Brick lintels

[JStructsteel]

When designing brick lintels, do you ever check the bending of the leg at the bearing point? Can it be argued that if the leg did deform, the rest of the load would be taken by the vertical leg, and all is good?

 

[phamENG]

Yes, that is an important part of a lintel deflection analysis. Especially so when you have long windows with not quite enough brick over it to get arching action. As insulation and air spaces have gotten thicker and wider, those horizontal legs are working harder and harder.

That said, I haven't personally seen a failure that could be pointed definitively to excessive leg deflection.

 

[JStructsteel]

What length of the leg would you use for the clay? 2x the bearing length sound good?

 

[phamENG]

Oh. I can't read. At the bearing point. Sorry. I don't do that.

 

[JStructsteel]

Ok, gotcha. I guess I’m the opposite, don’t do it at the field of the angle, but will start, depending on load magnitude

 

[BAretired]

When designing brick lintels, do you ever check the bending of the leg at the bearing point? Can it be argued that if the leg did deform, the rest of the load would be taken by the vertical leg, and all is good?

I don't believe that argument could be justified. For gravity load, the reaction is applied more or less uniformly, so the eccentricity is from the angle fillet to the middle of the supported brick. A length of leg equal to the bearing length plus the width of horizontal leg of the angle must be adequate to resist a moment equal to the reaction times the eccentricity.

BA