Cracking & Movement

Whenever structural cracking and movement appear significant or significantly worsen, a qualified &
licensed Structural Engineer should be consulted for further advice.

Cracks occur when forces either externally, internally within a building, or as a result of chemical
changes within the building's materials are greater than it can withstand.

Cracking and movement can be structurally dangerous. Differential movement throughout a building
may be a consequence of poor design, ageing or changing environmental conditions to which a rigid
building cannot adapt without fracturing.

The form and positioning of cracking depends upon the building's weak points, particularly around
doors and windows and where floor and roof connect to walls. Other factors are the size, shape, and
position of the crack, the age of the crack indicating repetitive movement, and crack widening
suggesting settlement or support failure.

Foundation Related Cracking

Reactive Soils

Reactive soils e.g. clays are susceptible to expansion and contraction with varying soil moisture
content. Non-reactive soils e.g. sands, silt and gravel are susceptible to shear and loadbearing
failure.

Common causes of swelling and shrinkage in reactive soils

Vegetation

Root systems of trees and shrubs around a building remove moisture from foundations causing
localised settlement. Conversely, when established trees or shrubs near a building are removed, the
foundation soil expands as it reabsorbs moisture and localised upheaval results. Only shrubs or small
trees with relatively non-troublesome root systems should be planted within 2 meters of a building
and larger trees kept at least 10 meters away.

Sun Exposure

Differential rates of cracking may occur when parts of a building are more exposed to the sun than
others. Especially vulnerable are northeastern and northwestern corners which receive full morning
and afternoon sun. This may be evidenced by diagonal cracking which is wider at the top and subject
to seasonal variation.

Soil Moisture Content

Dome and saucer effects occur with long term changes in soil moisture content. Dome effects follow
hot wet summers and warm dry winters causing moisture to migrate under a building and plastic
soils to expand into a dome shape. As a consequence, external walls tend to rotate outwards at the
top causing cracking especially around openings. Internal walls may develop cracks which open at
the top narrowing to the bottom and floors may bulge as supports rise.

Conversely, saucer effects follow long dry summers and cold wet winters. The soil under the building
is parched in summer and never regains balanced moisture content in winter even when the soil
surrounding the building is continually wet. External walls rotate inwards at the top. Internal walls
develop cracks which open at the bottom of the wall narrowing towards the top and floors become
springy and sag as internal supports drop below bearers.

Uneven Foundation Settlement

Is associated with new building where cracking with differential movement of foundations placing
excessive strain on a building. Common causes may include:

Consolidation of foundations as water is expelled from the soil under the weight of the building

Shear failure of foundations when foundation soil is forced from under footings because of gross
overloading, excavation or excessive wetting

Building on inadequately compacted fill

Building on variable foundations resulting in differential consolidation and uneven settlement

Other Causes of Cracking

Excessive wetting due to garden sprinkler systems watering beds situated close to external walls,
blocked or leaking downpipes and stormwater drains, surface run-off from raised street and
footpath levels and underwater streams or old water courses.

Additions to building, if keyed or bonded to the original building with differential settlement rates
between original and added building, acerbated by rotational effects.

Rusting of embedded steel in masonry on lintels, arch bars, wall ties, and bolts displacing
surrounding masonry to create stepped or horizontal cracking from the point of embedment.

Where old pitched roofs have not been adequately secured or supported, the roof will tend to sag
and spread especially at the eaves causing external and internal cracking at the top of walls.

Being a clay product, bricks have a natural tendency to expand for years after leaving the kiln,
depending upon the type of clay used, the degree of burning and their subsequent exposure to
moisture. Expansion joints are necessary to prevent cracking, bowing and arching.

Cracking In Finished Surfaces

Full depth cracking in external rendered surfaces occurs when the backing material has fractured
due to movement of masonry walls on expansive soils or foundation failure. Cracking may also be
due to rusting of embedded material or the growth and expansion of salt crystals in mortar joints.
Crazing and surface cracking results from long term weathering and defective finishing techniques
e.g. excessive trowelling or where the finishing coat is cement-rich compared to the undercoat.

Major failure in solid internal plaster is associated with movement of backing material causing loss of
adhesion (drumminess) and cracking. Minor cracking and crazing occurs with age. Drumminess in old
plaster is caused by use of incompatible coatings with varying shrinkage rates.

Internal plaster sheeting problems are the result of the sheet itself - old plaster sheeting suffers from
sagging caused by poor fixing, the effects of long term loading and deterioration in the bonding.
Cracks develop at joints caused by insufficient support for the sheet, shrinkage of pointing material
or movement of backing. Cracks in plasterboard are caused by shrinkage and warping in buildings as
they age and adjust to new environmental conditions.

