to-grasp balance reactions

Handrails have been shown to reduce the likelihood of falls. Despite common use, little is known about how handrail shape and size affect the forces that people can apply after balance loss, and how these forces and the corresponding ability to recover balance depend on age. Following rapid platform translations, 16 older adults and 16 sex-matched younger adults recovered their balance using seven handrail cross-sections varying in shape and size. Younger adults were able to withstand higher perturbations, but did not apply higher forces, than older adults. However, younger adults achieved their peak resultant force more quickly, which may reflect slower rates of force generation with older adults. Considering handrail design, the 38 mm round handrails allowed participants to successfully recover from the largest perturbations and enabled the highest force generation. Conversely, tapered handrails had the poorest performance, resulting in the lowest force generation and withstood perturbation magnitudes. Our findings suggest that the handrail cross-sectional design affects the magnitude of force generation and may impact the success of recovery. Our findings can inform handrail design recommendations that support effective handrail use in demanding, balance recovery scenarios.

Effect of Handrail Height and Age on Trunk and Shoulder Kinematics Following Perturbation-Evoked Grasping Reactions During Gait.

To characterize the effect of handrail height and age on trunk and shoulder kinematics, and concomitant handrail forces, on balance recovery reactions during gait. Falls are the leading cause of unintentional injury in adults in North America. Handrails can significantly enhance balance recovery and help individuals to avoid falls, provided that their design allows users across the lifespan to reach and grasp the rail after balance loss, and control their trunk by applying hand-contact forces to the rail. However, the effect of handrail height and age on trunk and shoulder kinematics when recovering from perturbations during gait is unknown. Fourteen younger and 13 older adults experienced balance loss (sudden platform translations) while walking beside a height-adjustable handrail. Handrail height was varied from 30 to 44 inches (76 to 112 cm). Trunk and shoulder kinematics were measured via 3D motion capture; applied handrail forces were collected from load cells mounted to the rail. As handrail height increased (up to 42 inches/107 cm), peak trunk angular displacement and velocity generally decreased, while shoulder elevation angles during reaching and peak handrail forces did not differ significantly between 36 and 42 inches (91 and 107 cm). Age was associated with reduced peak trunk angular displacements, but did not affect applied handrail forces. Higher handrails (up to 42 inches) may be advantageous for trunk control when recovering from destabilizations during gait. Our results can inform building codes, workplace safety standards, and accessibility standards, for safer handrail design.

Method for determining the design load of an aluminium handrail on an offshore platform

Aluminium outfitting is widely used in offshore platforms owing to its anti-corrosion ability and its light weight. However, various standards exist (ISO, NORSOK and EN) for the design of handrails used in offshore platforms, and different suppliers have different criteria. This causes great confusion for designers. Moreover, the design load required by the standards is not clearly defined or is uncertain. Thus, many offshore projects reference previous project details or are conservatively designed without additional clarification. In this study, all of the codes and standards were reviewed and analysed through prior studies, and data on variable factors that directly and indirectly affect the handrails applied to offshore platforms were analysed. A total of 50 handrail design load scenarios were proposed through deterministic and probabilistic approaches. To verify the proposed new handrail design load selection scenario, structural analysis was performed using SACS (offshore structural analysis software). This new proposal through deterministic and probabilistic approaches is expected to improve safety by clarifying the purpose of the handrails. Furthermore, the acceptance criteria for probabilistic scenarios for handrails suggest considering the frequency of handrail use and the design life of offshore platforms to prevent excessive design. This study is expected to prevent trial and error in handrail design while maintaining overall worker safety by applying a loading scenario suitable for the project environment to enable optimal handrail design.

What are the perceptions of staff who work in, and professionals who advise on the design of, Australian aged care facilities on the value and use of handrails in corridors?

To investigate the perceived value of handrails and how they are used in Australian aged care facilities (ACFs). Such information aims to contribute to the body of knowledge available about handrails, their design features and application. This study adopted a descriptive cross-sectional research design. Online surveys were distributed to members of Australian professional networks, collecting information about handrail use, mobility supports and handrail design in ACFs. There were 112 participants (80% female), aged 18-55years or older. Many identified that handrails in ACF corridors are used by a residents, staff and visitors, and that circular-shaped handrails should be installed in ACF corridors to assist with mobility and safety. Handrails in ACF corridors offer an alternate support to those who experience an unexpected loss of balance and those without or unable to use a mobility aid, ultimately enabling users' mobility and assisting staff to carry out work duties.

