Masonry Lintel Arching Load (Triangular Load Over an Opening)
The triangular dead load a lintel carries within a 45-degree triangle (height span/2) when the wall above >= span/2, else the full rectangle. A 6 ft opening, 60 psf, 5 ft above -> 540 lb (90 lb/ft); only 2 ft above -> the full 720 lb. Dead load only; the engineer of record governs.
Formula and source
tri_h = span/2; if wall_above >= tri_h: W = 0.5 x span x tri_h x wall_psf (arching); else W = span x wall_above x wall_psf (full rectangle); UDL = W/span.
The masonry arching-action lintel-load method (TMS 402 commentary / masonry design references), by name.
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