Lintels and Arches

Muhammad Salman
Department of Civil Engineering
IIT Bombay
Lintels and Arches
• Openings are bridged by the provision of either lintels or an arch

• Openings are left in the walls due to doors, windows, cupboards,

wardrobes, etc.

• Support the loads of the portion of wall situated above the openings
and transmit the loads to adjacent wall portions
Lintels
• Horizontal structural member which is placed across the opening.

• Type of beam, width equal to width of wall, ends are built into the wall

• Bearing should be minimum of

• 10 cm
• Height of lintel
• 1/10th to 1/12th of the span of the lintel
History
• In classical western construction methods, a lintel is a load-bearing member and is
placed over an open entrance way.

• In ancient Western classical architecture, the lintel, called an architrave, is a

structural element that is usually rested on stone pillars or stacked stone
columns, over a portal or entranceway.

• The use of the lintel form as a decorative building element over portals, with no
structural function, has been employed in the architectural traditions and styles of
most cultures over the centuries.

• An example of the ornamental use of lintels are in the Indian rock-cut

architecture of Buddhist temples in caves.
Ancient Roman Severan Basilica at Leptis Magna, Ornamental carved lintel over Mandapa entrance
Libya. at Chennakesava Temple, in the Hoysala
architecture tradition of southern India
Classification of lintels
• According to the materials used for construction

• Timber lintels
• Stone lintels
• Brick lintels
• Steel lintels
• Reinforced concrete lintels
Timber Lintels
• Provided over the width of wall by jointing together timber
pieces by steel bolts.

• Sometimes, mild steel plates at top and bottom are provided, then called as
flitched lintels.
•
• Easily available in hilly area

• Relatively costly, structurally weak and vulnerable to fire

• Easily decay, if not properly ventilated.

Stone lintels
• Commonly used where stones are easily available

• Consists of a simple stone slab of greater thickness.

• Used in the form of one piece or more than one

piece along the width of the wall.

• Normally depth is equal to 10 cm per meter of span

Stone lintel with secret joggle joints
• Used for the span of 2 m.
Brick lintels
• Brick are hard, well burnt, first class
bricks.

• Suitable for small span less than 1 m

• The bricks having frogs are more

suitable because when filled with
mortar, form joggles which increase
the shear resistance of end joints,
called as joggled brick lintel
•
Reinforced Brick Lintel
• For large spans and heavy loads

• Reinforced with mild steel bars

• Very common due to durability, strength and fire resisting properties.

• Joints are filled with cement concrete

• Bricks are so arranged that 2-3 cm wide space between adjacent bricks for the
insertion of reinforcement
•
• Main reinforcement provided at bottom of lintel consist of 8-10 mm dia. bars,
which are bent up at ends.
Steel Lintels
• Provided at large opening and where the super-imposed
• loads are heavy.

• It consists of rolled steel joists or channel sections.

• Either used singly or in combination of two or three units.

• When used singly, steel joist either embedded in concrete,

and when more than one units are placed side by side, they
are kept in position by tube separators

• Joint with bolts

RC Lintels
• Common in use
• Cast in-situ or pre-cast
• For smaller span, the precast concrete lintels are
used.
• Depth of lintel depend on R.C. lintel
• Replace all other types of lintels because of
their strength, rigidity, fire resistance, economy
and ease in construction
• Longitudinal reinforcement in form of steel bars
to resist tensile stresses and transverse
reinforcement in form of stirrups to resist shear.
 Arches

Tāq Kasrā, one of the last

surviving buildings of the
ancient Sasanian Empire’s
capital city, has the largest
unreinforced brick arch in the
world.
This arch is huge: 37 metres
high and 26 metres wide.
Arches
• The structure constructed of wedge shaped
block of stones or bricks, jointed together
with mortar.

• Provided across the opening to carry the

weight of the structure above the opening.

• Units support each other, load tend to make

them compact and enables them to transmit
the pressure downwards to their supports.
Transfer of Loads

Simple Beam

Simple Arch
Elements of Arch
 Terminology
• Abutment :- End support of an arches
• Pier :- An intermediate support of an arch
• Intrados :- Inner curve or surface of an arch
• Extrados :- Outer curve or surface of the arches
• Voussoirs :- Wedge shaped units of masonry, forming the arch
• Keystone :- Highest central wedge shaped block of an arch
• Springing stone (Springer) :- First voussoir at springing level on either side of the arches
• Springing line :- An imaginary line joining the two springing points
• Crown :- Highest point of extrados or it is the highest part of an arch
• Skew back :- Surface of the abutment on which the arch rests
Terminology
• Span :- Clear horizontal distance between the two supports
• Rise :- Vertical distance between the highest point between
the intrados and the springing line
• Spandril :- Curved-triangular space formed between the extrados
and the horizontal line through the crown.
• Soffit :- Inner surface of an arch. Sometimes, intrados and soffit
are used interchangeably
• Arcade :- Row of arches in continuation
• Bed Joints :- joints between the voussoirs which radiate from the
centre
Stability of an Arch
• Every element of an arch remains in compression and has to bear
transverse shear.

• As the forces in the arch are carried to the ground, the arch will push
outward at the base, called thrust.

• As the rise, or height of the arch decreases, the outward thrust increases.

• In order to maintain arch action and prevent the arch from collapsing, the
thrust needs to be restrained, either with internal ties, or external bracing,
such as abutments or piers.
Stability of an Arch
• An arches fail due to:

1) Crushing of the masonry.

