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Photograph of a bulged, cracked, leaning stone foundation wall. Evaluate the Significance of Foundation Movement or Damage

  • POST a QUESTION or COMMENT about how to determine the seriousness of concrete or masonry wall or foundation damage & how to decide on the urgency of repair.

How to Evaluate the Significance or Amount of Foundation Movement when a foundation is leaning, bulging, bowing, or settling.

This document describes how to recognize and diagnose various types of foundation failure or damage, such as foundation cracks, masonry foundation crack patterns, and moving, leaning, bulging, or bowing building foundation walls.

Types of foundation cracks, crack patterns, differences in the meaning of cracks in different foundation materials, site conditions, building history, and other evidence of building movement and damage are described to assist in recognizing foundation defects and to help the inspector separate cosmetic or low-risk conditions from those likely to be important and potentially costly to repair.

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Foundation DAMAGE SEVERITY - How to Evaluate the Significance or Amount of Foundation Movement when a foundation is leaning, bulging, bowing, or settling

The photo above shows a cracked, bulged, leaning stone foundation wall at the edge of an embankment - a condition we discuss further at this website.

Historical data is a key observation or data that needs to be collected to assess the significance of any evidence of foundation movement

These examples of foundation damage are almost always very important and need expert attention

This list is not complete. Suggestions welcomed.

Some simple "rule of thumb" for evaluating the seriousness of foundation damage

Amount, type, & direction of foundation movement

The importance of the amount of foundation movement varies

These additional conditions change the importance of the amount of foundation movement

Climate, seismic, & other local foundation structural requirements

Expert Views regarding Evaluating Foundation Crack Size / Width or Extent of Foundation Movement

British Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, RICS - Degree of Damage - per W.H. Ransom (RICS)

Foundation Damage Severity Terms Characterize Foundation Damage

Based on multiple national ASHI seminar polls conducted by the author - American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI)

Minor, single, isolated, cosmetic, marketing concerns

Modest foundation damage, monitoring appropriate

Significant, expert foundation assessment needed. Foundation repair may be needed

Watch out: Don't make conclusions just based on crack size and location. The inspector must consider other site factors conditions, history, materials, external forces, etc. Sudden catastrophes CAN occur, especially where site drainage or other conditions risk undermining or sudden forces on the foundation.

 




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Reader Comments, Questions & Answers About The Article Above

Below you will find questions and answers previously posted on this page at its page bottom reader comment box.

Reader Q&A - also see RECOMMENDED ARTICLES & FAQs

On 2019-10-1 - by (mod) -

Richard I want to help but don't dare with not a shred of information about your home, the type of construction, the cause, location, pattern, extent of cracking, how far in the wall leans, how much impact has occurred to the structure, what's the risk of continued movement.

We need to know whether the wall can be reinforced (pilasters, stitchers, steel or masonry), or needs to be reconstructed.

Watch out: a bulged horizontally-cracked wall such as made of concrete block or brick, depending on how far it's moved, risks sudden structural collapse- someone could be hurt or worse.

You need an onsite expert to tell you the condition of the wall, the cause of damage; then one can discuss the best repairs needed.

On 2019-10-13 by Richard Weitz

I have a major horizontal crack in my basement foundation wall. What would you recommend to repair the wall
Thank you, Richard

On 2018-12-31 - by (mod) - vertical crack in a concrete block foundation wall that is wider at the top than at the bottom

I see a vertical crack in a concrete block foundation wall that is wider at the top than at the bottom but appears to extend over a whole height of the wall. It makes me suspect that there is footing settlement going on and that such settlement may continue.

I wouldn't expect there to be a sudden catastrophic collapse but the damage May indeed continue. Keeping water away from the foundation may slow the process.

They're on site investigation of all of the foundation and structure would put this particular piece of damaged in context and help decide on priority of action. In other words without that I don't know how urgent this problem is but I suspect it's not an emergency.

Remember that no one can accurately nor completely assess Foundation damage by a brief a text and let some photos. A great deal of additional site information that needs to be considered.

On 2018-12-31 by Theresa

I am wondering if these photos show any cause for concern. There are numerous other structural issues with this property, but I have noticed that these cracks have grown in less than 2 years. Built in 2009, photos are of 2nd and 3rd floor stairwell. Thanks!
IMAGE LOST by older version of Clark Van Oyen’s Comments Box code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2018-12-17 - by (mod) -

babu_narsim

Unfortunately I cannot be as smart or informed as an expert who could come to inspect the temple and site directly - that is what is needed.

However from just your photographs - taken from your video of the temple, it appears to me as if there are several types of damage:

1. settlement - moving down of supporting soil from drying out of the clay soil as you suggested, that can explain walls leaning out of level or that have moved downwards in some spots.

Sometimes an engineer will decide that it is possible to pump concrete under high pressure to lift such structures but in your case I doubt that that is a useful solution for several reasons including - correct me if I'm mistaken - the following:

1. no one nearby has that pumping technology
2. the structure is so damaged that simply pushing it up won't fix that damage and risks further cracking and even collapse

2. Some of the damage such as the vertical cracks in pillars appear to me to be breaks from failure of the original columns due to weight or loading from above. I suspect that the original structure was built of cement and stone without any interior reinforcement.

I would expect repairs to those columns to require making temporary support - heavy vertical beams that themselves are placed on heavy horizontal members to distribute the weight - to hold the upper structure while the column is disassembled and re-built in place.

At that time you may need to dig down sufficiently to prepare a supporting concrete pad or footing for each column to prevent further settlement.

Please also see

EXPANSIVE CLAY SOIL DAMAGE to FOUNDATIONS

at https://inspectapedia.com/Energy/Expansive_Clay_Soil_Foundation_Damage.php

On 2018-12-17 - by (mod) -

IMAGE LOST by older version of Clark Van Oyen’s Comments Box code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2018-12-17 - by (mod) -

Additional image
IMAGE LOST by older version of Clark Van Oyen’s Comments Box code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.

On 2018-12-17 - by (mod) -

Re-posting without disallowed video link (for site security)

babu_narsim@yahoo.com said:
greetings
i am very happy to see the discussion points related to a heritage 230 year old temple at our place.A small riverlet flowing nearby was stopped leading to the clay or aluvial soil adjoining the temple becoming dry and the the structure had fractured.

Now, we are renovating the structure without comprising the heritage archaelogical designs. unfortunately not able to get the right way to reclaim the distorted portion of the structure. Can you suggest way and means to bring back the distorted settled structure to its original level. Your inputs will greatly help the community to revive back their heritage.

From the link given by Mr. Narsim:

IMAGE LOST by older version of Clark Van Oyen’s Comments Box code - now fixed. Please re-post the image if you can. Sorry. Mod.


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