Cracking and Movement in Concrete Slabs

Drying shrinkage usually occurs during setting and is the most common cause of cracking

Differential settlement and foundation movement

Movement while concrete is "green"

"Concrete cancer" evidenced by rust spots, bulging, surface cracking or chunks of concrete breaking
away may occur in the presence of moisture where salts permeate the concrete causing localised
corrosion and expansion of steel reinforcement

For a How to Guide to Prevent Structural Damage to Your Home

Wall Cracking Picture Foundation Movement Picture

Foundation Movement 2 Picture Tree Root Damage Picture

Prevention
Create slip joints under the support of RCC slab on walls. Masonry work on RCC slabs and
beams should not be started before drying RCC slab and beam. Provide horizontal movement
joints between the top of brick panel and RCC beam/slab.

 
Thermal Movement
All materials expand on heat and contract on cool. Thermal movement in components of
structure creates cracks due to tensile of shear stresses. It is one of the most potent causes of
cracking in buildings and needs attention.

Prevention
Construct joints such as construction joints, expansion joints, control joints and slip joints. The
joints should be planned at the time of design and be constructed carefully. 

Chemical Reaction
Chemical reactions in building materials increase their volume and internal stress causes cracks.
The components of structure also weaken due to chemical reactions. Some common instances
of chemical reactions are following. 

 Sulphate attack on cement products

 Carbonation in cement based materials
 Corrosion of reinforcement in concrete
 Alkali aggregate reaction

Prevention
Use dense and good quality concrete i.e. richer mix of cement concrete 1:1.5:3 to prevent
cracks. Repair corrosive cement concrete surface by ‘guniting’/ injecting technique after
removing all loose and damaged concrete and cleaning reinforcement from all rust also.   

Shrinkage
  
Most building materials expend when they absorb moisture from atmosphere and shrink when
they are dry. Cement made materials shrink due to drying up of the moisture used in their
construction. The factors causing shrinkage in cement concrete and cement mortar and their
preventions are following.  

1. Excessive Water
The quantity of water used in the mortar mix can cause shrinkage. Vibrated concrete has
less quantity of water and lesser shrinkage than manually compacted concrete.   

Prevention
Use minimum quantity of water required for mixing cement concrete or cements mortar
according to water cement ratio. Never allow cement concrete work without mechanical
mix and vibrator.

2. Quantity of Cement
As a general rule, the richer the mix is, the greater the shrinkage/drying will be. 

Prevention
Do not use excessive cement in the mortar mix.  

 Un-graded Aggregate
Aggregate can cause shrinkage also. If un-graded and fine material/aggregate is used in cement
concrete and cement mortar which requires more water and can cause greater shrinkage.  
Prevention
Use largest possible aggregate and ensure good grading of materials. The use of water
according to required workability has less shrinkage because of reduction in the porosity of
hardened concrete.

 Curing
After laying cement concrete mix, the hardening of cement takes place, causes reduction in
moisture and creates shrinkage. This causes cracks in concrete work. 

Prevention
Proper curing should be started as soon as initial setting has taken place and be continued for at
least seven to ten days.  When hardening of concrete takes place under moist environment, the
shrinkage due to drying is comparatively less. 

 Excessive Fine materials

Fine materials take more surface area and require more water for mix. The use of excessive fine
materials i.e. silts; clay and dust in aggregate create more shrinkage. 

Prevention
Do not use fine materials containing silt, clay and dust. Use coarse sand/fine aggregate in
cement concrete and cement mortar mix which has silt and clay less than 4%. Use coarse
aggregate and fine aggregate after washing to reduce silt contents. 

Foundation Movement and Settlement of Soil

Shear cracks occur in buildings when there is large differential settlement of foundation due to
any of following causes. 

 Unequal bearing pressure under different parts of the structure

 Bearing pressure being in excess of safe bearing strength of the soil
 Low factor of safety in the design of foundations
 Local variation in the nature of supporting soil

Prevention
The design of foundation must be based on sound engineering principles and good practice.

Earth Quake
Crack may occur due to sudden shift in lower layer of the earth. The voids in the earth might
have suddenly collapsed and be filled with soil from the above. Many geological events can
trigger earth movements but is continuous movement. This results in cracks.    
Prevention
Construct the foundation of buildings on firm ground while doing construction. Tie up the building
with connecting beams at foundation level, door level and roof level. 

Vegetation
The roots of trees located in the vicinity of a wall can create cracks in walls due to growth of roots
under foundation. The cracks occur in clay soil due to moisture contained by roots.  

Prevention
Do not let trees grow too close to the buildings, compound walls etc. Remove any saplings of
trees as soon as possible if they start growing in or near of walls etc. 
 
;

How to prevent cracks in building

Cracks in building are a common occurrence and it is
important to understand the causes and the measures to
be taken for their prevention.Materials such as
bricks,mortar and concrete, which contain considerable
quantity of water at the time of construction, dry out
subsequently and under go major contraction.