Did you ever wonder whether those
flimsy-looking balusters on Colonial
staircases — sometimes called "candlestick"
balusters — are strong enough to
keep someone from falling through
them? And more important, whether
they're strong enough to comply with
the building codes — some of which
are quite stringent when it comes to
stairs and guardrails?
The December '94 Practical
Engineering column looked at BOCA
code requirements for attaching railing
posts. In this article, which is an
extension of the same topic, we'll
look at the strength of balusters, which
by code must meet the criteria for
a guardrail "infill." BOCA section
1615.8.2.1 requires that balusters
"be designed and constructed for a
horizontal concentrated load of 200
pounds applied on a 1-square-foot
area at