NEW building developed A lot of cracks! need advice PLEASE VERY WORRIED!!!

[hani317]

@ALL
Its been 8 months since we constructed a new building G+1+2 in bangalore south, our house is facing south and has houses built on the west (its joint together) and north sidde (with a 1" gap) and to the east is a vacant land (its a small ditch)
and lately we have noticed some big cracks in the buildding towards the east side on the first and second floor balcony and the are grrowing towards the foundation (photos attached) and a lot of cracks inside the house as well and a BIG LONG crack all along the joint with the adjacent building to the west,
I would like to get some advice from the experienced people and the technical people as to what reason these cracks have developed and is there a reason to worry?
and what steps should i take? like consult an civil or a structural engineer to get a professional advice?
pls advice!

WBR

[hani317]

here are some more snap shots for your reference guys pls give a feedback! 51 views and no comments!

[hani317]

and some more as there are so many cracks and had read some where in the forum that a crack can say a lot about the damage or give an idea! so ive attached them, pls comment!

[msn1270]

Cracks in a newly constructed House can be attributed to many reasons. some of them like

1. The building structure may take time to settle down during the construction phase. If the building was constructed in a very short period, due to settling action also.

2. The building construction done on a loose soil or on a lake bed where the ground condition was not judged correctly during the excavation.

3. Could be due to lack of curing during the construction phase.

4. if there are stone quarrying/metro underground construction activities in the nearby areas, due to blasting also.

5. Due to the poor quality materials or improper ratio used in the construction.
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etc.


Better to consult a qualified structural engineer/civil engineer who can assess the situation in detail and can advise you the corrective actions.

[Kiran Kumar K]

Sir, please don't panic be calm everything will go fine. First, consult the architect with whom you have designed the project for u. Secondly, consult with the structural engineer with whom you have designed the project for u. For u r understanding go through this website : http://www.xxxxxxxxxxx.com/home/Search_ ... x?q=cracks

Hi We dont encourage direct links to other website that doesnt provide any genuine information.

Edited by admin

[Nivas]

a) The bricks wick moisture and they swell which causes the expansion laterally(more seen in clay bricks) , since the wall exists between columns(almost rigid), you can expect a vertical crack and if there is a window opening , the fracture will be seen in the corners of the opening . (cut a square or rectangular hole in a sheet of paper and try to expand the sheet it and see it most likely ruptures along side the diagonals of the opening).
Since you see this on east side with vacant land and starting from top floors, that side wall is exposed to splashing rain compared to west side.
b) The foundation movement or earth movement\tectonic perturbations \ shocks, causes cracks along the periphery columns vertically visible on the outside of wall . The roof slab movement causes cracks along side the beam and wall junction on the ceiling side.
c)I would not read too much in to the Big crack alongside the west side that you mentioned is attached to adjacent building.

Please do not worry , this is no case for catastrophic failure. Your case according to me is (a) . Postpone the crack fills \repair \remedial measures till summer, give your building a rain coat(Dr fixit Raincoat). assuming that you have used clay bricks , it may not have been fired properly.
I am not a structural engineer , but do consult one for solace.

[mvssastry]

Friend,
Better your Architect and Structural Engineer see the cracks and advise. As already posted by other members cracks may occur because of number of reasons.

[Kiran Kumar K]

Which Are Various Reasons of Cracks in Buildings?
Cracks can occur due to chemical reactions in construction materials, changes in temperature and climate, foundation movements and settling of buildings, environmental stresses like nearby trains, earthquakes etc. Faulty design, bad quality materials, wrong method of construction, weather effects and lots of wear and tear can create cracks in walls, floors and ceilings. Here are given various reasons of cracks and their prevention techniques.


Elastic Deformation
When the walls are unevenly loaded, due to variation in stresses in different parts of a wall the cracks are formed in walls. When two materials having wide different elastic properties are built together under the effect of load, different shear stresses in these materials create cracks at the junction. Dead and live loads cause elastic deformation in structural components of a building.

