VISVESVARAYA TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY

BELAGAVI – 590 018, KARNATAKA, INDIA

Seminar (15CVS86)
on
“REPAIR OF BUILDING CRACKS”

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the degree
of

BACHELOR OF ENGINEERING
in
CIVIL ENGINEERING

Submitted by
ARUN B J
(USN : 4BD16CV020)

Under the guidance of

Sri. Vijaya Kumar C.S.

Assistant Professor

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

BAPUJI INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY
DAVANGERE – 577 004, KARNATAKA, INDIA
2019 – 2020
 DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING,
BAPUJI INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY,
DAVANGERE – 577 004, KARNATAKA, INDIA.

CERTIFICATE

Certified that the Seminar entitled “REPAIR OF BUILDING CRACKS ” is

the work carried out by ARUN B J bearing USN : 4BD16CV020, a
bonafide student of Bapuji Institute of Engineering and Technology,
Davangere, in partial fulfilment for the award of Bachelor of
Engineering in Civil Engineering of Visvesvaraya Technological
University, Belagavi during the year 2019 – 2020. It is certified that all
corrections/suggestions indicated for internal assessment have been
incorporated in the report deposited in the departmental library. The
seminar report has been approved as it satisfies the academic
requirements in respect of seminar work prescribed for the saiddegree.

Sri. Vijaya Kumar C.S.

Assistant Professor Coordinator
Guide DQAC

Professor & Head of the Department Principal

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CONTENTS
1. Abstract .

2. Introduction.

3. Types of cracks.

4. Case Study.

5. Tests for Cracks.

6. Causes and Preventive Measures.

7. Techniques to Repair Cracks.

8. Conclusion.

9. References.

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REPAIR OF BUILDINGS CRACKS

ABSTRACT
Building cracks are most common problem found in any type of building. We all love to
have a house which structurally safe and beautiful but it is not so easy, one has to
overcome natural calamity, soil failure, construction faults, improper design, and
inadequate joints causing to develop cracks on the building. Though the cracks in concrete
cannot be prevented entirely but they can be controlled by using adequate material and
technique of construction and specific design criteria. On timely identification of such
cracks and adopting preventive measure are essential. Active cracks causes seriously
problem and they need special attention as they are structurally hazardous. So, it is
important to understand the types of cracks, crack patterns and their causes and the
preventive measures to be taken to control the cracks.

INTRODUCTION
Cracks in the building is a universal problem faced throughout the world. Building
components develops cracks whenever stress in the components exceeds its strength. Stress
in the building components could be caused by externally applied forces such as dead, live,
wind, seismic loads or foundation settlement or could it be induced by internally due to
temperature variations, moisture changes and chemical actions .Cracks affects the
building's artistic look and it destroys the wall integrity, affects the safety of structure and
even reduces the durability of structure.

TYPES OF CRACKS
Generally cracks can be divided into two types : Structural cracks and Non-structural
cracks.
(a) Structural Cracks : Structural cracks may rise due to various reasons such as
incorrect design, overloading of the structural components. Structural cracks
endanger the stability of the building and may be diffcult to be rectified.

Table No.1 Structural Cracks Formed On Beam, Column,Slab

BEAMS COLUMNS SLABS

Flexure Cracks Horizontal Crack Flexure Cracks

Shear Cracks Diagonal Crack Shrinkage Cracks

Torsional Cracks Corrosion Crack Corrosion Crack

Corrosion Crack

Combination of above cracks

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Fig No.1 Cracks On Beam

(b) Non-structural cracks:

Non-structural cracks are generally due to internal forces developed in the building
materials due to moisture variation, temperature changes and suitable remedial measures
can be taken to control it.
Cracks may appreciably vary in width from very thin hair crack barely visible to naked eye
to gaping crack. Depending upon the crack width , the cracks are classified as :
➢ Thin Crack -less than 1 mm in width.
➢ Medium Crack -1 to 2 mm in width.
➢ Wide Crack -more than 2 mm in width.
➢ Crazing -Occurrence of closely spaced fine cracks at the surface of a material is
called crazing. Crazing is the development of a network of fine random cracks on
the surface of concrete or mortar caused by shrinkage of the surface layer.
➢

