Yes, concrete lintels need padstones. Padstones are specific concrete blocks placed below the ends of lintels.
The lintel may be over a doorway or a window, and the weight of the blocks above it and its weight is transferred to padstones on both sides of the opening.
Padstones are suitable for both steel and concrete lintels. If you fail to install the padstone, the load could be larger than the masonry’s compressive resistance.
This could lead to failure by cracking or crushing because of its stresses.
How are Padstones Built?
Precast padstones are built from aggregated cement and water poured into a mould after premixing.
You may add ad-mixtures to enhance padstone production techniques or the features of the final product.
Ensure you wear protective clothing, such as safety footwear and gloves when handling concrete padstones.
To be very sure with placement of your padstones use an experience person. They have to be well placed to make sure the wall around is durable.
Can Padtones be made on Site?
The building industry appreciates that it is much faster and safer to use precast concrete padstones than securing and casting padstones on Site.
The CE regulations do not cover making padstones on-site because the process is unreliable and consistent because of disparities in site conditions.
A concrete padstones takes seven days to cure and up to 30 days to acquire full compressive strength.
Instead of waiting for such a long time for the pad to be fully functional, it is better to buy precast padstones, but if you have the time and skills, you make padstones at home.
A precast concrete padstone is manufactured under conditions that ensure quality to guarantee that the load exerted by a steel or concrete beam is uniformly spread into the bearing wall.
This ensures a sound and safe construction.
To be on the safer side buy your padstones from a reputable seller.
Unless you are sure with what you are doing you can make yours and place them as they are supposed to ,to prevent future cracks that make be costly to maintain.
How Strong are Padstones?
Padstones are made from stronger, denser material than ordinary blockwork.
They are designed to endure a significant amount of weight. Weight is measured in Newtons and is described as the amount of force needed to move one kilogram at a rate of 1m/s2.
Newtons measure the compressive strength, that is, the quantity of force that can be exerted onto an object until it fails.
The substance shatters, cracks, or buckles if the force is too much. Regular concrete mix initial rating is about 20.
Usually, precast concrete padstones have 50 N/mm2 compressive strength making them suitable for common applications that require high-strength bearing padstones.
Advantages of Concrete Lintels over Steel Lintels
- Cost: Concrete lintels are considerably less costly than steel. If either type can accommodate your load, go for concrete if cost is an issue. They will do the some work apart from the strength and will prevents future cracking.
- Flexibility: Concrete lintels are more flexible than steel lintels. They can be manipulated to suit the installer’s needs. Also, concrete lintels can later be adjusted as the project progresses and if the need arises. Its advantages to use such as they will suit your building structure and prevents future inconvenience.
- Climate: Salt levels in the air in coastal areas can erode standard steel lintels. However, steel can be treated to endure erosion, making the steel lintel more costly. If you live on the coast, concrete lintels should be your option.
- Concrete lintels are also more suitable for building underground. This is because the lintels are not prone to rust and moisture like steel lintels. For anyone living in an area with harsh climates, concrete is the better option.
- Strength: Although steel is stronger than concrete, high-strength pressurized concrete lintels are equally strong and significantly less expensive. When determining the type of lintel to use, consider its placement without ruling out concrete. In most cases, concrete lintels are strong enough and do not need extra work on them.
- Aesthetics: Concrete lintels are mostly installed where they will be visible. They can also be painted to match the surroundings.
Do Concrete Lintels Need Padstones?
Yes, concrete lintels need padstones. Padstones are specific concrete blocks placed below the ends of lintels.
Padstones take on a lot of weight; hence should be strong enough before use. If you make them on-site, ensure that they cure properly and give them time to gain compressive strength.
Make sure they are made before the time of use so that you are sure your padstones are ready and strong enough to staitaine the weight they are bulid on.
