SRI JAYACHAMARAJENDRA

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
MYSORE-570006
(Vishweshwaraiah Technological University)

SEMINAR REPORT ON

“CAUSES AND PREVENTION OF

CRACKS

IN BUILDING”
BY

ASHWIN P S
4JC00CV007
SR No. 00147
VIIIth Semester, CIVIL

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 DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

SRI JAYACHAMRAJENDRA COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

(AFFILIATED TO VISVESWARAIAH TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY, BELGAUM)
MYSORE - 570 006

CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that ‘CAUSES AND PREVENTION OF CRACK

IN BUILDING is a bonafied seminar report submitted by Mr ASHWIN
P S bearing USN 4JC00CV007 on partial fulfillment for the award of
degree, Bachelor of Engineering, in Civil Engineering of
Vishveshwaraiah Technological University, Belgaum during the year
2004.

Examiners Signature of the HOD

1. Dr. Syed Shakeeb-Ur-

Rahman
Professor and Head
2.

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3.
CONTENTS

I Introduction

 Types of cracks 1

 Investigation relating to crack

 Limitations of crack width

II Causes for cracks

 Structural deficiency

 Shrinkage and temperature effect

 Cracks due to settlement 9

 Faulty workmanship and poor construction

Practice 11

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 III Case study

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IV Conclusion 16
V Reference

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The satisfaction that accompanies the successful completion of

any task would be incomplete without mentioning of the people who
made it possible. Many responsible for the knowledge and experience
gained during the work course.
I would like to express a deep sense of gratitude and indebt ness
to Dr K.Prakash and prof. N. M. Jagadish Civil Engineering Department,
S. J. College of Engineering, Mysore, for his constant encouragement,
guidance and inspiration, which enabled me to complete this seminar
work.
I would also like to express my gratefulness towards all the
faculty members, Department of Civil Engineering, SJCE, Mysore for
their timely suggestions.

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 I am thankful to Dr. Syed Shakeeb-Ur-Rahman, Professor and
Head, Department of Civil Engineering, for bringing excellent academic
climate to finish my work successfully.
Last but not the least, I express my deepest sense of gratitude
for the inspiration, enthusiasm and help given by my parents and
friends.

ASHWIN P S

4JC00CV007

VIII semester

CAUSES AND PREVENTION OF CRACKS IN

BUILDING

I) INTRODUCTION: -

A crack is a complete or incomplete separation of concrete

into two or more parts, produced by breaking or fracturing. The crack
in concrete is an inherent feature, which cannot be completely
prevented but can only be controlled and minimized. Concrete being a
material having very low tensile strength, readily cracks when such
tensile stress beyond the tensile strength of concrete occur in
structure.

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 An engineer should have a sound knowledge of all the facts
of concrete technology i.e. of the behavior of construction material,
construction techniques, and types of crack likely to occur, their causes
and respective remedial measure. In short treatment of cracks involves
detection, diagnosis and remedy. Cracks also occur due to settlement,
temperature, shrinkage effect, poor construction practice etc. In this
seminar various causes for the above mentioned cracks is been
discussed.

Types of cracks:

Cracks may be divided in two categories viz

i) Structural cracks
ii) Non structural cracks

i) Structural cracks:

Structural cracks may arise due to various reasons

such as incorrect design, overloading of the structural components,
overloading of the soil on which the building is constructed or other
similar factors. Structural cracks endanger the stability of the building
and may be difficult to be rectified. Extensive cracks of foundations
walls, beams, columns or slabs etc, are examples of structural cracks.

ii) Non- structural cracks:

Non- structural cracks are generally due to internal

forces developed in the buildings on account of change in the size of
building components, due to moisture variation, temperature
variations, the effect of gases, liquid and solids on the building
components. The non-structural cracks can be repaired provided the

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reasons for cracks are identified and suitable remedial measures are
taken to prevent their reoccurrence.

Investigation relating to cracks:

A careful study of the locations of cracks (starting and finishing points)

their width and depth helps in dealing with the diagnosis of different
types of cracks.

