Causes Of Vertical Cracks In Concrete Walls

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Causes of vertical cracks in concrete walls.

Vertical cracks in a foundation wall wider at bottom than top usually due to settlement under building occasionally due to frost heave at a point. Stair step cracks may also signify heaving. Interior cracks in concrete block walls can form for a number of reasons including. If your wall cracks appear following construction in your area you should seek an urgent assessment of the cracks and legal advice.

The near vertical cracking could be caused by settlement heaving or soil subsidence due to tree roots but most often a vertical crack is due to thermal expansion and contraction of a long wall. Wednesday march 27 2019. Vertical cracks are rare in a concrete block or brick wall because the mortar is usually weaker structurally and the crack will zig zag along the mortar joints only occasionally fracturing directly through the brick or block as it continues along. That said interior wall cracks often have different causes than exterior wall cracks.

The use of heavy machinery vibration excessive mechanical compaction of the soil or blasting the use of explosives to excavate can all cause your walls to crack. These cracks may be less serious than horizontal when found in a masonry block wall. The cause of the crack how harmful the crack is and how best to repair it if repair is deemed necessary. The location and pattern of cracks are the most important factors in de termining their cause.

In the drawings shown here the causes of typical cracks in concrete walls are explained based on the location and pattern of the cracks. The causes of vertical cracks are usually traced to vertical dislocation of the foundation footing or entire wall. Vertical and diagonal cracks in concrete walls typically indicate foundation movement.