Cooperating organizations

The Elements and Components (of Diverse Materials) for Buildings Standards Committee, under whose direction this British Standard was prepared, consists of representatives from the following:

Agrément Board*
Aluminium Federation
Asbestos Cement Manufacturers’
Association Limited
Brick Development Association*
British Ceramic Research Association
British Hardware Federation
British Plastics Federation
British Precast Concrete Federation Ltd.*
British Steel Industry*
British Woodworking Federation
Consumer Standards Advisory Committee of BSI
Convention of Scottish Local Authorities
Department of the Environment (Building Research Establishment, Princes Risborough Laboratory)
Department of the Environment (Housing and Construction)
Department of the Environment (PSA)*
Flat Glass Manufacturers’ Association
Glass and Glazing Federation
Health and Safety Executive
Incorporated Association of Architects and Surveyors
Institute of Building Control
Institute of Quality Assurance
Institution of Municipal Engineers
Institution of Structural Engineers*
Mastic Asphalt Council and Employers’ Federation
National Council of Building Materials Producers
National Federation of Building Trades Employers
National Federation of Roofing Contractors
Royal Institute of British Architects*
Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors*
Scottish Development Department
Society of Chemical Industry
Timber Research and Development Association
Trades Union Congress

The organizations marked with an asterisk in the above list, together with the following, were directly represented on the Technical Committee entrusted with the preparation of this British Standard:

Aerated Autoclaved Concrete Products Association
Aggregate Concrete Block Association
British Precast Concrete Federation Ltd.
Department of the Environment (Building Research Establishment)
District Surveyors’ Association
Greater London Council
Institution of Building Control Officers Ltd.
North Wales Slate Quarries Association
Steel Lintel Manufacturers’ Association
Zinc Development Association
Individual expert

This British Standard, having been prepared under the direction of the Elements and Components (of Diverse Materials) for Building Standards Committee, was published under the authority of the Executive Board and comes into effect on 31 December 1981

The following BSI references relate to the work on this standard:

Committee reference ECB/36

Draft for comment 79/13060 DC

Foreword

This British Standard has been prepared under the direction of the Elements and Components (of Diverse Materials) for Building Standards Committee and covers the design and use of all types of lintel (up to 4.5 m in span) in masonry. This Part describes a method for assessing the load carried by lintels.

Part 2: of this standard is a specification for prefabricated lintels.

A British Standard does not purport to include all the necessary provisions of a contract. Users of British Standards are responsible for their correct application.

Compliance with a British Standard does not of itself confer immunity from legal obligations.

1 Scope

This Part of BS 5977 describes a method for assessing the load carried by lintels in masonry:

where lintels span up to 4.5 m in single storey buildings and up to 3.6 m in two or three storey buildings in normal domestic use; and
where no openings are wholly or partly within the load triangle (see 3.2).

Appendix A gives guidance on the use of assessed loads for design or selection of lintels, but does not cover assessment of the overall stability of the structure or the design of adjacent masonry.

NOTE It has been assumed in the drafting of this Part that the assessment of load on a lintel is entrusted to chartered structural or civil engineers or other appropriately qualified persons, for whose guidance it has been prepared.

The responsibility for providing adequate support for lintels and for compatibility between lintels and other parts of the supporting structure rests with the designer responsible for the overall stability of the building. For guidance, see BS 5628‑1.

2 References

3 Definitions

4 Basic principles

4.1 General

4.2 Assumptions

5 Limiting conditions

6 Loads

7 Assessment of load for lintel supporting wall without openings within the interaction zone

8 Assessment of load for lintel supporting wall with one or more openings within the interaction zone

8.1

8.2

9 Assessment of load for lintel directly supporting roof or point loads

Publications referred to

BS 5977-1:1981

Lintels - Method for assessment of load

Current

Published:

31 Dec 1981