Use of handrails for balance and stability: Characterizing loading profiles in younger adults

Well-designed handrails significantly enhance balance recovery, by allowing users to apply high forces to the rail and stabilize their center of mass. However, data on user-applied handrail forces during balance recovery are limited. We characterized the peak forces that 50 young adults applied to a handrail during forward and backward falling motions; quantified effects of handrail height (34, 38, 42 inches) and position prior to balance loss (standing beside the rail with or without hand contact, or facing the handrail with two-handed contact); and examined the relationship between handrail forces and individual mass. The testing environment consisted of a robotic platform that translated rapidly to destabilize participants, and a height-adjustable handrail that was mounted to the platform. Our findings support our hypotheses that starting position and handrail height significantly affect peak handrail forces in most axes. The highest handrail forces were applied when participants faced the handrail and grasped with two hands. In these cases, increased handrail height was associated with increased anterior forces and decreased downward, upward and resultant forces. As hypothesized, peak handrail forces correlated strongly with individual weight in most axes. Implications of these findings for handrail design are discussed.

Development of a Universal Design-Based Guide for Handrails: An Empirical Study for Hong Kong Elderly

An important and basic strategy for facilitating the inclusion and daily life of elderly in accordance with those living in public rental housing buildings is to allow their circulation to be barrier-free and self-supported. Therefore, the provision of a handrail guide could improve their living standard. This paper develops a universal design guide for handrails focusing on the needs of elderly. Fifteen routes with mostly elderly were selected and targeted for evaluating the existing problems with handrail provision. Surveys and informal interviews with elderly, adults, and children were also conducted to further investigate their needs, their ease of existing facilities, and possible future implementation to improve their ease. From the survey results, it was found that most of the existing problems with handrail layouts exist within the community. In addition to standardizing, modifying, and suggesting the ideas on handrail design and layout, the promotion of the ideas from universal design was the emphasis on this investigation in order to make a barrier-free city into a barrier-free but universal community for a better international city. The guide focuses on the standardization of synthetization of the scope in terms of design and layout. Simultaneously, an advanced part of design also regards the improvement of technological, environmental, and self-support features to improve Hong Kong’s international friendliness with tailor-made ideas such as Elderlysteady.

Evidence-Based Evaluation of Staircase Architectural Design to Reduce the Risk of Falling for Older Adults

The impact of an increasingly aging population warrants accommodations in home architectural design. Focusing on the staircase design criteria as part of the home environment, this article presents an integrated evidence-based staircase evaluation for home staircase design to reduce the risk of falling for older adults (those 65 years and older). The staircase evaluation has been developed by dividing the staircase into four design elements: handrail design, step design, staircase geometric design, and lighting. Each element is divided into several features that define its architectural design. For example, the step design element is further divided into four features: going depth, riser height, nosing, and step finishing material. A hierarchical list is provided based on an evidence-based comparison of various scenarios for each feature. The hierarchical list presents the comparative effect of each scenario on reducing the risk of falling for older adults.

Integrated approach for older adult friendly home staircase design

Purpose The concept of designing or modifying home environments plays an important role in maintaining safety for older adults (65 and older). Poor staircase architectural design could contribute to increasing the risk of falling for older adults. The purpose of this research is to evaluate staircase architectural design by investigating the risk of falling associated with staircase elements and aiming to improve the surrounding environment for older adults living independently in their homes. This paper presents research which is built around the following hypotheses: ‘Improving the architectural design of staircase could reduce the risk of falling for older adults’. Method This research provides an integrated evidence-based assessment that combines all aspects related to staircase architectural design, represented in the following 3 stages. Stage 1 constructs a hierarchy of four elements which represent the architectural design of the staircase as follows: (i) staircase geometrical design; (ii) handrail design; (iii) lighting; and (iv) step design. Each element is divided to a number of features; for instance, handrail design, if exists, is divided into five features: (i) handrail height; (ii) handrail cross-section; (iii) handrail surface texture; (iv) handrail extension; and (v) minimum handrail-wall clearance. Each feature is divided into a number of scenarios representing the different architectural design alternatives for that feature: e.g., variation on handrail heights. A rating factor that represents the degree by which the proposed scenario reduces the risk of falling for older adult, is assigned to each scenario. Stage 2 develops a rating system for the analyzing staircase elements and features which present the degree to which each element and its features reduce the risk of falling for older adults. In this stage, a mathematical model is developed to calculate the rating value for different staircase design scenarios. Stage 3 develops a decision tree analysis module called a design assessment tree (DAT) which represents a complete vision for different staircase design scenarios. A case study is presented in order to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology. Results & Discussion The result of the developed rating system is a rating number for different staircase design scenarios that represent the degree by which the proposed staircase architectural design reduces the risk of falling for older adults. Figure 1 illustrates the optimal design scenario for the geometrical design element, which is part of the developed DAT for the staircase assessment procedure. DAT works as a manual for architects to represent the staircase assessment for any proposed design, and to visualize the optimal design scenario comparing to other scenarios in the each branch.

