Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles. Sherman Oaks is a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California, founded in 1927 with boundary changes afterward. The neighborhood includes a portion of the Santa Monica Mountains, which gives Sherman Oaks a lower population density than some other areas in Los Angeles.
Building codes and research findings do not completely agree over how to place handrails so they might serve the above functions. Research done by Maki and Fernie (1988) indicates a handrail height of 36 to 40 inches is most effective in preventing falls when descending stairs.
The railing has to sustain 200 pounds of force. However, it is important to note that, from a testing standpoint, the guardrail must sustain 2.5x the minimum force. So, really the guardrail must be able to sustain 500 pounds of force. Balusters and in-fill rails must sustain a minimum of 50 pounds, or a minimum testing force of 125 pounds. Short story: 500 pounds for guardrails, 125 pounds for balusters/infill rails.