The following information helps in diagnosing the cracks:

i) Whether the crack is old or new.

ii) Whether it appears on the opposite face of the member also.
iii) Pattern of the cracks.
iv) Soil condition, type of foundation used, and movement of ground
if any.
v) Observations on the similar structures in the same locality.
vi) Study of specification, method of construction, used and the test
result at the site if any.
vii) Climatic condition during which the structure has been
constructed.

Limitation of crack width (IS 456: 2000):

Depending on the exposure conditions limitations on crack width are

imposed as follows

1. For members in water storage units, sewage treatment plants,

structures in chemically hazardous atmosphere, etc. Cracks are
not permitted in R.C. members.
2. In severe atmosphere up to 0.1mm crack width is permitted.

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 3. Moderate atmosphere up to 0.2mm crack width is permitted
4. In mild atmosphere the surface width of cracks should not, in
general exceed 0.3mm in members where cracking does not
have any serious adverse effects upon the preservation of
reinforcing steel nor upon the durability of structure.

Permissible crack width in reinforced structure as per

ACI

Exposure conditions Maximum allowable crack

width
in mm
Dry air, protective 0.41
membrane

Humidity, moist air 0.30

Sea water and seawater 0.15

spray;
Wetting and drying
Water retaining structure 0.10

Table1

II) CAUSES FOR THE OCCURANCE OF CRACKS:

The importance causes responsible for occurrence of the cracks are

1.structural deficiency resulting from design deficiency or construction

deficiency and overloading.
2. Settlement of ground
3.Temperature and Shrinkage effects.
4. Cracks due to faulty workman ship and poor construction practice

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1.Cracks due to structural deficiency resulting from

design deficiency or construction deficiency and

overloads.

Concrete structure and individual members all

carry loads. Some carry only the weight of the materials they are made
of, while others carry loads applied to the structure. All material
change volume when subjected to stress,
Concrete is no exception. When subjected to tensile stress, concrete
stretches; when subjected to compressive stress it shortens. Concrete
possesses high compressive strength but little tensile strength, and
reinforcing steel provides the needed strength in tension. The loads
induced during construction can be far more severe than they are
experienced in service. Concrete problems, such as excessive
deflection, cracking may be caused by volume changes associated with
load effect.
Most concrete members are subjected to tensile
forces. Slabs and beams are the most common members subjected to
significant tension. Reinforcing bars are placed in the concrete to carry
tension forces. When reinforced bar are subjected to tension they
stretch. The concrete around the reinforcing bars is consequently
subjected to tension and stretches. When tension in excess of tensile
strength of concrete is reached, transverse crack may appear near
reinforcing bars.
 Cracks occur due to shear, flexural and torsional steel
deficiency.
 Cracks occur due to abrupt curtailment of reinforcing bars,
construction joints etc.

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  Improper anchorage.
 Cracks due to overloading of members
Preventive measures:
 Special care need to be taken in the design and detailing of
structures in which cracking may cause a major serviceability
problem. These structures also require continuous inspection
during all phases of construction to supplement the careful
design and detailing.
 Damages from unintentional construction overloads can be
prevented only if designer provide information on load limitation
for the structure and if the construction personnel heed to these
limitations.
 Ensure proper anchorage to the reinforcing bars.
 Follow proper design specifications.

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 Flexural crack in beams Diagonal tension
crack in beams
Fig 1 Fig 2

Shear-flexure cracks in beams Flexural crack in

cantilever beam
Fig 3 Fig 4

Torsional crack in beam

Fig 5 Bond cracks in
beams
Fig 6
Direction of concreting

Cracks due to abrupt curtailment of

Bars in beams construction joint
crack in beam
Fig 7 Fig 8

Splitting cracks in column Flexural

crack in slab

Fig 9 Fig
10

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Cracks due to shrinkage and temperature effect:

Shrinkage crack:

Shrinkage cracks show up in two basic locations in

most walls; the approximate mid-point of a long section of wall, and
the narrowed section of the wall such as across a door or window head.
Shrinkage cracks are virtually uniform in width from top to bottom and
typically extend from the top of the wall to within a couple of feet of
the foundation.
Common cause for shrinkage cracks in concrete
walls would be excessive water content within the concrete. In general
terms, higher water content within a concrete mix will result in a
greater amount of shrinkage. This is quite evident in some concrete
walls where there are an excessive number of cracks.

