Members: Yoshira Romero María de los Angeles Ortega

Introduction Post & Lintel definitions History Features Materials Conclusions

Post and lintel construction is created by setting a horizontal beam on top of two vertical supports. Can be found in doorways, windows and the framework of many buildings.

Lintel refers to the horizontal beam that goes across two supports. A lintel is designed primarily to hold weight, such as a roof or deck, depending on the vertical posts it rests on. Post refers to the vertical support, which is paired with an identical support to form the full design. Posts can be columns, poles or beams, modified to meet as architectural designs.

One of the earliest and most renowned post and lintel example is the prehistoric Stonehenge monument in England, where massive stone blocks were placed in a circle in the support-and-overhead design. Pure post and lintel construction also can be found in a variety of early shelters, including huts, cottages and stables. The Romans developed a variation of post and lintel construction with the arch, which added stability and support, and by the Catholic Church in Europe with the introduction of buttresses to support massive cathedral walls.

FEATURES Post and lintel construction is recognized by its simple vertical and horizontal design, in which a pair of vertical supports are set in the ground or a foundation, and a horizontal structure is balanced on top of them.

Materials Post and lintel construction can incorporate wood, metal and stone.

CONCLUSION Today, most post and lintel construction has a third component---the wall---which adds additional support and hides the post and lintel design. Variations on post and lintel design can be found in bridges, complex archways and crossbeams, sometimes with cable support adding extra stability. Because post and lintel construction is so simple, it forms the base for the entrances to modern buildings that do not feature curves, which add stability.