THESIS: INSTALLATION OF LINTELS

What is a lintel?

A lintel is a pervasive part of buildings. Whenever we want to create an opening like

doors & windows in the building, we use lintel above the opening as a simple solution.
Although lintel construction is simple and it is very commonly used, we are here to describe
the theoretical definition of the lintel.
A lintel is one type of beam which is utilized to support the above wall or partition
material when openings like doors, windows, and so forth are necessary to provide a
building structure. The primary function of the lintel is to take loads originating from the high
wall and transfer its heap to the side walls. The lintel beam generally ends in the masonry
wall to convey the weight carried by them to the masonry walls, and its width is the same as
the wall width. The lintel can likewise be utilized as an enlivening compositional component.

Followings are the purposes of lintel beams:

1. to support the walls above the openings like doors, windows, etc. 

2. to provide a safeguard of the windows and doors.  
3. to withstand the imposed loads coming from above bricks or block including the
roofing members.  
4. to transfer its load to the side walls.  
5. Sometimes lintels are used as a decorative architectural element.

Types of lintel

While timber is as yet utilized in the development of homes, heavier materials, for example,
block, concrete, and stone, can likewise be used, particularly in the event of business
structures and private condo squares. Thus, the utilization of stirred steel lintels has
developed increasingly well known. Depending on the costing and availability of materials,
different materials are used for lintel construction. Lintels are classified into the following
types according to the elements of their development:

1. Timber lintel
2. Stone lintel
3. Reinforced concrete lintel
4. Steel lintel

After seeing these six types of lintel you may ask a simple question.

Which one of these lintels should you use for your construction project?

It's you who should decide the answer. But to help you decide, a brief description of these
six types of lintels are discussed below.
 1. Timber Lintel

Wooden or Timber Lintels are the most seasoned sorts of the lintel. They are
fundamentally used in the hilly areas where timbers are accessible. But in open
areas, uses of timber are constrained as a result of the significant expense and
accessibility of present-day materials. If there should be an occurrence of more great
dividers, timber lintel is made out of two wooden pieces avoided as much as possible
with the assistance of wooden separation pieces. Sometimes, timber lintels are
reinforced by the arrangement of mild steel plates at their top and base; such lintels
are called flitched lintels. It has a few other disadvantages-

 It is less durable.
 Timber being combustible it is vulnerable to fire.
 These lintels tend to be structurally weak.
 Without appropriate ventilation, timber is obligated to rot.

2. Stone Lintel

Rectangular bits of stone can be utilized as a lintel. This type of lintel is mainly used
in this area where the stone is plentifully accessible. On the off chance that the length of the
opening is long, by then, in any event, two bits of timber are joined to give the lintel all things
considered openings. They are merely used in mountainous buildings as they weigh too
much and due to the non-availability of other materials for their construction. Its use is
intrinsically bound to stone masonry structures. Stone lintels must be utilized according to an
understanding of the characteristic layering. The thickness of the stone lintel is a significant
factor for its design. As a thumb rule, the thickness is taken as 4 cm. Per 30cm length of
span and the minimum thickness should be 8 cm. This sort of lintel will be firm and solid.
There are a few inconveniences also of the stone lintel.

 Its high cost and secondly its inability to withstand excessive transverse stress.
 Due to their weak tensile nature, they are not used in buildings where vibratory loads
are subjected to the structure. 
 It is difficult to deploy them in cities as its transportation is a very complex task.

3. Reinforced Concrete Lintel

At present, reinforced concrete lintels are very common in use. In this type,
reinforcement is used to overcome the low malleable issue in concrete. They are developed
in present-day structures. They are suitable for heavy loads and larger spans. Their
thickness is kept around up to 8 centimeters for every meter. RCC lintels can be either
precast or cast-in-situ. Generally, precast reinforced cement concrete lintels are used when
the lintel span is smaller. Lintel width should be the same as wall width. The depth of the
lintel depends on the length of the span and the loading's magnitude.
Concrete, though strong in compression, is fragile to tensile stress, so main reinforcement
bars are used at the bottom to resist the tensile stress. Half of these bars are cranked at the
ends. Shear stirrups are provided to withstand shear stress. Typically, cement, sand,
and aggregates are mixed in 1:2:4 ratios to form cement concrete mortar. This lintel has a
handful of advantages:

 They are durable, rigid and strong.

 The reinforced concrete lintel has fire-resisting properties.
 They are economical and easy in construction.
 The main advantage of the RC lintels is adaptability to suit any size and shape.

4. Steel Lintel

Steel lintels can be suitable when the superimposed loads are heavy, and the
opening gaps are significant. Steel lintels are preferable when the depth of lintel plays an
essential role because the designer cannot ignore the depth of reinforced concrete lintels
due to heavy loads. These lintels consist of channel sections or rolled steel joists or channel
sections either used singly or in the combination of two or three units. Depending upon the
requirements, the lintel can be a single section or combinations of two or more. Single steel
joist is either embedded in concrete or cladded with stone facing to keep the same width as
the wall. Combination of two or more units are placed side by side and held in position by
tube separator. Relieving with water is accomplished in any event for ten days. It has many
advantages:

 Steel lintels can be utilized to help heavier loads over more prominent separations
without the need to change or strengthen.
 Steel lintels are impervious to rust, erosion, or distorting.
 Steel lintels are more practical and less labor-intensive.

Lintel beam design loads considered

To fulfill the purposes of a lintel beam it must be designed properly. All kinds of dead loads
and live loads that can be imposed on lintel during its lifetime must be considered during the
design of the lintel beam.

Followings are the general loads that should be considered for lintel beam design:

1. Self-weight of the lintel. Self-weight is a kind of dead load.

2. Load of the wall above the lintel beam. It is also a dead load.
3. Loads transferred from the floor or the roof supported by the wall over the lintel. Both
live and dead load from the roof should be considered.

Sometimes other extra loads may be imposed on lintels depending on the

architectural design. One must investigate the architectural drawings to find these extra
loads on the lintel and consider it during design.