MAINTENANCE AND REHABILITATION OF

STRUCTURE

SP-25 : HANDBOOK ON CAUSE AND

PREVENTION OF CRACKS IN BUILDING
 CRACKS
• Inability to accept its change, either its volume or its
capacity to resist the external stress.
• Sign of distress.
• Major criteria affects the serviceability condition of
building.
• Initiator of reduction of life of building.
 TYPES OF CRACKS IN BUILDING

• Based on width
Thin(<1 mm )
Medium(1-2 mm)
Wide(>2 mm).
• Based on location
Structural cracks
Non structural cracks.
• Based on movements
Internal
External.
• Based on hardening stages:
Prehardening stage
Posthardening stage.
Pre-hardening stage:
 Construction movement-
formwork settlement,
subgrade settlement.
 Drying shrinkage.
 Setting shrinkage.
Post-hardening stage:
 Structural failure.
 Temperature.
 Chemical action.
 PRINCIPAL CAUSE OF CRACKS
Internal movement:
• Moisture changes
• Thermal movement
• Creep
• Chemical reaction
• Elastic deformation
External movement:
Differential settlement.
Vegetation.
 MOISTURE CHANGES
• Building materials have porosity in the form of
intermolecular spaces.
• Due to interpore pressure expand on absorbing and shrinks
on drying the moisture causes cracks.
Reversible changes:
 Reversible movement are due to moisture changes in
capillary pores.
Irreversible changes:
 When CSH gel crystallised water dries out , the irreversible
movement occurs.
Irreversible movement=1.50*reversible movement.
 Reasons for irreversible changes
• Cement content.
• Water content.
• Grading of aggregate.
• Quality of aggregate.
• Temperature of fresh concrete.
• Relative humidity (Plastic shrinkage).
• Accelerator.
• Curing.
 Thermal movement
• Temperature gradient.
• Coefficient of expansion.
Brick masonry wall of length 10m , variation in
summer and winter is 2mm.
 CHEMICAL REACTION
• Carbonation
• Alkali aggregate reaction.
• Chloride attack.
• Sulphate attack.
• corrosion.
 ELASTIC DEFORMATION
• Crack may occur due to deformation
incompatability, even the deformation are
within the elastic limit.
 CREEP
• Deformation under constant loading over a period
of time.
• Modulus of elasticity decreases over a period of
time.
• Deflection exceeding the limit induces cracks.
Foundation movement
vegetation
 Chemical reaction
• Sulphate attack
soluble sulphates reacts with C3A forms
ettrignite causes increase in voulme.
 MEASUREMENT OF CRACKS
• Tell tale method –
• A strip of glass (width-2 to 3cm)
(length-10 to 12cm).
• Firmly fixed across a crack by quick setting mortar
or adhesive.
• This method able to identify whether the crack is
active or not.
 PREVENTIVE MEASURES OF CRACKS
• Choice of materials.
• Specification for mortar and concrete.
• Architectural design of building.
• Structural design.
• Foundation design.
• Environment.
• Construction practices and techniques
Provision of expansion gap
 REPAIR WORKS
• Sealing.
• Stitching.
• Blanketing.
• Grouting.
Thank you