Design and Research on New Type Treadmill

In view of well- designed treadmill is advantageous to healthy, the author analyzes the design problem of the existing treadmill which exists in using function, art function and material technique function and others, discusses the shape design, the color design and the components design. Among them t the components design mainly elaborate the bottom frame design, the handrail design and other designs. Then the possibility is analyzed. On this foundation, the design practice of new type treadmill is done.

Salcey treetop walk

Salcey treetop walk was designed to provide sustainable, all-ability access to vantage points in the forest, to enhance ‘visitor experience’. The Royal Forest of Salcey is an excellent example of ancient woodland in the south of England, offering award-winning walking trails and opportunities to view a wide range of wildlife. The forest is a remnant of a medieval royal hunting forest, where a number of relics can still be found. There are miles of ancient wood-banks, some building remains and many ancient trees. The ‘Druids’ – or veteran oaks in Salcey – are rare wildlife habitats and some of the old oaks are believed to be more than 500 years old. The design remit for the walkway was to create all-ability access to the tree canopy, without damaging the environment – within a strict budget and short timescale. These parameters reduced many options but complete freedom was given to the designer to ensure rapid progress. The parameters given top priority were: site, materials, zigzag plan shape, no restraining guy ropes, minimal tree felling and branch cut, use of local materials and use of tried-and-tested components. Mechanical lifts were rejected at an early stage as the facility would be unmanned. Consideration had to be given to the future possibility and dangers of vandalism, while still trying to ensure that the walk would be exciting for both young and old visitors. This was particularly important for the handrail design and for the fundamental natural frequency of the structure. The structures provide 300 m of ramps at a slope of 1 : 12, winding through the forest and up through the canopy, to a platform at 15 m high and a ‘look out’ at 20 m. Steel structures were used for the high towers and long spans – however, local timber and advanced timber engineering was used wherever possible, to demonstrate sustainable forestry.

Kansei engineering approach for total quality design and continuous innovation

PurposeThis paper aims at defining a structured process of continuous innovation in the product concept development phase by a statistical‐based Kansei engineering (KE) approach. It consists in the identification of quality elements satisfying both functional and emotional user needs, i.e. the total quality elements.Design/methodology/approachThe approach is developed integrating results from Kano and KE analysis. Three statistical methods considered to be suitable for KE study, are used: supersaturated design for concept configuration, ordinal logistic regression for data analysis, and EVA method for quality evaluation of the optimal concept. These methods are compared with the most used ones in KE regarding their efficacy, efficiency and easiness of use. An innovative procedure to exhibit concepts in a KE session is also presented. It uses the abstraction and association idea principles to elicit users' grade of agreement for a particular Kansei word.FindingsThe proposed approach is fully exploited through a case study on train interior design, developed in a virtual reality (VR) laboratory. The evaluation of comfort improvements obtained by means of a new handle and handrail design is carried on with expert users in VR. A consistent increase of a quality index, by using the defined approach, was obtained.Originality/valueThis work aims at contributing to the conception of new product solutions, which are appealing and saleable. The availability of virtual reality technologies and software capable to manage complex statistical analyses, will concretely aid designers and engineers in the ideation of high‐emotional‐quality products, which can be helpful for innovative enterprises to maintain and even increase their market position.

