Reinforced concrete lintels - characteristics and production

During the construction of each house, reinforced concrete lintels are almost always used. Thanks to him, it is possible to strengthen the openings in the walls, which has a beneficial effect on the strength of the structure. At the factory, GOST 948 84 for reinforced concrete lintels is used to achieve the required parameters, but they can also be made independently.

Factory models are delivered to the construction site after a preliminary order. If we take into account the price of the product, a thought arises, is it not better to make it with your own hands?

It is believed that the factory design better and reliable. But homemade products are no less quality, and to make them will not be difficult. In addition, you get an obvious savings, because you only need to pay for the purchased materials, and you will do all the work yourself. This article will help to properly prepare for it and execute it.

Jumper Overview

Reinforced concrete elements are widely used in construction. These structures, due to their durability and strength, today occupy leading places among construction products. The weight of reinforced concrete lintels depends on their size and may be small or impressive enough, but this is a very important detail.

These structures are used in the construction of houses from many materials, including from:

• foam concrete;
• bricks;
• concrete.

Usually reinforced products are placed above the openings of windows and doors in brick, block, stone walls.

Design features

Manufacturing technology is simple, however, it gives high construction results. It lies in the fact that steel reinforcement is laid in the formwork and filled with concrete. Thus, it is possible to create a balance between all possible stretching and bending, as well as compression.

There are several types of w / b jumpers:

• national teams;
• window;
• bearing;
• squared.

They are made from heavy grades of concrete, which is marked with the appropriate letters, and also indicates the size, length and design load. Consider a range of reinforced concrete lintels in more detail:

Large jumpers are called girders. Horizontal beams with a shelf - bolts. A shelf in this design is needed as a basis and a higher structure will rest on it. All these types of jumpers are very often used in the construction of various objects.

Tip: you may need to cut the reinforced concrete with diamond circles to fit the reinforced concrete lintels.

Manufacturing technology

In order to make a w / b jumper yourself, you will need the following:

• concrete mixer (optional);
• boards;
• corners;
• fittings;
• strapping wire;
• nails;
• sand;
• cement.

It is possible that in the process of work you may need others.

Tip: before you begin work, make the correct selection of reinforced concrete lintels.

For example, ordinary elements can be applied:

• in order to save for the construction of a small building with lightweight structures;
• for structures, where the vaults of floors overlap against the reinforced belts that independently accept and evenly distribute the load.

Options

There are two ways to make jumpers:

1. First, it is made on the ground, and then installed in the opening.
2. Fill the jumper directly above the opening.

If the first production version is suitable, you will have to lift the finished structure and mount it above the opening. In the second case, you will have to make formwork directly above the opening. The first option is more labor-intensive in execution, it may even need a lifting mechanism.

Formwork

If you decide to make a jumper on the second option, fill it in the opening, you can save money, effort and time. An additional positive aspect of the method - you can limit yourself to only one product.

Below is a guide that will help to understand the nuances of the work.

Tip: the formwork should be securely fastened, since a very heavy concrete mass will be poured inside.

1. For the form most often used wooden boards, of which form shields with a thickness of 20-25 mm.
2. Use nails or screws to fasten them between them, the latter should be screwed in by a screwdriver so that you can easily disassemble the structure after the process. Just unscrew the screws and you can use it again in another place.
3. Install a horizontal shield in the opening, which the supports should support from below.. It can be placed flush with clutch or go beyond. In the second case, install it not on the side, but on the top.
4. Put the reinforcing mesh on the bottom of the formwork.
5. Secure the vertical shield with screws, and for better stability, tie it to the laying grid with knitting wire. In this case, due to the concrete load, the shield will not move and will be securely attached to the base.

Tip: it is often impossible for an ordinary drill to make a necessary through channel in concrete goods, then diamond drilling of holes in concrete will come to the rescue.

Warming

Between the lintel and the front wall, be sure to make a layer of insulation, such as mineral wool, recommended thickness of 100 mm. Put the material in the formwork and fill with concrete. It should be noted that the window frame will abut against its surface, so the installation foam will not be able to guarantee its good stability.

Tip: in this case, lay the slopes on the window opening with a filling brick, which rest against the window. Then secure the entire assembly with mounting foam.

If the backing is used on the slopes, they must be insulated again. You can use the following, which is simpler and more reliable. In this case, extruded polystyrene foam will play the role of insulation.

The material has a stronger surface and a thickness of 30 mm. After installing the window, fill the gap between the insulation and the frame with foam. Now its foundation will be a solid plane. Due to this, the window in the opening is securely fixed and there is no need to use additional layers of insulation.

Reinforcement

In this case, the diameter of the reinforcement will depend on whether the reinforced concrete bar is used - bar or slab. If the product should not be carrying and will take small loads, you can use an ordinary metal bar. O is also used when the roof structure is lightweight and a reinforced belt is used.

For our design, you can use a reinforcing mesh of 2 threads, in this case it is necessary to take the bar O6-8 mm. The armature should be laid along the entire length of the lintel and tied with knitting wire.

Tip: in this case, the welding for the connection of the valve does not need to apply.

How to strengthen the formwork

To install a horizontal formwork shield, supports must be made. It is dangerous to neglect this, since concrete has a very large weight, about 2.5 tons per cubic meter. m

When pouring the solution into the mold, its gravity may bend or shift the shield, from which the shape of the future product may suffer, and it will be impossible to redo it. Therefore, the process should be taken seriously.

Place the prop in the center of the opening closer to the window and fasten it. Connect the inner edge of the form with a vertical shield so that the form cannot sag.

Concrete Pouring

Use M200 concrete to fill the lintels. For its preparation it is necessary to prepare crushed stone, sand and cement in the proportion of 2: 5: 1.

Tip: sift the sand well, rubble - rinse so that there is no dirt on it. Use only fresh cement, depends on the strength of concrete.

1. Mix the dry mixture thoroughly in a concrete mixer, and then add water there. The quality of the concrete depends on how the solution was mixed. If there is no concrete mixer, mix the solution thoroughly with a spade.
2. When pouring concrete into the molds, it is necessary to slightly raise the reinforcement above the horizontal shield so that it does not look out and completely submerged in the solution. To do this, take pieces of broken bricks, approximately 200 mm in thickness and place them under the reinforcement mesh.
3. Then pour concrete solution into the form. After it hardens well, disassemble the formwork and proceed to laying the wall above the form.

If desired, a quarter can be installed in the window openings, it looks very practical and beautiful. Such a partition can hide the gap with the installation foam, as well as protect your home from cold air and drafts. On the sides and the top of the window, the quarter should correspond to a size of 50 mm, and the lower part, where the sill is installed, is 20 mm.

Tip: when making self-made jumpers from reinforced concrete for windows, the latter should be done with a quarter.

Conclusion

In this article, you learned how to make reinforced concrete lintels with your own hands, what it is and what materials and tools are needed for this. Also detailed instructions were given on the placement of products and on their selection by type. We can safely say that with strict adherence to these instructions, you can make a building element of the desired level of strength.

The video in this article will help you find additional information on this topic.