Tread Pan - Concrete And Metal Stairways

A tread pan is the part of a metal stairway that will create the step, after it's filled with concrete. This type of stairway is usually found in commercial and industrial buildings. It's not uncommon to find one on the exterior of a shopping center or business offices.

Potential Tread Pan Problems

The biggest problem with tread pans is corrosion. If the concrete step isn't sealed or maintained, it isn't going to take long, before the moisture in the concrete starts to attack the metal stairway.

Some of the metal stairways that are built to hold small or large amounts of concrete, in them, don't even have drainage holes underneath the treads or landings. Even the ones that do, usually don't have enough.

Corrosion is only going to be a problem if a metal stairway with concrete steps is near moisture. This makes a lot of sense, if the stairway is located on the exterior of the building, but this shouldn't be a problem on the inside of the building, should it.

Actually, it could be, if the stairway is located inside of a factory or area where the manufacturing process releases some type of moisture or chemicals, around the staircase. One time we were working in a lemon concentrate factory, where there were high levels of citric acid that were highly corrosive. It was hard to imagine how much damage was done to the wood, metal and concrete floors.

You've probably heard me say this more than once, proper planning and design could eliminate big problems in the future. The only reason why I'm using the word could, instead of should is because it's hard to foresee every single problem.

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