Thin Crack Medium Crack

Wide Crack
Fig No. 2 Images Of Crack Width

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CASE STUDY
A) Cracks On Walls

Fig No.3 Different Types Of Cracks on walls

Step cracks, stairstep cracks or stepping cracks all refer to cracks that follow the mortar
joints in a block wall. The cracks step up or down along the mortar. In many cases, this
type of crack is caused
by minor movement of the footing, shrinkage or wall movement, and by itself is not a
major cause for concern; however, wide cracks or step cracks combined with other cracks
and movement indicate a problem.

Foundation Movement and Settlement of Soil

Shear cracks in buildings occur when there is large differential settlement of foundation
and it may be either due to the following reasons:
1.Unequal bearing pressure under different parts of the structure
2.Bearing pressure on soil being in excess of safe bearing strength of the soil
3.Low factor of safety in the design of foundation
4.Local variation in the nature of supporting soil
Preventative Measure:
The design of foundation should be based on sound engineering principles and good
practice .

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Fig No. 4 Cracks Due To Weak Foundation

Fig No. 4 Cracks Due To Weak Foundation

B) Cracks On Beams And Columns

This type of failure occurs when a material strains under stress. When two materials
(having different elastic properties) built together under the effect of load then different
shear stresses in these materials create cracks at the junction. Dead and live loads are the
main cause of elastic deformation in any structural components of a building.
Preventive Measures: Create slip joints under the support of concrete slab on walls.
Provide horizontal movement joints between the top of brick panel and reinforced cement
concrete beam/slab.

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TESTS FOR CRACKS :

1) Rebound Hammer Test
Rebound hammer test, or Schmidt hammer test, is a simple method to estimate the in situ
concrete strength.. The hammer measures the

Fig. 5 Ultrasonic pulse velocity test

rebound of a spring loaded mass impacting against the surface of the concrete. The rebound
hammer has an arbitrary scale ranging from 10 to 100. Empirical correlation was
established between concrete strength and the rebound number. It should be noted that the
surface for testing should be grinded flat and smooth. When conducting tests, the hammer
should be held at right angles to the surface, because the rebound reading can be affected by
the orientation of the hammer.

When used on the underside of a suspended slab, gravity will increase the rebound distance
of the mass (vice versa for a test conducted on the top surface of a floor slab). Each rebound
hammer should be calibrated before use. The major drawback of rebound hammer test is
the limited accuracy. Even for calibrated hammers, the error of test could be about 15 %;
whereas for uncalibrated hammers, the accuracy is much worse and the error can reach 30
%

1) Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity Test

In the ultrasonic pulse velocity test, the time of travel of an ultrasonic pulse through the
concrete structure is measured and the pulse velocity is determined by the relation: pulse
velocity = distance/time. As void and defects in the concrete prevent direct passage of
ultrasonic pulse owing to the existence of concrete-air interfaces, the ultrasonic test can
reveal internal defects of concrete such as the presence of honeycombing at the interior.
Besides, as there is positive relationship between wave velocity and elastic modulus, as
well as between elastic modulus and strength, the ultrasonic velocity is able to reflect the
concrete strength. And for the guidelines of conducting the ultrasonic pulse velocity test.
The equipment and field work of the test are illustrated .

