Lintels - which vaule should I be using??

[MyNameHere]

Hi All,

This is my first post but a long term lurker, and found this site very useful.

I'm planning on installing some lintels in a single skin (6in block) garage wall and after looking around at the various places with span tables and specifications im a bit confussed as to what value i should be paying attention to to get the correct load?

I'd like to use R15 lintles as they can be used on their side and will fit the block nicely but want to be sure that it will be upto the job on the biggest opening (1.5m).

My engineers report says the lintel in question will be under the following load:

Deadload
Wall = 2.6 kN/m2 x 1.500m / 2 = 1.95 kN/m
Garage roof = 1.3kN/m2 x 6.200m / 2 = 3.97 kN/m
Total DL = 5.92 kN/m

Imposed Load
Garage roof = 0.6kN/m2 x 6.200m / 2 = 1.86 kN/m

So i'm assuming that the total load combined would be 7.78 kN/m

I run into trouble when looking at what a R15 is capable of one source says load baering capacity of 18.45 kN/m another says a UDL of 9.5 kN/m a thrid source says though a slightly differnt product (Naylor R3) specifies an Unfactored Load of 12.38 kN/m

Which of these values do i need to pay attention to when taking my engineers calculations into consideration?

Thanks in advance,

Gregg

 

[jake7462]

You can't use a Naylor lintel on its side - they're designed to be used in one specified orientation.

A Naylor R3 lintel will do 12.38 kN/m at 1500mm clear span, which is fine based on your engineer's loads above.

 

[jake7462]

Did your engineer not specify a lintel?
Why would he go to the trouble of working out the loads and then not actually specify something?

 

[^woody^]

Don't worry about. If you have a normal wall and/or roof above. Just pick a standard lintel suitable for the wall thickness and opening span plus bearings.

 

[MyNameHere]

Hi Jake 7462 thanks for replying,

sorry by on it's side I meant the widest section like shown above.. What I'm really wondering is if a R15 placed in the same way would be strong enough?

Edit: He did specify R3 but i'm struggling to find them locally or for a reasonable price.

 

[tony1851]

Presumably use the figure of 9.5kN/m, BUT, that is for the lintel upright - you are proposing (?) to use it flat, so its' load-bearing capacity will be less.

 

[MyNameHere]

Don't worry about. If you have a normal wall and/or roof above. Just pick a standard lintel suitable for the wall thickness and opening span plus bearings.

Hey woody, but is the UDL value of 9.5 enough? i dont even know if this value translates to the 7.78 in the engineers report???

 

[MyNameHere]

Presumably use the figure of 9.5kN/m, BUT, that is for the lintel upright - you are proposing (?) to use it flat, so its' load-bearing capacity will be less.

This is the Value for flat the upright value is 11.1

 

[tony1851]

What height of blockwork is above the opening? This has a bearing on the load carried.

 

[jake7462]

Presume you're on about the Supreme lintels they stock at places like your local buildbase?
An R15 will be fine.

 

[^woody^]

Hey woody, but is the UDL value of 9.5 enough? i dont even know if this value translates to the 7.78 in the engineers report???

Any lintel of any given length is suitable for holding up anything above it in a normal loading situation.

But if you've paid an engineer of this half a job nonsense, then I'd be on the phone for a refund or get him to do his job properly and specify something suitable, not a load of meaningless numbers.

 

[MyNameHere]

Ok thanks for the reassurance I think i'm happy to go with the R15

Tony1851: there is only two blocks above the opening.

Woody: Thanks for your input.. The engineers report was more to do with a bigger project for the main house (and a proper builder) and the garage conversion was tacked on as a freebie by an architect friend of mine. It just seemed every place has a different unit/messurement when trying to compare lintles and their properties, the image above threw a new one into the mix Mr(A) which was the same value as Naylors Unfactored Load.

Jake7462: Yes its a Supreme lintle or very similar.

Thanks again everyone.. with my BCO almost impossible to get hold of at the moment this has been a great help.

Gregg