Lintels and arches

LINTEL
It is a beam-like horizontal structural beamflexural member,used to span over the openings of doors,windows and cupcupboards.lintel bahaves just like beam.it provides a bearing for the masonry above the openings and transfers all the loads acting over the opening to the supporting walls.

Classification

of lintels

There can be only one classification of lintel and that is according to the materials used in their construction.lintels may be

1)Timber lintel 2)stone lintel 3)brick lintel 4)reinforced brick work lintels 5)steel lintel 6)R.C.C lintel 7)thin lintel

Timber

or wooden lintel:

In old days when technology was not much advanced,timber lintels were very commonly in use.but now a days availability of timber has become difficult and costly.

They are combustible and hence not recommended for use in fireproof constructions.minimum depth of the wooden lintel should be 7.5cm. Timber lintels are comparitively weak.

Stone
 Stone

lintel

lintels are very common in use in regions where stone is easily available.they may be used in form of single-piece or more than one singlepiece.stone lintels are very weak in tension and thus,cannot be used on large spans.

Brick
 Brick

lintels

lintels are made by using first class bricks either laid on end or on edge. They are suitable for small spans not exceeding 90cm.for the construction of this lintel a temporary timber support known as turning piece is constructed first. For larger spans and heavy loads this lintel should not be used.in that case, reinforced brick lintel may be used.

Reinforced

brick work lintel

When brick lintels have to be used over large spans,they are reinforced with steel bars.bricks are arranged in such a way that 2cm to 4cm wide,lengthwise,spaces are left in the brick rows.steel rods are put in these gaps and spaces are then filled with rich cement mortar or concrete. If the gap is about 20mm wide rich cement is used.if the gap is about 40mm,it should be filled withcement concrete. The depth of the lintel should be minimum 100mm.

Steel

lintel

Steel lintels may be made from angle irons or rolled steel joists.angle irons are used for small spans and light loads whereas rolled steel joists are used for heavy loads and large spans. Rolled steel joists may be used singly or in group of more than one joist. The joists may be painted and left open.but if building is to be rendered fire-proof the joists fireshould be embedded in concrete.

R.C.C

lintel

This is the lintel which has partially replaced all other types of lintels. this lintel is durable,strong,corrosion resistant,and fire resistant. It is economical than all other lintels and easy to construct. It can be used for any span and any load.

Arch
 Like

lintel,arch is also a measure of covering or bridging over the openings of doors,windows etc.left in the masonry walls.  It consists of arranging wedge shaped stone blocks or bricks mechanically,in the form of circular,elliptical or any other form of ring over the openings.  Wedge shaped blocks are joined generally with rich mortar or lime mortar.  Arches of cement concrete,R.C.C. and steel are not built in wedge-shaped units but in form of a wedgesingle unit.

Arches can be classified in the following ways: 1)based on shape 2)based according to number of centres 3)based on type of workmanship 4)based on materials of construction


 Classification
    

based on shapes:

Flat arch: It is constructed from specially cut blocks or stones. All the joints are made to radiate from one common point. The skew back is sloped at an angle of 60 degrees with the horizontal. This arch is weak type of arch and mostly used for face work.

 Segmental


arch: arch:

In this arch,segment is smaller than the semicircle.the centre of this arch is situated below the springing line.

 Semicircular


In this arch length of arch is equal to the semicircle.centre of the arch lies on the springing line of the arch.

 Inverted

arch:

this arch may be segmental,semicircular or of any other shape.it is constructed inverted or with extrados downward and intrados upward.it is constructed to increase the bearing power of the soil.

Pointed
 This

arch:

arch consists of two curves meeting at the apex of a triangle.  The triangle formed may be equilateral or isosceles.  In case triangle formed is equilateral,centres of the curves will lie at springing points.  In the case of isosceles triangle arch centres of curves are not at the springing points.

Semi-elliptical Semi This

arch:

arch has more than one centre and its shape is that of semi-ellipse. semi-ellipse.

Relieving
 This

arch:

arch is used to relieve weak lintel or flat arch from the load coming on it.  Shape of this arch may be segmental or semisemicircular.  The ends of relieving arch should be kept sufficiently inside the solid wall and there should be enough cover beyond the ends of the lintel.

Horse-shoe Horse This

arch:

arch has centre above the springing line of the arch.this arch is longer than semicircle.

 Stilled
 

arch:

It consists of a semi-circular arch attached at the top semiof two vertical posts. Springing line of the arch passes through the top of vertical posts.

 Venetian


arch:

Depth of arch at crown is more than at the springing line.this arch has four centres.

Florentine


arch:

This arch has intrados in shape of a semi-circle but its semiextrados comprise of three centres.

 Drop arch and Gothic arch:  Both these arches are similar to isosceles arch with little bit of difference in centres of both the curves.

Classification

based on number of

centres
 One-centered One-

arch:  This arch has only one centre.semicircular arch, segmental arch and horse-shoe arch are all horseexamples of one-centred arch.one centred arch onemay be equal to full length of the circle also.