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2) Impact Echo Test

In the impact echo test, a short-duration mechanical impact, produced by tapping a small
steel sphere against the concrete surface, generates low-frequency stress waves (up to about
80 kHz) that propagate through the structure and are reflected by flaws and/or external
surfaces. Multiple reflections of these waves within the structure excite local modes of
vibration, and the resulting surface displacements are recorded by a transducer located
adjacent to the impact. The piezoelectric crystal in the transducer produces a voltage
proportional to the displacement, and the resulting voltage-time signal (called a waveform)
is digitized and transferred to the memory of a computer,
where it is transformed mathematically into a spectrum of amplitude versus frequency. The
dominant frequencies, which appear as peaks in the spectrum, are associated with multiple
reflections of stress waves within the structure, or with flexural vibrations in thin or
delaminated layers. The fundamental equation of impact-echo is: depth of flaw = wave
speed/frequency/2. The frequency

Fig. 6 Impact echo test

is obtained from the test as the dominant frequency of the signal, whereas the wave speed
should be measured prior to the test. Figure depicts the schematic diagram of and
equipment for impact echo test.

CAUSES AND ITS PREVENTIVE MEASURES :

A) Thermal Movement :

Most materials expand when they are heated, and contract when they are cooled.
The expansion and contraction with changes in temperature occur regardless of the
structure’s cross-sectional area. It is one of the most potent causes of cracking in
buildings which need attention.
Preventive Measures: Joints should be constructed like construction joints,
expansion joints, control joints and slip joints. The joints should be planned at the
time of design and be constructed carefully.

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B) Chemical Reaction :

Chemical reactions may occur due to the materials used to make the concrete or
materials that come into contact with the concrete after it has hardened. Concrete
may crack with time
the result of slowly developing expansive reactions between aggregate containing
active silica and alkalis derived from cement hydration, admixtures or external
sources
Preventive Measures: If sulphate content in soil exceeds 0.2 percent or in ground
water exceed 300 ppm , use very dense concrete and either increase richness of mix
to 1:1/5:3 and to prevent cracking due to corrosion in reinforcement it is desirable to
specify concrete of richer mix for thin sections in exposed locations.

C) Shrinkage

Most of the building materials expand when they absorb moisture from atmosphere
and shrink when they are dry. Shrinkage can be of plastic or dry. The factors
causing shrinkage in cement concrete and cement mortar and their preventions are
as following.
1) Excessive Water: The quantity of water used in the mortar mix can cause
shrinkage. Vibrated concrete has less quantity of water and lesser shrinkage than
manually compacted concrete.
Preventive Measures: Use minimum quantity of water required for mixing cement
concrete or cements mortar according to water cement ratio. Cement concrete is
never allowed to work without mechanical mix and vibrator [8].

D) Quantity of cement :

As a general rule, the richer the mix is, the greater the shrinkage/drying will be.

Preventive Measures: Do not use excessive cement in the mortar mix.

E) Earthquake

Crack may occur due to sudden shift in lower layer of the earth. The voids in the
earth might have suddenly collapsed and be filled with soil from the above. Many
geological events can trigger earth movements but is continuous movement.

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Preventive Measures:
Construct the foundation of buildings on firm ground while doing construction. Tie
up the building with connecting beams at foundation level, door level and roof
level.

F) Vegetation:
Fast growing trees in the area around the walls can sometimes cause cracks in walls
due to expansive action of roots growing under the foundation. The cracks occur in
clay soil due to moisture contained by roots.

Preventive Measure:
Do not grow trees too close to the building. Remove any saplings of trees as soon as
possible if they start growing in or near of walls [7].

G) Poor Construction practices

There is a general lack of good construction practices either due to ignorance,
carelessness, greed or negligence. For a healthy building it is absolutely necessary
for the construction agency and the owner to ensure good quality materials selection
and good construction practices.

Preventive Measure:
Proper monitoring and use of good quality of materials is required at the time of
construction.

