Settlement crack

When buildings settle or move, they will crack because of their brittle nature. Building materials are
typically very strong in compression but weak in tension. It is normal in large buildings to incorporate
movement joints.

Cracks that form through initial settlement then become ready-made movement joints. This is why a
crack will continually reappear, no matter how many times it is filled.

a crack will typically form at the door leading from the wider entrance hallway into the rear room
“off the hall”. This coincides with a weak point in the structure.