ABSTRACT
Higher stresses were seen in the wall where there were larger openings and openings that were near the removed area. Higher stresses were also observed at the corners of the openings. This is because the reinforcement was designed to be just longer than the lintel. Modern lintel design horizontal reinforcement is continuous throughout the masonry. This development length provides added resistance to tensile forces. When the lintel is designed to have a development length of just longer than the lintel, there are areas of unreinforced masonry that are vulnerable to tensile stress. This stress often resulted in failure of the masonry.