H) Corrosion Cracks
Under normal conditions, the pH level of concrete is high (above 12.5). The high
pH of concrete allows an inactive layer of ferric oxide to form around the
reinforcement, preventing rust [4].There are two major causes of corrosion in the
reinforcing steel: chloride penetration
and carbonation. Chloride penetration reduces the pH level of the concrete when
oxygen, chlorides, and moisture all penetrate the concrete[5]. Chlorides can be found
in potable water, which should never be used to mix concrete. Carbonation occurs
when carbon dioxide and moisture infiltrate the concrete, reducing the pH level of
the concrete. Both causes of corrosion end similarly. The pH level is the concrete’s
last barrier against corrosion, so the reinforcement begins to rust. Rust expands the
steel to 10 times the volume, which can cause major problems in the structure.
Preventive measure: Use adequate covers as per IS 456-2000. Don’t use salt water
in mixing concrete.

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TECHNIQUES TO REPAIR CRACK

A) Epoxy Injection

Epoxy injection is an economical method of repairing non-moving cracks in

concrete walls, slabs, columns and piers a sit is capable of restoring the concrete to
its pre-cracked strength. The technique generally consists of establishing entry and
venting ports at close intervals along the cracks, sealing the crack on exposed
surfaces, and injecting the epoxy under pressure.

Fig No. 7 Procedure For Applying Epoxy

B) Gravity Filling
Low viscosity monomers and resins can be used to seal cracks with surface widths
of 0.001 to 0.08 in.by gravity filling. High molecular weight methacrylates,
urethanes, and some low viscosity epoxies have been used successfully.

C) Routing And Sealing

In this method,the crack is made wider at the surface with a saw or grinder, and then
the groove is filled with a flexible sealant. This is a common technique for crack
treatment and it is relatively simple in comparison to the procedures and the training
required for epoxy injection.
Initially clean the surface, the surface should be free from paint, dirt, oil,
efflorescence or any bond inhibiting agents. then apply epoxy . To prevent epoxy
flowing out insert foam breaker or rod of suitable diameter and sealent is applied to
it.

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D) Stitching

This method is done to provide a permanent structural repairs solution for masonry
repairs and cracked wall reinforcement.Itis done by drilling holes on both sides of
the crack,

cleaning the holes and anchoring the legs of the staples in the holes with a non-
shrink grout

E) Dry Packing

Itis the hand placement of a low water content mortar followed by tamping or
ramming of the mortar into place and also helps in producing intimate contact
between the mortar and the existing concrete.

F) Polymer Impregnation

Monomer systems can be used for effective repair of some cracks. A monomer
system is a liquid consisting of monomers which will polymerize into a solid.The
most common monomer used for this purpose is methyl methacrylate.

G) Underpinning

This is the best solution whereby the footings of the building are underpinned with
either concrete, masonry or piles to carry the load of the building down to a more
stable stratum (eg rock or soils below the reactive zone).This solution is usually the
most costly, particularly if there are access difficulties or if internal walls require
underpinning, which may require lifting internal floors.

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Conclusion :
After careful observation and study of the cracks in the building, their causes and a few
solutions that could be applied to rehabilitate the building, including test of strength on
structural members, it was concluded that most of the cracks are as a result of human
carelessness in all the stages of construction. From the research survey, it was observed that
each of the building team has great part to play in the cause of cracks in the building, and
the results clearly revealed that most of the cracks in the building structure are not
dangerous,. The appropriate remedy to crack failure is such that its nature and causes should
be investited and established before repair; otherwise wrongly treated cracks will reappear
after sometime. However, causes of cracks investigation should be more concerned with
what, rather than who is at fault. This will help to rectify and improve on designs,
supervision, and construction of buildings to avoid building problems.

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References :

1. SP-25 : 1984 - "Handbook on Causes and Prevention of cracks in Buildings".

2. Indian Railways on book on , "Cracks in Buildings".
3. IS 2911(3) "code of practice for design and construction of pile foundations".
4. pirro.R.(2012) "Concrete Evaluation and Repair Techniques". Professional
lecture.sept 2012.
5. Dr.S.Seethraman and Er.M.Chinnaswamy a book on "repair and
rehabilitation of structures".

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