Definition
A Lintel is a localized structural beam placed directly across the top of openings like doors, windows, and ventilators to bear the weight of the brickwork above. In earthquake-prone zones of India, a continuous "Lintel Band"—an unbroken ring of reinforced concrete running horizontally through all bearing walls at the door-top level—is mandated to tie the walls together and prevent collapse during seismic shaking.
Practical Example
When constructing a brick house in a high-risk earthquake zone (Zone IV in India), the structural engineer specifies a 150mm thick continuous RCC Lintel Band at a height of 7 feet across every single wall, tying the entire perimeter masonry together like a solid belt, not just locally above the doors.
Application in Superwise
Lintels are explicitly billed items. When drawing up a task list in Superwise, "Lintel Casting" is an independent task inserted between "Masonry up to Sill" and "Masonry up to Slab". This ensures material Indents for the specific steel rebars needed for the lintel band are triggered at the exact correct point in the schedule.
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