Study of Cracks in Buildings
Study of Cracks in Buildings
Study of Cracks in Buildings
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TERM PAPER
Presented By
J S KALYANA RAMA
V R RAGHAVA SUDHIR
V SAMPATH KUMAR
V VICKRANTH
V.RAMESH
INTRODUCTION • Long Term Drying Shrinkage Cracking
• Seasonal Thermal Contraction
Cracks in a building are of common
Cracking
occurrence. A building component
develops cracks whenever stress in the CAUSES OF OCCURRENCE
component exceeds its strength. Cracks
a) moisture changes
are classified in to structural and non
b) thermal variations
structural categories. The structural ones
c) elastic deformations
are due to faulty design, faulty
d) creep
construction or overloading which may
e) foundation movement and settlement
endanger safety of buildings. The non
of soil
structural cracks are due to internally
induced stresses. Depending on width of a) Moisture movement
crack, these are classified in to thin (< Most of the building materials having
1mm), medium (1mm to 2mm) and wide pores in their structure in the form of
(> 2mm wide). Internally induced intermolecular (ex concrete, mortar,
stresses in building components lead to bricks etc) expand on absorbing
dimensional changes and whenever moisture and shrink on drying. These
there is a restraint to movement as is movements are reversible. Initial
generally the case cracking occurs. shrinkage is partly irreversible and
occurs in all building materials which
There are numerous causes of cracking
are cement/lime based e.g. concrete,
in concrete, but most instances are
mortar, masonry etc. Some of the
related more to concrete specification
building materials absorb moisture from
and construction practices than by
environment and undergo gradual
stresses due to induced forces.
expansion (Initial expansion), bulk of
The four primary causes of cracking that
which is irreversible. For the bricks, this
the designer can help to prevent are:
entire expansion takes place in first 3
• Flexural Cracking
months once they are removed from
• Early Thermal Contraction Cracking
kilns. Cracks due to shrinkage affect
mainly the appearance and finish and the thermal movement could be
structural stability is not impaired. These distinguished from those due to
cracks generally get localized near door shrinkage or other causes from the
and window openings or stair case walls. criterion that the former open and close
In external walls they run downward alternately with changes in temperature
from window sill to plinth level or to the while the latter are not affected by such
lintel of lower story. changes.
Thermal movement depends on Colour
and Surface Characteristics of exposed
buding surfaces. Dark coloured and
rough textured materials have lower
reflectivity and hence rise in temperature
is more for these surfaces. In case of
concrete roof slabs, as the material has
low conductivity, thermal gradient is
quite appreciable and that causes the slab
to arch up and also to move outward due
to heat from the sun. This results in
cracks in external walls which support
the slab and in the internal walls that are
built up to the soffit of the slab. In case
of framed-structures, roof slab, beams
b) Thermal movement and columns move jointly causing
Due to variation in atmospheric diagonal cracks in walls which are
temperature, there will be thermal located parallel to the movement, and
movement in building horizontal cracks below beams in walls
components. When there is some which are at right angle to the
restraint to movement of building movement.
component, internal stresses are
generated resulting in cracks due to
tensile or shear stresses. Cracks due to
c) Elastic deformations
Structural components of a building such
as walls, columns, beams and slabs,
generally
consisting of materials like masonry,
Cracking in Top Most Storey of a concrete, steel etc, undergo elastic
Load Bearing Strucrure deformation due to load in accordance
with Hook's law, the amount of
deformation depending upon elastic
modulus of the materials, magnitude of
loading and dimensions of the
components.
If RCC slabs, RCC lintels over openings
and masonry in plinth and foundation
have good shear resistance, cracking in
question would not be very significant.
3
STEP 3: Clean the joints at least 300mm
on each side of the crack.
7
REFERENCES
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