Post+and+Lintel


 * The simplest illustration of load and support in construction is the post – and – lintel system, in which two upright members (posts, columns, piers) hold up a third member ( lintel, beam, girder, rafter) laid horizontally across their top surface. This is the basis for the evolution of all openings.**


 * The job of the lintel is to bear the loads that rest on it (and its own load) without deforming or breaking.**

The job of the post is to support the lintel and its loads without crushing or buckling.