Constructing steps is not for the timid, as least that what I read as I was researching how to construct steps in my side terraces. As my husband (mostly) and I were forming terraces on the very steep east slope by our house, I knew that steps were going to be required if we wanted to walk down the terraced slope to the east meadow below. This section is a tutorial on how I constructed our steps and why I made certain decisions.

Here are some internet resources that may be helpful to you:

Outdoor Garden Plans - Building Garden Steps
eHow - How to Measure for Patio Steps
GardenWeb Forum - How to secure landscaping/railroad ties

I also used information from these books:

Whitner, Jan Kowalczewski (1992). "Stonescaping - A Guide to Using stone in Your Garden". ISBN 0-88266-756-4, p. 87 - 92

Smyser, Carol A. (1984). "Nature's Design". ISBN 0-87857-343-7, p 283-284