Lintel

Category: infrastructure

A horizontal structural beam placed across the top of a door, window, or masonry opening to carry the load above.

A lintel can be composed of structural steel angles, precast concrete, or stone blocks. It bears the tremendous weight of the solid masonry wythe wall spanning above an open window bay, routing those massive structural compression forces down safely into the side jamb columns.

Common Examples

• The mason installed an oversized precast concrete lintel beam to bridge the wide garage opening and carry the upper block course load.
• Inadequate structural support depth at either end of a steel angle lintel will trigger structural shear cracking across the brick window header.