Shrinkage crack in wall Shrinkage crack in cantilever slab

masonry
Fig 11 Fig 12

On exposure to atmosphere, concrete loses some of its original

water and shrink. Drying shrinkage, if unrestrained, results in
shortening of the member without a build-up of shrinkage stress. If the
member is restrained from moving, stress build-up may exceed the
tensile strength of the concrete. This over-stressing results in dry
shrinkage cracking.

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Temperature effect:
The effect of temperature on concrete structure
and member is one of volume change. The volume relationship to
temperature is expressed by the coefficient of thermal
expansion/contraction. Volume changes create stress when the
concrete is restrained. The resulting stress can be of any type: tension,
compression, shear, and etc. the stressed conditions may result in
undesirable behavior such as cracking, spalling and excessive
deflection.
A typical case of occurrence of cracks due to
temperature variation is that of roof slab being exposed to the heat of
sun, which is subjected to alternate expansion and contraction. This
movement of slab may result in pushing out top course of masonry and
develop horizontal cracks in the supporting walls.

Thermal crack in masonry

Fig 13

Preventive Measures:

 Adequate insulating or terracing treatment over roof slab and

by introducing joint between the slab and the supporting wall.

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  Painting top of roof with reflective finish such as white wash can
also minimize cracks.
 Chances of cracking due to temperature variation can be
minimized by introducing expansion, contraction joints at
appropriate locations.
Cracks due to settlement:

Uneven (differential) settlement can be a major

structural problem in small residential buildings, although serious
settlement problems are relatively uncommon. Many signs of masonry
distress are incorrectly diagnosed as settlement-related when in fact
they are due to moisture and thermal movements.

Fig 14

Indications of differential settlement are vertical distortion

or cracking of masonry walls, warped interior and exterior openings,
sloped floors, and sticking doors and windows. Settlement most often
occurs early in the life of a building or when there is a dramatic change
in underground conditions. Often such settlement is associated with
improper foundation design, particularly inadequate footers and
foundation walls.

 Soil consolidation under the footings

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  Soil shrinkage due to the loss of moisture to nearby trees or large
plants
 Soil swelling due to inadequate or blocked surface or house
drainage
 Soil heaving due to frost or excessive root growth
 Gradual downward drift of clay soils on slopes
 Changes in water table level
 Soil erosion from poor surface drainage, faulty drains, leaking
water mains or other underground water movements
(occasionally, underground water may scour away earth along
only one side of a footer, causing its rotation and the subsequent
buckling or displacement of the foundation wall above)
 Soil compaction or movement due to vibration from heavy
equipment, vehicular traffic, or blasting, or from ground tremors
(earthquakes).

Gradual differential settlement over a long period of time may produce no

masonry cracking at all, particularly in walls with older and softer bricks and high lime
mortars; the wall will elastically deform instead. More rapid settlements, however,
produce cracks that taper, being largest at one end and diminishing to a hairline at the
other, depending on the direction and location of settlement below the wall.

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 Differential settlement caused by variable soil types

Fig 15

Cracking is most likely to occur at corners and adjacent to

openings, and usually follows a rough diagonal along mortar joints
(although individual masonry units may be split). Settlement cracks (as
opposed to the similar-appearing shrinkage cracks that are especially
prevalent in concrete block) may extend through contiguous building
elements such as floor slabs, masonry walls above the foundation, and
interior plaster work. Tapering cracks, or cracks that are nearly vertical
and whose edges do not line up, may occur at the joints of projecting
bay windows, porches, and additions. These cracks indicate differential
settlement due to inadequate foundations or piers under the projecting
element.

Often settlement slows a short time after construction

and a point of equilibrium is reached in which movement no longer
occurs. Minor settlement cracking is structurally harmful only if long-
term moisture leakage through the cracks adversely affects building
elements. Large differential settlements, particularly between
foundation walls and interior columns or piers, are more serious
because they will cause movements in contiguous structural elements
such as beams, joists, floors, and roofs that must be evaluated for loss
of bearing and, occasionally, fracture.