Prevention
Create slip joints under the support of RCC slab on walls. Masonry work on RCC slabs and beams should not be started before drying RCC slab and beam. Provide horizontal movement joints between the top of the brick panel and RCC beam/slab.
Thermal Movement
All materials expand on heat and contract on cool. Thermal movement in components of structure creates cracks due to tensile of shear stresses. It is one of the most potent causes of cracking in buildings and needs attention.
Prevention
Construct joints such as construction joints, expansion joints, control joints and slip joints. The joints should be planned at the time of design and be constructed carefully.
Chemical Reaction
Chemical reactions in building materials increase their volume and internal stress causes cracks. The components of structure also weaken due to chemical reactions. Some common instances of chemical reactions are following.
Sulphate attack on cement products
Carbonation in cement based materials
Corrosion of reinforcement in concrete
Alkali-aggregate reaction
Prevention
Use dense and good quality concrete i.e. the richer mix of cement concrete 1:1.5:3 to prevent cracks. Repair corrosive cement concrete surface by ‘guniting’/ injecting technique after removing all loose and damaged concrete and cleaning reinforcement from all rust also.


Shrinkage
Most building materials expand when they absorb moisture from atmosphere and shrink when they are dry. Cement made materials shrink due to drying up of the moisture used in their construction. The factors causing shrinkage in cement concrete and cement mortar and their preventions are following.
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.
Prevention
Use the minimum quantity of water required for mixing cement concrete or cement mortar according to water cement ratio. Never allow cement concrete work without mechanical mix and vibrator.
Quantity of Cement
As a general rule, the richer the mix is, the greater the shrinkage/drying will be.
Prevention
Do not use excessive cement in the mortar mix.
• Un-graded Aggregate
Aggregate can cause shrinkage also. If un-graded and fine material/aggregate is used in cement concrete and cement mortar which requires more water and can cause greater shrinkage.
Prevention
Use largest possible aggregate and ensure good grading of materials. The use of water according to required workability has less shrinkage because of reduction in the porosity of the hardened concrete.
 
• Curing
After laying cement concrete mix, the hardening of cement takes place, causes a reduction in moisture and creates shrinkage. This causes cracks in concrete work.
Prevention
Proper curing should be started as soon as the initial setting has taken place and be continued for at least seven to ten days. When hardening of concrete takes place under moist environment, the shrinkage due to drying is comparatively less.
• Excessive Fine materials
Fine materials take more surface area and require more water for the mix. The use of excessive fine materials i.e. silts; clay and dust in aggregate create more shrinkage.
Prevention
Do not use fine materials containing silt, clay and dust. Use coarse sand/fine aggregate in cement concrete and cement mortar mix which has silt and clay less than 4%. Use coarse aggregate and fine aggregate after washing to reduce silt contents.
Foundation Movement and Settlement of Soil
Shear cracks occur in buildings when there is a large differential settlement of foundation due to any of following causes.
Unequal bearing pressure under different parts of the structure
Bearing pressure being in excess of safe bearing strength of the soil
Low factor of safety in the design of foundations
Local variation in the nature of supporting soil
Prevention
The design of foundation must be based on sound engineering principles and good practice.

Earth Quake
Crack may occur due to a sudden shift in a 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 a continuous movement. This results in cracks.
Prevention
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.
Vegetation
The roots of trees located in the vicinity of a wall can create cracks in walls due to a growth of roots under foundation. The cracks occur in clay soil due to moisture contained by roots.
Prevention
Do not let trees grow too close to the buildings, compound walls etc. Remove any saplings of trees as soon as possible if they start growing in or near of walls etc.

[hani317]

tks for the replies, could u people suggest or recommend any good structural engineers name and number to consult regarding the above problem,
as unfortunately we didn't consult any one but just went ahead after seeing the contractors previous works and experience !
wbr

[Kiran Kumar K]

Good thought, ok sir where in bengaluru let me see the problem will be rectified. And one thing for sure you should pay consulation charges to the concerned person