Lintel over 14' opening
Lintel over 14' opening
(OP)
This is the case: Brick veneer wall on metal stud, over 14' garage opening. There is 6' brick veneer wall above opening. What is the best "lintel" for this situation? I did a load calculation and came up with a W12X40 to support the 6' brick above. There is a 24" between doors. Can I support the I beam on the brick or do I need some other support?
Suggestions please.
Thanks in advance
Suggestions please.
Thanks in advance






RE: Lintel over 14' opening
RE: Lintel over 14' opening
RE: Lintel over 14' opening
A few things to consider:
1. When you say "brick veneer", to me that implies 4" face brick. A veneer is an architectural, not a structural element. Therefore I would not rely on it to provide structural support.
2. The W12 has an 8" flange width. I would try to provide a bearing surface of at least 8" if possible.
3. A W12x40 is a pretty large member to carry 6' of brick over a span of 14'. Is there other significant wall load that requires such a member?
Good luck.
RE: Lintel over 14' opening
RE: Lintel over 14' opening
Normally, we set the outside face of the vertical hanger angles flush with the outside face of the metal studs. The studs will fill in between and around the hanger angles. The ledge angle will then be welded to the hanger angles and be large enough to extend out to within about 1/2" of the outside face of the brick.
With 6 feet of vertical drop, you will most likely need to have some kind of diagonal brace angles extending from your roof down to near where the hangers meet the ledger.
For openings less than about 8 feet, a loose steel angle is usually used, and bears on the brick each side. More than 8 feet and you get a little shaky in that you are building up lateral wind forces in the lintel that try to transfer it to the studs located directly in the jamb areas of your opening. The ties that link the brick to the wall backup are not intended to take this extreme amount of load...thus, hanger lintel design is required.
RE: Lintel over 14' opening
Can the metal building manufacturer design the veneer support as part of their structural design?
Thanks again
RE: Lintel over 14' opening
Is that allowed by code?
RE: Lintel over 14' opening
With a 14 feet opening and 6 high brick, you don't get any arching effect from the masonry (you usually need to be able to achieve a (2)-45degree triangles for arching to come into play), so you will need to design the lintel for the full weight of brick, ie....40 psf x 6 feet high = 240 plf.
Regarding reisting lateral wind load, since the brick is a veneer, the ties, which should be spaced 16" oc in each direction, transfer the wind load back to the wall framing. Therefore, the lintel, in my opinion, does not need to be designed to resist the wind load. The header in the metal stud wall over the garage dorr should be designed to resist wind load.
RE: Lintel over 14' opening
Does your lintel attach to the metal building, imposing vertical and/or horizontal loads? I would coordinate that closely with the manufacturer.
In fact, you bring up a good point: if it were me I would let them design the lintel in-house. They know best how it affects the structure that it attaches to and will reduce the possibility for coordination problems. Also, from a liability standpoint, say there is a problem later with cracked veneer. Who is responsible? The lintel designer? the purlin (stud back up) designer?
Something to consider anyway. Hope that helps.
RE: Lintel over 14' opening
RE: Lintel over 14' opening
DaveAtkins
RE: Lintel over 14' opening
Also consider bracing the midspan or midpoints of the lintel back to the above structure to reduce torsion effects and increase the unbraced length strength of the beam.
RE: Lintel over 14' opening
For pre-engineered steel buildings you CAN detail the hangers and the building manufacturer should be able to incorporate it into the building details. You would want to provide the hanger sizes, braces, and hanger loads, both vertically and laterally to them to design properly.
I would not use a loose lintel for a 14 foot opening unless you very carefully checked the entire load path and the torsional issues; including lateral force distribution.
RE: Lintel over 14' opening
Im my area the residential lintels are typically not Engineered, but selected by the brick mason or brick supplier. The 5" angles are used becouse it matches flush the 4" brick veneer with 1" air gap.
RE: Lintel over 14' opening
DaveAtkins
RE: Lintel over 14' opening
RE: Lintel over 14' opening
This is problematic in that the brick has limited bearing capacity, a concentrated load is applied to the edge of the brick at the edge of opening and laterally, the only thing resisting buckling in the brick are wire or strap ties.
I guess I'm just advocating that if you use a very long lintel, that the entire load path should be carefully considered...and this includes lateral wind/seismic forces that impose a load on veneer, through strap ties, and into metal studs (or whatever backup wall you have) - all of which should be carefully detailed - much of which is USUALLY specified and detailed by architects. Just be careful. You can't just spec a loose lintel and stop there.
RE: Lintel over 14' opening
RE: Lintel over 14' opening
You can saw cut the bricks to maitain the layo
JAE thank you for your reply. But why does "it depends on BRICK VENEER to take its own load"?
RE: Lintel over 14' opening
RE: Lintel over 14' opening
The 40 pound wide flange won't substitute for the angle itself. You can check composite qualities though for the two pieces working together. The beam support column must restrain torsion as well as support the vertical load.
You still need the control joint.
RE: Lintel over 14' opening
RE: Lintel over 14' opening
RE: Lintel over 14' opening
RE: Lintel over 14' opening
RE: Lintel over 14' opening
DaveAtkins
RE: Lintel over 14' opening
I use L6X6X1/4 to support openings in masonry as a retrofit type lintel (when cutting an opening in existing CMU wall). I use expansion bolts to fasten the angle to the CMU and grout the cells above the opening. The angle is installed in place by sawing the joint between the blocks and before the CMU is removed for creates the opening. I have a detail to add the vertical bars on either side of the opening as well. Contractors do not like them but they do an excellent job after I insist on them following the detail. The steel angle will extend min. of 8 inches on each of the opening.
This design and detail worked well for me. However, I limit my MO to no more than 6 feet.
RE: Lintel over 14' opening
If I estimate 8 feet of brick to be 40*8'*4'=1280 total lbs supported by the lintel (with corbeling). Then why not support say 4' of block, ie. 55*4'*2'=440lbs?
I would of course use a bond beam if new construction, but I a thinking about cutting a hole in an existing wall.
Just a thought.
RE: Lintel over 14' opening
http://www.halfenusa.com/pdf/halfen_adjust_conceal_lintel_sys.pdf
It is a concealed lintel design catalog for masonry lintels by Halfen
RE: Lintel over 14' opening
You can screw attach a lintel angle to the light gauge header for brick support. Welding is possible, but special welding techniques must be met and your steel erector may have trouble meeting this requirement.
The only other practical option for this kind of span is to add structural steel tube posts on either side of the opening and span a HSS tube header across the opening with a welded brick support angle.
Good luck!
RE: Lintel over 14' opening