What is the fomula for working out the Kilo Newton force on a lintel supporting brickwork over a window?

Question

I am currently working on a garage conversion at my house and would like to add create an 1100mm wide window at the rear of my single skin brick garage.
Before the Building Regulations people will allow to insert a steel lintel and remove the brickwork below, I must first prove that the 5Kn L shaped Catnic lintel is strong enough for the job.
For info The double garage is 5m x 5m square with a pitched roof

Answer 1

I'm not going to answer this question, and I'm going to warn others not to answer it as well.
I''m not certain what country you're in, but in the United States, there are laws governing the practice of engineering and you need to be licensed to do it. I am a licensed engineer in U.S., but given your use of the metric system, I'm not licensed in any foreign countries.,

You should be talking to a local engineer or engineering firm.

In the U.S., small enough openings can be done in the prescriptive part of the code and not require engineering, but a window supporting brick would not be covered under the prescriptive code, as a result, in the U.S. you would need an engineer to provide you with a design and to affix their stamp to the drawing showing the work you are going to do.

Your engineer will also need to know how much brick above the opening will be supported. I would also caution you that normally one puts relief cuts along the sides of the new opening, but this is a choice for your engineer to decide. if you do not make the relief cuts, the brick may crack when the structure moves.

This is a paid profession and not really appropriate for Yahoo Answers. You wouldn't post an X-ray and ask someone to tell you if you have lung cancer, would you?

Best of luck with your project.

Answer 2

Better hire yourself a structural engineer to do this for you.

When I remodeled my basement several years ago I needed to put several large openings thru a bearing wall located in the basement. I contacted a structural engineering consultant type who sized a pair of Tri-Lam headers and header supports, and furnished me with a set of stamped calcs, sketches and instructions for doing the work for $175. Everything was accepted by our local building code compliance group and it all went together well.
if I ever have to sell the house there is a record of the building permit and approvals for the work that was done, and it won't become a sale stopper.
I am a registered P.E. in my own right, but am a mechanical engineer and didn't feel I had enough structural knowledge to do the calcs and sketches for the headers and supports myself.
Look in your yellow pages and find a professional to do this work for you. It will be worth every cent it costs you.