Statics of a sagging garage lintel

Good day,

an old building (built in 1938) has an attached garage. The lintel is noticeably sagging and there is a large crack across the entire width of the bricks above the garage door:

The crack appears to have been sealed with silicone.

From the inside, it looks like this:



You can see a somewhat rusty steel beam and also some cracks on the sides. Above the garage door, it seems that the masonry under the steel beam has separated from it.

My questions are as follows:
- Does or can the rusty steel beam be replaced, or is it normal for it to have surface rust?
- It seems as if "only" the masonry under the steel beam is bending. Does or can this be replaced?
- Is the structural integrity of the entire garage affected by the damage?

I know that it is naturally difficult to assess something like this from a distance, but I would still be grateful for some evaluation.

Kind regards!

I would strongly recommend a repair.

The damage can only be assessed once the broken tiles and the rust on the steel beam have been removed.

You could hold a straightedge under the ceiling to see if the concrete ceiling has also sagged.

- Does the rusty steel beam have to or can it be replaced, or is it normal for it to have surface rust.

If it is only surface rust, in my opinion it is harmless.

- It seems as if "only" the masonry under the steel beam is bending. Does this have to or can it be replaced?

I'm surprised that the broken bricks haven't fallen down yet.

- Is the stability of the entire garage affected by the damage?

In my opinion, the concrete ceiling should hold the structure together. The broken bricks have formed an arch that is pushing outward. If these bricks are removed, the danger should be eliminated.

I know that something like this is naturally difficult to assess from a distance,

You are right about that.

Have this definitely checked by a professional on site. The broken bricks can fall down at any time. Please secure the area. Do not use the garage anymore.

I’ll give the all-clear. The steel beam is rusting, which is completely normal. It doesn’t cause any damage either. I have buildings here with vaulted ceilings that end in steel beams and were installed around the turn of the century, some even earlier. So, 1880. An old mason once told me they never fully rust through and always bend a little. It just doesn’t look very nice visually, but it still fulfills its function. And you don’t have to remove the rust at all; it won’t rust through in the next hundred years either.

Uiuiui o_O

So you don't have to worry about the steel lintel. Sure, it's not exactly pretty, but structurally it still probably retains 99.5% of its original load-bearing capacity. In my opinion, the greatest danger comes from the falling bricks. Whatever way they were attached to the lintel, that connection is basically completely gone. I would act on this as soon as possible before someone gets hurt! I would almost even say that the steel lintel is still straight, only the rest around it is basically falling off?

Judging by how the dowels at the top of the garage door frame look, I would also urgently have something done here. Is the garage very damp inside? I am concerned that at some point the door along with the frame might fall inward when opened.

Be sure to have a professional look at it on site. The broken bricks can fall down at any time. Please secure the area. Do not use the garage anymore.

Yes, don’t let the nuclear power plant explode :D. Professional... Seriously, just remove the broken lintel, replace the bricks or do something with formwork and concrete. I had a garage from a similar year of construction, where the brick lintel was built on a wooden board. It also lasted several decades.