DIAGONAL CRACKS

BY-
NEAL
WHAT IS CRACK
Become fractured; break on the surface only is called crack A common
problem in both old and new houses is cracking in the exterior walls.

DIAGONAL CRACKING: is almost always structurally related.

Diagonal cracking is defined as a crack that tears through the material,
not a step crack that follows the mortar joints. To understand the source
or cause of a diagonal crack, draw an imaginary line perpendicular to the
center of the crack, down. This should point to the source or reason for
the cracking.

Both masonry and concrete are composite materials that behave well in
compression and relatively poorly in tension. The trick then is to design
components that are in compression all or at least most of the time, and to
keep the unavoidable tension events as rare as possible.

.
STRUCTURAL CRACKS
Structural cracks mainly occur due to:
Defective design and defective load assumptions and perception of behavior
of the structure.
In correct assessment of bearing capacity of foundation soil and soil
property.
Defective detailing of joints of components like roof with brick wall corner
joints of walls.
Defective detailing of structural detailing of steel reinforcement.
Lack of quality control during construction.
Chemical reactions in construction materials, changes in temperature and
climate,
Foundation movements and settling of buildings,
Environmental stresses like nearby trains, earth quakes etc.
Faulty design,
Wrong method of construction,

Weather effects and lots of wear and tear can create cracks in walls, floors
and ceilings.
Elastic deformation
Thermal movement
Chemical reaction
Foundation
DUE TO EXTERNAL FORCES
TENSION -is produced when two forces act in
opposite directions with a tendency to pull the
structure apart . when the tensile forces are greater than
the tensile strength of the material . tension cracks can
also occur when the tensile strength of surrounding
material , e.g.. Mortar, is greater than the material
itself tension cracks will generally be vertical.

COMPRESSION -occurs when the forces push

together in a squeezing motion . often resulting in
crushing or a crumbling effect .
In either tension or compression, if the forces act in
line with each other in the same plane the cracks
will occur in the same plane . either forward or back
word or back from the surface or sideways resulting in
diagonal cracks. Shear cracks therefore indicate a
sideways or liding movement

PROTECTION OF CRACKS.
Selection of materials
Specifications for mortar and concrete
Drawing and design of the building
Good construction practices
Diagonal cracks in bricks wall:
Differential settlement of foundation
Shrinkage of clayey soil below foundation.
from the absorption of moisture by the tree
roots in the vicinity.
Preventive measures:-
a) Building should be constructed over soil
strata have in uniform characteristics.
b) Adequate plinth protection and drainage
arrangements should be made around the
building to minimize water entry in the
foundation.
c) Avoid construction of walls on filled up
soil
d)Do not let trees grow too close to
buildings and compound wall specially if
the soil happen to be shrinkage soil/clay.
Diagonal cracks in panel walls in
RCC framed structure:

When RCC frame moves/deflects due

to loads, temperature variation etc. it
causes diagonal cracks in walls which
are located parallel to the movement.

Preventive measures :-
Walls should not be build tightly to the
columns. For taking lateral supports
from column, special connections
should be made between wall and
column which provide lateral supports
to wall but does not tie it too tightly to
the column .
METHODS OF REPAIRING CRACKS
Successful repair procedures take into
account the causes of the cracking
Methods:

EPOXY INJECTION - If the cause of the

cracks cannot be removed, then two
options are available.1.rout and seal the
crack 2.establish a joint that will
accommodate the movement and then
inject the crack Epoxy injection may be
used: Hydraulic pumps, paint pressure
pots, or air-actuated caulking guns.

ROUTING AND SEALING It is

involves enlarging the crack along its
exposed face and filling and sealing it with
a suitable joint sealant ,materials, including
epoxies, urethanes, silicones, polysulfide,
asphaltic materials, or polymer mortars
The procedure consists 1-Preparing a
groove at the surface ,2-Cleaned by air
blasting or water blasting and dried ,3-
Sealant is placed into the dry groove and
allowed to cure
Epoxy injection Urethane Injection
STITCHING - It is involves drilling holes on both
sides of the crack and grouting in U-shaped metal
units with short legs

DRILLING AND PLUGGING - It is consists of

drilling down the length of the crack and grouting it
to form a key

ADDITIONAL REINFORCEMENT -Pre stressing

steel use pre stressing strands or bars to apply a
compressive force

Hydraulic pumps
CRACKS DUE TO FOUNDATION SETTLEMENT & SOIL
MOVEMENT
The pictures illustrate the types of
structural damage that can occur as
a result of mine subsidence.
Cracked, buckling, sinking, and
collapsed foundations, cracked
mortar and collapsed brick and
blockwork, twisted window and
door frames, and cracked plaster
are all common. Over one million
Pennsylvania homes sit on top of
old, abandoned mines.
This is a classic sign of ground movement
expressed in a buildings superstructure. The
crack is not static and has opened and closed in
response to ground conditions. Each time the
crack reappears it has simply been repointed,
with a hard cement based mortar. This has
caused jacking to occur: each time new
mortar is added this restricts the degree to
which the masonry can move back to its
original location and the crack becomes wider
and wider over time.
Uneven settlement of foundations
Where a particularly heavy load is placed on the foundation such as a large
column, movement may occur as moisture is squeezed out of the soil or the soil
readjusts itself. This consolidation will stop when the soil has finally compacted
enough to support the load.
Cracks which may result from movement during compaction can be measured to
see if and when the movement has ceased.
Then a decision can be made as to whether the cracks may simply be patched up
or if the size of the existing footing needs to be increased to support the load i.e.:
underpinning
Water extracted by trees and
shrubs
The greatest damage occurs when
trees are planted after
construction.
Contrary to popular belief, it is
rarely the growth or uplift of the
tap roots of big
trees which disturb the
foundations. The damage is done
by the plants extracting
considerable quantities of
moisture from the soil, which
reduces the volume of the
soil, causing footings to subside in
that area and cracks in the
masonry to appear.
This phenomenon is known as
tree drying settlement.
THANKS