Buildings constructed on expansive soil are liable to cracks due to

volumetric changes in the sub-soil conditions due to changes in moisture contents.
Expansive soil is a kind of clayey soil, which exhibits swelling and shrinkage properties
due to variation in seasonal moisture content. The structures built on such soils are
subjected to severe stress due to alternate swelling and shrinkage and undergo distress.
Light structures suffer more.

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Preventive Measures:

 In case of shrinkable soils, adopt under reamed pile foundation.

 The structural design of the foundation should be carried out in
such a manner as to achieve uniform distribution of pressure on
the ground to avoid differential settlement.
 The foundation should be so proportioned that the safe bearing
capacity of soil is not exceeded.
 The soil should be well compacted

Cracks due to faulty workman ship and poor

construction practice:

Methods used to construct concrete structures are different

from methods used in other type of construction. Concrete is one of
the few materials in which raw ingredients are brought together at, or
near, the construction site, where they are mixed, placed and molded
into a final product. Every building process includes a sequence of
necessary step-by-step operation-from conceptual plan to finished
structure. There are so many variables affecting the production of
concrete that there is always a potential for something to go wrong.

Causes:
 Improper reinforcing steel placement
 Improper bar detailing
 Premature removal of forms
 Improper column form placement
 Cold joints

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  Segregation
 Plastic shrinkage cracking

Preventive measures:
 By providing proper water cement ratio.
 Proper curing.
 Proper support for forms.
 Following proper design codes and recommendations.

III) Case study:

The case study described in this paper is an
example of a report on P.W.D office building Yelandur. The building was
inspected on 21st May 1988 and the following observations where
made.
The soil below the foundation and around the
building is black cotton soil. Construction of the building is reported to
be completed during 1981. It was learnt that that rainfall in the area
where the building was situated was scanty. It was also learnt that no
precautionary measures where taken during construction.
A team of experts from Karnataka Engineering
Research station,
Krishnarajasagar visited the spot and after investigation gave advise to
implement certain remedies such as replacing the soil around the
building by good gravelly soil for a depth of about 1foot, removing the
vegetation and trees around the building, filling the pits around the
building with gravelly soil, providing drainage facilities etc. But they

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where partially implemented, i.e., soil around the building was replaced
by gravelly soil. It was observed that cracking continued further.

Possible causes of distress:

 When a building is founded on an expansive soil with normal
footing, the swelling and shrinkage of the soil below the
foundation due to variation in water content gives rise to
moments. As the moisture content variation under the entire
building will be uneven, this normally results in cracks in the
buildings.
 Improper drainage around the building may lead to variation in
water content of the formation soil.
 Unequal settlement of the structure may occur due to its
construction on filled up soil.
 Growth of trees with dominant surface roots or fast growing
trees, closely to the building may be the cause of distress.

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 Due to increasing number of bore wells and drought situation,
the water table may considerably go down. Due to this the water
content of the soil may reduce causing considerable shrinkage.
This may result in unequal settlement and finally leads to
distress of the buildings.

Remedial measures:

 Where the expansive soil is shallow, say about 2m, the most
economical method will be to remove the soil & fill it with firm
good soil and use sand or murram for the fill.
 Use under-reamed pile foundation.
 Damage due to uplift of expanding clay can be prevented by
applying heavy super-imposed loads.
 The building may be supported on footing at a depth below the
surface and near enough to the water table, so that; the water
content of the clay is not affected by climatic changes.
 Growth of trees near the foundation should be avoided.

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IV) CONCLUSION
 The individual cracks in members are unique by
themselves.
 They are versatile diagnostic devices, clearly indicating
the specific problems in the concerned members. In
addition, they also indicate the degree of seriousness of
the problem.
 The cracks throw light on the discipline in the associated
structural designs and construction quality.
 The corrective measures to be implemented are clearly indicated
by these cracks.

V) REFERENCES:
1. Peter H. Emmons-“concrete repair and maintenance”
2. P.C.Varghese-“Limit State Design Of Reinforced concrete
3. H.P. Rossmanith-“Fracture and damage of concrete”
4. M.S. Shetty-“ concrete technology”

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DIRECTION OF CONCRETING

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