Selecting The Right Lintel

Selecting The Correct Lintel

You will need to know 5 things

1 : What is the wall construction?

2 : What Is the length of the lintel?

3 : What is the load to be supported by the lintel?

4 : What is the load ratio between the inner and outer leaves of the cavity wall?

5 : How to interpret the load tables.

1. What is the wall construction?

Example 1: Cavity Wall Construction

You will need to know:

A – Outer Leaf = 102mm Brick

B – Cavity = 100mm

C – Inner Leaf = 100mm Block

2. What is the length of the lintel?

Example 2: Lintel Length

How wide is the structural opening?

1. Measure the size of the structural opening i.e. the clear span between the masonry supports.

2. Add 150mm minimum bearing to each end.

Example lintel length = 150 + 1800 + 150 = 2100mm

3. What load is to be supported by the lintel?

The load on a lintel comes from…

1. Masonry

2. Roof Loads: Truss/Attic/Cut/…

3. Floor Loads: Joists/Slabs/…

4. Live Loads: Residential use/ Commercial use/ Industrial use/…

5. Combination of above

Note: If you are not skilled in calculation loads please contact IG’s Technical Team.

4. What is the load ratio between the inner and outer leaves of the cavity wall?

Load ratio 3:1 Up to 75% of the load is on the Inner Leaf	Load ratio 19:1 Up to 95% of the load is on the Inner Leaf	Example 4: Load / Ratio Calculation:
Differential load ration 3:1 = ≤ 75% load on the Inner Leaf ≥ 25% load on the Outer Leaf	Differential load ration 19:1 = ≤ 95% load on the Inner Leaf ≥ 5% load on the Outer Leaf

5. How to interpret the load tables.

***Please do not hesitate to contact less2build if you require further guidance on selecting the correct lintel.***