Department of Technical Education

Andhra Pradesh
Name of the Staff member :P. Suryanarayana Reddy
Designation : HCES
Branch : Civil Engineering
Institute : Govt Polytechnic Anantapur
Semester : VI Semester
Subject : Maintenance of Buildings
Subject Code : C 606C
Topic : Maintenance Problems in
Buildings and their
solutions
Duration : 50 minutes
Sub topic : Investigation of cracks in wall
Teaching Aids : PPT, Animations and Sketches
9C606C.40 1
 Objectives

On the completion of this period, you would be able

to understand

• Investigation of cracks in walls

9C606C.40 2
 Recap

We have discussed the following in previous class

• Causes of cracks in brief

• Classification of cracks w.r.t. crack width

• Crack nature

• Few diagrams showing cracks

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 Investigation of Cracks in Walls

• All cracks have a similar appearance though cause is

different

• With inadequate knowledge, generally the crack is

diagnosed as due to “settlement” of structure

• It is not true always

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Investigation of Cracks in Walls (contd..)

• It is seldom possible to reconnect the masonry in a

permanent manner as in welding of metal

• There is likely to be a reoccurrence of the crack after

some time

• Every crack is an indication that the building is

becoming unsafe

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Investigation of Cracks in Walls (contd..)

• Rarely does a building collapse soon after the appearance

of a crack

• Even if crack is large

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Investigation of Cracks in Walls (contd..)

Following information is required to diagnosis of cracks :

• Direction

• Extent

• Width

• Depth

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(contd..)

• Alignment

• Sharpness of edges

• Cleanliness

• General

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Direction of Crack :

• The crack may be Vertical, horizontal, diagonal, coupled

with whether the crack is straight, toothed, variable
and irregular

• The material through which the crack passes should be

recorded

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Extent of crack :

• The starting and finishing point of crack should be noted

• It should be noted whether the crack extends across

openings

• It should be observed whether crack passes through

DPC or to the vicinity of ground

9C606C.40 10
Width of crack :

• Examine the crack for uniformity of width

• If it tapers off, mark the end of cracks and note the

direction of the taper

• If it changes in width, transducers can be used for more

continuous measurements

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Depth of crack :

• It should be observed how many of the materials

comprising the wall have been cracked

• The crack in a painted plastered wall may be confined to

the paint film, may pass into the plaster, may pass on
into the wall or may pass right through it

• A piece of wire can be useful for probing depth of wall

9C606C.40 12
Alignment of crack :

• It should be noted of the levels of materials on the two

sides of cracks

• This can be done by feeling with the finger tip passing it

across the crack

9C606C.40 13
Alignment of crack (contd..)

• Alignment will indicate whether a crack has been

produced by a straight pull as with tensile force or by a

diagonal pull as with a shear action

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Sharpness of Edges :

• Most cracks have sharp edges

• Some edges are roughened or rounded indicate due to
compressive forces or vibrations
• Badly broken edges will often be indicative of initial
compressive forces

9C606C.40 15
Cleanliness :

• Cracks should be examined with magnifying glasses

• Examine for brightness of crack or presence of dirt or

presence of decorative material inside

9C606C.40 16
General :

• Crack should be observed over period of time

• Remedial measure should not be carried out

immediately

• Crack may be static or may be active/developing

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General (contd..)

• Cracks in buildings on clayey sub soils are likely to vary

its width more or less continuous

• These cracks should not be filled with rigid materials and

any temporary filling should be carried out with a flexible

materials

9C606C.40 18
 Summary

In this class, we have discussed about

• Diagnosis of cracks in walls

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 Quiz

1) If the crack has been produced by a straight pull,

which is the force responsible?

A) Compressive force

B) Tensile force

C) Shear force

D) None of the above

9C606C.40 20
2) If the crack has been produced by a diagonal pull, which
is the force responsible?

A)Compressive force

B)Tensile force

C)Shear force

D)None of the above

9C606C.40 21
 Frequently Asked Questions

• What are the various information to be collected while

investigating cracks in wall?

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Thank you !

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