Concrete Lintel Load Bearing Wall

The higher the value the better the load bearing capabilities on the lintel.

Concrete lintel load bearing wall.

Galvanised steel will be vulnerable to moisture and potentially rust whereas the steel in a prestressed concrete lintel is protected by the concrete. The principle is the same however. Certain lintels may need to be propped until the mortar has set under the bearings. The weight of the wall a is now bearing down onto the concrete lintel.

A load bearing wall is one that supports the structure or structures above it. Lintels take the load of the wall above down to the foundations you can see from the image above that a lintel has been inserted into a load bearing wall where an opening has been formed below it. Steel lintels in external walls have material coating in accordance with l11 l14 and l16 1 see table 4. To provide an opening in it it is necessary to transfer the weight of the load above this new opening to the sections of wall either side by means of a lintel.

Concrete steel and reinforced brickwork are acceptable materials for use as lintels. Installing a lintel in a block wall of brick or concrete isn t a difficult task but you will need to be very careful while using the power tools required for the process. Ensure the lintel is level and is bedded in mortar. The nhbc recommend a damp proof course dpc or cavity tray should be installed over all openings in external cavity walls.

Box lintels are used for solid wall construction with the 100mm ranges used for single skin internal walls and the 200mm ranges used for double skins typically external walls with no cavity. Timber lintels should not be used unless. Construct a full masonry unit immediately below lintel ends. 6 10 10 construction of load bearing walls and external infill walls.

The length of lintel bearings should not be less than 100mm and 150mm for pressed steel lintels. The load span tables for prestressed concrete lintels are very similar to the steel lintel tables with the exception of two values. This can be simply the floor roof or the top half of the same wall you are working on. A lintel is a type of support beam that is installed into a load bearing wall to allow for the creation of a new opening.

Do not use off cuts of bricks or blocks. In some cases when building under ground level a concrete lintel is the preferred option to a steel lintel.