Post+and+Lintel


 * [[image:bucarest_arcotriunfoweb.jpg width="226" height="197" align="left"]]Post and Lintel **

The post and Lintel is the oldest technique of construction, used since the prehistory. It consists in two elements disposed in a vertical direction and other over them in horizontal position just creating a type of arch. The lintel is the horizontal beam. It is used to support the masonry above a window or door opening. Those elements could be made using wood, steel, stone, reinforced concrete and many others that provide resistance in compression.

One of the famous and oldest constructions that use post and lintels is the well known Stonehenge, which consists in many stones disposed in vertical direction with one stone over them creating a circle with a religious meaning for ancient people. Thanks to this discovery nowadays we have windows and doors that use this mechanism. Some disadvantages of this type of construction are taht it is limited the weight that it can support because of the separation of the posts that makes lintel be fragile at center and propense to be broken at the presence of many stresses.

media type="file" key="Post and Lintel.wma" width="300" height="45"