2) Sliding of voussoirs.

3) Rotation of some joints about an edge.

4) Uneven settlement of an abutment or pier.

1. Crushing of the Masonry
• If the compressive stress exceeds the safe crushing strength of the masonry unit
and mortar, the arch will fail in crushing.
• The material should be of adequate strength and size of voussoirs should be
properly designed to bear the thrust transmitted through them.

2. Sliding of voussoirs
• To safeguard against sliding of voussoirs past each other due to transverse shear,
the voussoirs of greater height should be provided.
• Height of voussoirs should not be less than 1/12th the span
• Span
• Up to 1.5 m thickness of 20 cm arch ring is provided
• 1.5 to 4 m thickness of 30 cm arch ring is provided
• 4 to 6.5 m thickness of 40 cm arch ring is provided
• More than 6.5 m thickness increased by 20% thickness of crown
 3. Rotation of some joint about an edge
• Rotation can be prevented, if the line of thrust is kept within intrados
and extrados.
• It should be within middle third of the arch height to avoid any tensile
stresses.
4. Uneven settlement of Abutment or pier
• Uneven settlement of abutment, which causes secondary stresses in
arch.

• Hence, the abutment which has ultimately to bear all the load
transferred from the arch, should be strong enough.

• The arch should be symmetrical, so that unequal settlements of the

two abutment is minimized.

• Abutment should be strong enough to take the thrust.

Classification of Arches
An arch may be classified according to their

1) Material of construction and workmanship

2) Shape of curve formed by their soffit or intrados

3) Number of centers
Classification based on material and
workmanship
BRICK ARCHES
• Rough brick arches
• Axed brick arches
• Gauged brick arches

STONE ARCHES
• Rubble arches
• Ashlar arches

GAUGED ARCHES
• Precast concrete block arches
• Monolithic concrete arches
Rough Brick Arches
• These arches are built with ordinary bricks, which are not in
wedge shape

• Made up of rectangular brick that are not cut into wedge shape

• Curvature are obtained by mortar

• Greater thickness of mortar at extrados and smaller at

intrados

• Hence appearance is spoiled, not used for exposed brick work

Gauged Brick Arch
• Accurately prepared to wedge shape.
• Specially shaped bricks known as “RUBBER BRICKS” are used.
• The lime putty is used for binding the blocks.
• Prepared to exact shape and size of voussoir by cutting it by means of
wire saw.
Axed Brick Arches
• Bricks are cut to wedge-shape with help of brick axe.
• Joints of arches are of uniform thickness along the
radial line.
• Not dress finely so it does not give much attractive
appearance as bricks are not finely dressed.
Rubble Arches
• Made of rubble stones, which are hammer dressed, roughly to the
shape and size of voussoirs of the arch and fixed in cement mortar.
•
• These arches are used for small span up to 1 m.
Ashlar Arches
• Stones are cut to proper shape of voussoirs
and are fully dressed, properly joint with
cement or lime.

• The voussoirs made of full thickness of the

arch.
Precast Concrete Block Arches

• The voussoirs, in the form of cement concrete

blocks are prepared in special moulds.

• Generally, the concrete blocks are used without

reinforcement.

• Special moulds are prepared for voussoirs, key

block and skewbacks.

• Good Appearance is achieved.

Monolithic Concrete Arches
• Constructed from cast-in-situ/precast concrete,
either plain or reinforced, depending upon the
span and magnitude of loading

• Arches are suitable for larger span

• Arch thickness is 15 cm for arches up to 3 m span

• Form work is used for casting the arch, and is

removed only when the concrete has sufficiently
hardened and gained strength

• Curing is essential
Classification according to shape
• Flat arch
• Segmental arch
• Semi-circular arch
• Relieving arch
Flat Arch
• Acts like a lintel, when it provided over the opening
• Angle formed by skewbacks at 60˚ with horizontal forming equilateral
triangle with the intrados as the base.
• Joints radiated to center.
• Used only for light loads.
• Span up to 1.50 m
Segmental Arch
• Segmental in shape (circular arc of less than 180 degrees) and provided
over the openings.
• Joints radiate from a center of arch, which lies below the springing line.
• Thrust transferred to the abutment in inclined direction.
Semi-Circular Arch
• The shape of the curve given to the arch soffit is semi-circular.
• The center of the arch lies on the springing line.
• Thrust transmitted to the abutments is perfectly in vertical direction
as the skewback.
Relieving Arch
• When wooden/brick lintel is provided
over the wider opening, a brick relieving
arch is constructed above the lintel.

• Relieving the load of masonry over lintel

• It makes it possible to replace the

decayed/damaged lintel later, without
disturbing the stability of the structure.
Classification based on number of Centres
• One centred arch
• Two centred arch
• Three centred arch
• Four centred arch.
• Five centred arch
1. One Centred Arch
• Segmental, semi circular, flat arches come under this category.

• Sometime, a perfectly circular arch known as bull’s eye arch, provided

for circular window.
2. Two Centred Arch
• Pointed, semi-elliptical arches come under this category.
3. Three Centred Arch
• Elliptical arches come under this category.
• O1,O2 and O3 are the center.
4. Four Centred Arch
• It has four center.
• Venetian arch is typical example of this type.
• Venetian arch is pointed arch which has deeper
• depth at crown than at springings.
5. Five Centred Arch
• This type of arch, having five centres
• Gives good semi-elliptical shape