Elements and Materials

Post-and-Lintel Construction

Also Known As Post and Beam

Structural Principle

Citation Formats

General Reference

Architecture and Design Atlas. "Post-and-Lintel Construction." Accessed August 30, 2026. https://architecture.interactiveatlas.org/elements/post-and-lintel.

APA Style

Architecture and Design Atlas. (n.d.). Post-and-Lintel Construction. Retrieved August 30, 2026, from https://architecture.interactiveatlas.org/elements/post-and-lintel

BibTeX

@misc{architectureanddesignatlas-post-and-lintel-construction,
  author = {Architecture and Design Atlas},
  title = {Post-and-Lintel Construction},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://architecture.interactiveatlas.org/elements/post-and-lintel},
  note = {Accessed August 30, 2026}
}

Post-and-lintel construction carries a horizontal beam, the lintel, across the open space between two upright supports, the posts. It is the most basic way to span an opening: the posts work in compression and the lintel works partly in compression at its ends and partly in bending across its span, which limits how far it can reach before it must be very deep or very strong. Stonehenge is its most famous prehistoric example, and it underlies ancient Egyptian, Greek and much early Asian architecture before arch and vault systems allowed longer spans.

Facts

Element Kind

Structural system 1

First Used Era

Neolithic period 1

Cross-Tradition Connections

Associated With

Ancient Egyptian Architecture

Egyptian temples and tombs relied on post-and-lintel construction throughout, well before the arch came into use in the region.

Source Wikipedia

Balloon Frame

Balloon framing and post-and-lintel construction are alternate load-bearing timber systems from different eras; balloon framing's continuous light studs replaced heavier post-and-beam joinery in nineteenth century American building.