Brick Lintels consist of bricks which are placed on ends as shown in the figure.
As plain brick Lintels have poor tensile strength they are limited for spans up to 60 cm with light loading conditions. Plain brick lintels are constructed either with straight or wedge shaped bricks. They are suitable for small openings with light loading conditions.
The important features of brick lintels are
Bricks should be well-burnt, copper-coloured, free from cracks and with sharp and square edges.
A temporary wood support, known as a turning piece, is used to construct a brick lintel.
In order to maintain the appearance of brickwork, a brick lintel should have a depth equal to some multiple of brick courses.
A brick lintel is a weak form of construction and hence, it is suitable up to a span of 1 meter with light loading. A steel angle or steel flat bar of length equal to brick lintel may be provided at the bottom of lintel. The exposed surfaces of steel angle or steel flat bar may be suitably painted so as to make them inconspicuous.
Participants