(1) Beans and girders, other than lintels referred to in subsection (3), which support only a floor carrying a superimposed load not exceeding 250 kilograms per square metre, and which rest on empirically constructed walls or piers, shall have a bearing-area at each end of each opening bridged by such a beam or girder of not less than the following –

a) where the beam rests on brickwork, squared stonework or normal concrete: 35 SB sqaure centimetres;

b) where the beam rests on block masonry, random rubble stonework or no-fines concrete :70 SB square centimetres;

where
S = clear span of beam or girder between supports in metres; and
B = average distance, in metres from the beam or girder to the adjacent parallel beams, girders or walls supporting the floor.

(2) alternatively to the provisions of subsection(1), the ends of the beams or girders there mentioned shall rest on bearing-plates or padstones which themselves rest on bearing-area at least equal to the values given in this subsection.

(3) Lintels in empirically constructed walls not supporting any cantilevered construction shall bear at their ends on the full thickness of such wall, or on bearing-plates or padstones of a width equal to such thickness.

(4) The length of bearing at each end shall be not less than one-tenth of the clear span of the lintel with a minimum bearing length of 115 millimetres.

(5) The bearing-area for beams, girders and lintels other than those mentioned in this section shall be designed in accordance with the relevant requirements of sections 63 to 82.