Bar lintels: types and installation

When building the walls of the building one of the most important engineering tasks is the correct design of window and door openings. And to solve this problem, we can not do without such an element as a bar lintel.

In our article we will talk about the main types of jumpers, their marking according to GOST, as well as describe the installation features in different situations.

Detail Information

Construction and variations

As we noted, lintels are parts of window and door openings. The main task of any such element is to overlap the top of the opening and load distribution from the supporting structure above.

Note! In order to minimize the risk of deformation associated with different coefficients of elasticity, thermal conductivity and shrinkage, jumpers are most often made of the same materials from which the structure itself is constructed. In this case, of course, the bearing capacity of the part must be increased.

By design, this part can be both carrier and non-carrier:

• The carrier transverse beam, located above the opening, takes the load from the overlap, which is placed above the window or door. (See also the article How to use beams of timber).
• The curved beam only experiences load from the masonry, which is placed higher, i.e. within one floor.

The classification of such elements can be based on the material of which the jumper is made, and on its configuration.

According to the material there are such groups:

• Reinforced concrete slabs and beams - the most common type. They are reinforced concrete beams with high mechanical properties. Widely used in capital construction due to their manufacturability.
• Metal floors - are used to block wide openings, as well as where a significant load is applied to a window or door. Most often collected from the rolling profile (I-beam or channel).

• Brick - are quite difficult to manufacture, because in private construction are used relatively rarely. As a rule, they are made of ordinary brick laying, which is assembled in installed formwork.
• Wooden - boards or boards of large thickness. Can be used both in the construction of houses and cottages from wood, timber, and in brick buildings, as well as in structures made of gas and foam concrete.

Also, speaking of the construction of industrial lintels (concrete products are primarily included here), experts divide them into slab and squared:

• The lintel of a squared type is mounted in the load-bearing walls in the event that the wall construction perceives the load from the above floor slab. This kind of jumper is the most sought after.
• The slab-type construction is installed in a self-supporting wall to which the weight of the floor slabs is not transferred.

Marking and dimensions

As we noted above, in industrial and residential construction most often used concrete details of block type. The web lintel in accordance with GOST must have a width of not more than 250 mm, and its length is determined by the dimensions of the opening being blocked. As a rule, parts from 1500 to 6000 mm are used.

Each jumper must be properly labeled. The marking contains information about the main characteristics of the element, and therefore, even without seeing the beam itself, we can determine from its article whether it is suitable for use in a given situation.

Consider the features of the marking on the example of such details as the lintel bar 2PB -16 - 2 P.

Numeric and alphabetic indices denote the following:

• 2 - cross-section characteristic of the jumper.
• PB - type of part (PB - bar, PP - slab).
• 16 - length in decimeters. This item has a size of 1600 mm.

Note! The actual size may differ from the nominal size from 6 mm (for beams up to 2500 mm) to 10 mm (for plates and bars with a length of 4000 mm and more).

• 2 - the strength class of the concrete from which the element was made.
• P - an index indicating the presence of loops for carrying the block using a truck crane.

As you can see, information is quite enough to make the benefits of the possibility of using the element to overlap the window opening.

Window opening

Formwork casting

If you are building a house with your own hands, then sooner or later you will be faced with the task of blocking window openings. This problem can be solved in several ways, and below we will try to provide a brief description of them.

The first method involves the construction of jumpers made of reinforced concrete by the filler technology.

The instruction in this case is as follows:

• At the first stage we install formwork in the window opening. For formwork we use boards, the thickness of which should be at least 25-30 mm.
• Formwork is based on vertical wooden bars, which are placed inside the opening itself.

• Inside the formwork we place the reinforcing mesh, made of steel bars with a diameter of about 6-8 mm.

Tip! The armature should be laid on small props, which will provide a gap between the metal and the bottom plane of the concrete beam.

• Additionally, reinforcing the formwork with transverse bars, we begin to pour the concrete mix. It is best to use crushed stone as a filler (the ratio of cement, sand and crushed stone in the solution is approximately 1: 2: 4.5).
• Concrete is thoroughly rammed to get rid of air bubbles.

As practice shows, it is possible to remove formwork and start laying bricks on such a lintel after 48 hours.

Finishing part

The use of ready-made concrete lintels can significantly save time and simplify work. However, it is worth noting that the price of the product in this case will be somewhat higher, and for lifting parts to a height it is desirable to have a crane at your disposal.

If this does not scare you, then the work is carried out according to the following algorithm:

• First, based on the dimensions of the opening, we select the dimensions of the squared jumpers so that the edges of the beam enter the wall at least 250 mm (this parameter is called the embedment depth).
• Then we build the wall in such a way that the supporting platforms for laying the horizontal lumber floor are formed.
• Under the lintel lay the solution layer thickness of about 20 mm.
• Concrete detail is lowered to the selected location and upset to the desired level. Speaking of excess solution removed with a trowel.
• If necessary, form the overlap over the opening of several such parts.

Further laying of bricks or building blocks can be carried out immediately after the completion of the settling and alignment of the lintel.

Conclusion

Bar lintels - according to GOST, they must be made of reinforced concrete of high strength - are an indispensable structural element of almost any window opening.

Of course, as we have already noted in the article, a similar detail can be done independently, but if finances allow, it is better to use a factory product. At least, you will be confident in its mechanical properties, and therefore in the reliability of your windows and doors. The video in this article in addition to the above will show some nuances on this issue, look!