Thresholds for inducing protective stepping to force-controlled perturbations in young and old adults

In previous studies of stairway handrails, data were derived from static experiments which characterized the influence of the handrail design on ability to generate stabilizing force. This paper describes a novel and safe experimental approach developed to study the biomechanical efficacy of handrail use under dynamic conditions, wherein support-surface motion is used to perturb the balance of the subject who stands on a small (three step), heavily padded mock staircase. A primary objective of this initial study was to determine the influence of factors such as perturbation magnitude, stance leg (left or right), proximity to the handrail, initial hand position (on or off the rail), and ability to complete a step while grabbing the rail. The study was also intended to address a more basic issue: is it even possible to grab a handrail with sufficient speed and accuracy to prevent a fall after losing balance on a stairway? Testing of four healthy young adults demonstrated that sizeable stabilizing handrail force can be generated very quickly (up to 60% of body weight in less than 1 second) in response to loss of balance. Furthermore, these grabbing responses were clearly of functional significance, resulting in a marked reduction in the incidence of ‘falls’ (i.e. landing on the padded surface) compared to trials where the handrail was absent. The most consistent aspect of the force generation was the tendency to exert a forward axial force along the rail. An unexpected finding was that this force often appears to be exerted through a pulling, rather than pushing, action, because of the posterior location of the grip relative to the body. Although most of the force components tended to increase with perturbation magnitude, the lateral forces appeared to be most dependent on whether a step was taken. Stance leg had few effects, but variation in proximity to the rail was found to influence the angle at which the hand approached the rail. Gripping the rail prior to perturbation led to a greater tendency to pull upwards. Implications of these findings for safer handrail design are discussed.

Efficacy of handrails in preventing stairway falls: a new experimental approach

In previous studies of stairway handrails, data were derived from static experiments which characterized the influence of the handrail design on ability to generate stabilizing force. This paper describes a novel and safe experimental approach developed to study the biomechanical efficacy of handrail use under dynamic conditions, wherein support-surface motion is used to perturb the balance of the subject who stands on a small (three step), heavily padded mock staircase. A primary objective of this initial study was to determine the influence of factors such as perturbation magnitude, stance leg (left or right), proximity to the handrail, initial hand position (on or off the rail), and ability to complete a step while grabbing the rail. The study was also intended to address a more basic issue: is it even possible to grab a handrail with sufficient speed and accuracy to prevent a fall after losing balance on a stairway? Testing of four healthy young adults demonstrated that sizeable stabilizing handrail force can be generated very quickly (up to 60% of body weight in less than 1 second) in response to loss of balance. Furthermore, these grabbing responses were clearly of functional significance, resulting in a marked reduction in the incidence of ‘falls’ (i.e. landing on the padded surface) compared to trials where the handrail was absent. The most consistent aspect of the force generation was the tendency to exert a forward axial force along the rail. An unexpected finding was that this force often appears to be exerted through a pulling, rather than pushing, action, because of the posterior location of the grip relative to the body. Although most of the force components tended to increase with perturbation magnitude, the lateral forces appeared to be most dependent on whether a step was taken. Stance leg had few effects, but variation in proximity to the rail was found to influence the angle at which the hand approached the rail. Gripping the rail prior to perturbation led to a greater tendency to pull upwards. Implications of these findings for safer handrail design are discussed.

Influence of Stairway Handrail Height on the Ability to Generate Stabilizing Forces and Moments

An experimental study was performed investigating the influence of handrail height on the ability of stairway users to generate stabilizing forces and moments, with the aim of improving stairway safety by developing better handrail design standards. The experiments involved measurement of the maximum forces and moments that subjects were able to exert on a handrail while they stood stationary in an upright position. Two age groups were tested: young (20 to 45 years) and elderly (59 years and over), with a total of 35 subjects. All subjects showed a strong linear dependence on handrail height in generating stabilizing forces and moments. Ability to generate forward/backward forces and forward/backward moments increased linearly with increasing handrail height. Ability to generate upward force decreased linearly with increasing handrail height. Based on the results, an optimal design range for handrail height was estimated.

Influence of Handrail Height on the Generation of Stabilizing Forces and Moments

Although changes in handrail design parameters might affect the energy requirements and speed of stairway gait, there is little doubt that the primary consideration in handrail design lies in the prevention of falling accidents. The overall objective of this work is to evaluate the effects of changes in handrail design on stairway safety. Due to time constraints, the present study was limited to an investigation of handrail height, although there is no reason why the present experimental paradigm could not be used to study other handrail parameters.