Reinforced Masonry Lintels

Forticrete reinforced masonry lintels may be used to span openings in wall panels whilst maintaining the appearance of the block units. Tables  20, 21, 22 and 23 on page 19 of the Forticrete Design Guide provide an indication of the loading that the lintels can sustain for a given span.

The lintels should be designed in accordance with BS 5628 Part 2:2005 'Code of Practice for the Use of Reinforced Masonry'. The tables have been developed applying the recommendations of this British Standard.
The infill assumed is an RC40 concrete with 10mm aggregate size.

The values given within the tables are for guidance only. The reinforcement quantities and the application of the lintel should be approved by the project Structural Engineer.

The sequence of trough lintel construction is as follows:

• build the blockwork to the soffit height of the lintel
• provide temporary propping to the lintel units
• lay the lintel units with a 10mm wide x 20mm deep temporary spacer in each joint. Temporary joint spacers can be of any material which provides adequate retention of the concrete infill and can be removed for pointing (e.g. polystyrene)
• place concrete in the bottom of the lintel units
• fit plastic spacers to the reinforcement to ensure correct concrete cover 
• place reinforcement as appropriate
• complete in-situ filling, tamping by hand
• after curing period strip propping, remove temporary joint spacers and point joints carefully to match surrounding blockwork