Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 1.12
Anthropometrics and dynamics
Access
For access by wheelchairs, a clear
width opening of doorways of
840 mm requires structural
openings of 1000 mm. Doors should
open a full 90°.
Doors
The force required to operate a lever
handle should not exceed 70N, or for a
small knob 35N. For elderly or
disabled people, lower values may be
appropriate; for example the force
required to open a door, or to close it,
with one hand should be not more than
40N and preferably not more than
20N, and to hold it open not more than
7.5N. Young children
may need special consideration.
Handle height has little effect on
capacity between 0.8 m and 1.1 m
from the floor.
View out
In housing, window sill height should
normally allow seated people to see
out, and window heads should
normally be above the eye level of
people standing. Special
consideration should be given to the
needs of disabled people.
Reach
Maximum sideways reach for
cleaning windows while standing
on the floor adjacent to a window, and
with minimum sill projection, is 850
mm (Figure 1.76). In the same
situation, downward reach below an
1100 mm safety rail is a maximum of
550 mm.
A comfortable vertiocal reach over
a 600 mm wide worktop is
1.7 m (Figure 1.77a) and, standing
adjacent to the window, the maximum
vertical reach is 2 m (Figure 1.77b).
Windows
In the case of hinged, pivoting or
horizontal sliding units, the force
required to initiate movement should
not exceed 80N and, in the case of
vertical sliders, 120N. To sustain
movement, the corresponding values
are 65N and 100N. Elderly and
disabled people may need special
consideration and lower values may
be appropriate
(82)
.
Wear on moving parts
Maintenance to an agreed regime will
be necessary for all openable
windows, doors, adjustable
ventilators and access equipment.
Rate of wear is usually thought to
be a matter for agreement between
purchaser, manufacturer and supplier,
so long as the minimum required to
achieve an agreed life is reached.
Specification may be in the form of a
performance test simulating 'n' years
service on the part in question.
If a moving part fails in service,
then it must fail in a safe condition.
Forces required to operate moving
parts
The moving parts which are
considered here include doors and
opening windows, though controls on
other manually operated devices such
as blinds and shutters will in many
cases not be very different.
Figure 1.76
Maximum sideways reach
