Greetings to my property experts, owners and enthusiasts!



I discovered crack in a window frame, I was furious, went round the newly built bungalow, and found another same type in the opposite end of the building. I became extra mad! I summoned the mason and architect. but before they arrived days later, I was shocked to discover same cracks in many houses, shops and schools in the same neighborhood. in fact 65%, both new and old bungalows. the area is in jos, and hard clay soils throughout. even a school managed by expertiates nearby, had its crack from window to floor to window in opposite ends!

cc
opalu
spyder880
abdulwastecx
kkonsults
segcymoor
darchitect
mufutau55. etc etc
I could have asked in your threads, but opened this so more people can learn and share, thanks for understanding.

WHAT ARE THE LIKELY CAUSES?
and there any future consequences and corrective adjustments?

Since you said it's not just your building... I hope there is no un-noticed earthquake or earth movement for a small period of time in that area.

Hajji M.

more..

mufutau55:
Since you said it's not just your building... I hope there is no un-noticed earthquake or earth movement for a small period in that area.

Hajji M.

baba, nothing as such.
this was noticed immediately after the raininy season. and this new building is barely a year. I personally supervised it 100% with the aid of a very experienced mason and trusted architect friend. but its beyond mine, over 60% of buildings here share similar cracks.

the last image is of a nearby school with cracks splitting it into two.
I want to emphasis its a MINOR CRACKS that even a pin can't pass through in almost all the sited buildings.

dgitrader:


baba, nothing as such.
this was noticed immediately after the raininy season. and this new building is barely a year. I personally supervised it 100% with the aid of a very experienced mason and trusted architect friend. but its beyond mine, over 60% of buildings here share similar cracks.

the last image is of a nearby school with cracks splitting it into two.
I want to emphasis its a MINOR CRACKS that even a pin can't pass through in almost all the sited buildings.

The one in your building looks like a serviceability crack and not structural Crack, it may be due to harmattan or some environment conditions of shrinkage etc.

The Crack in that school is more dangerous and may be as a result of earth movement

abdulwastecx:


The one in your building looks like a serviceability crack and not structural Crack, it may be due to harmattan or some environment conditions of shrinkage etc.

The Crack in that school is more dangerous and may be as a result of earth movement

Hmmmmmm, nighttime temperature drops as low as 9° During hamattan. For earthmovements, I am not sure. But we do know that here, after any heavy downpour, walls remain soaked as much as five days, from window level down.

dgitrader:


Hmmmmmm, nighttime temperature drops as low as 9° During hamattan. For earthmovements, I am not sure. But we do know that here, after any heavy downpour, walls remain soaked as much as five days, from window level down.

What did your architect say is responsible for the Crack?

johnson232:
What did your architect say is responsible for the Crack?

"non application of hardcore and wire marsh? on the foundation "
who uses that for bungalow on dry land?

Hi Sir, I have noticed this over time and my studies reveal they are settlement and shrinkage cracks like abdulwastecx wrote. It can usually be remedied by hacking that area off and replastering.
One thing I do now in fresh buildings is to install nets around those prone to areas before screeding and I have seen improvements tho you ma not be able to predict all areas but its limited with that. Nothing will do your building should you decide to leave it too just unsightly for a new building.

Defects in Plaster regularly fall into this categories
•Non-structural cracks •Structural cracks •Debonding •Lack of hardness •Grinning •Expansion •Popping
BUT your cracks seems to have occurred before the application of Plaster leading me to conclude it's a structural (serviceability) crack. I have come across something of that nature in a book ( construction technology by Eric fleming) where he talks about cracks in and around Windows and doors.... I would try and check and get back to you.

dgitrader:


"non application of hardcore and wire marsh? on the foundation "

who uses that for bungalow on dry land?

I doubt if that can cause this...

podosci:
Defects in Plaster regularly fall into this categories
•Non-structural cracks •Structural cracks •Debonding •Lack of hardness •Grinning •Expansion •Popping
BUT your cracks seems to have occurred before the application of Plaster leading me to conclude it's a structural (serviceability) crack. I have come across something of that nature in a book ( construction technology by Eric fleming) where he talks about cracks in and around Windows and doors.... I would try and check and get back to you.

Nice points
Please update us with your findings. As for the cracks, they only showed up months after plastering. Not before the plastering.
Also I just discovered 100% of fences here have such cracks. The thing tire me, even a nearbyfirstbankk branch is not spared.The sight is unpleasant

RichYoungRuler:
Hi Sir, I have noticed this over time and my studies reveal they are settlement and shrinkage cracks like abdulwastecx wrote. It can usually be remedied by hacking that area off and replastering.
One thing I do now in fresh buildings is to install nets around those prone to areas before screeding and I have seen improvements tho you ma not be able to predict all areas but its limited with that. Nothing will do your building should you decide to leave it too just unsightly for a new building.

Well said

Non structural cracks are mostly hexagonal in nature and occure in during the application of Plaster or a little while after..
From my observations I can only conclude your cracks are structural in nature due to differential settlement of your foundation.
The fence cracks are caused by differential settlement of the foundation. The foundations were not properly done or the engineer didn't take note of the soil condition before proceeding to do the foundation....

podosci:
Non structural cracks are mostly hexagonal in nature and occure in during the application of Plaster or a little while after..
From my observations I can only conclude your cracks are structural in nature due to differential settlement of your foundation.
The fence cracks are caused by differential settlement of the foundation. The foundations were not properly done or the engineer didn't take note of the soil condition before proceeding to do the foundation....

Can you expand on the bolded?

There are several components that makes up a foundation and we, well I, would like to know why specific area could be the issue.

Thanks.

@ podosci, well said, that is why it's. Good to do soil test before foundation to determine the best foundation for each building this happens mostly in water lodge area also some other little cracks on plaster curse by nonstandard mixture and thickness of plastring... 1:3,1:5,1:6 plastring mixture ratio)12mm thickness , ratio 1;3 is very good in area where there might bbe a dampness (dpc level area)

The function of any foundation is to safely sustain and transmit the load from the superstructure down to the soil on which it rest on....there are strip, pad, reinforced strip, pile, raft etc, the selection of any of this types depend on the nature of the soil and the magnitude of the load to be carried
Factors affecting the foundation ability effectively sustain and transmit load are:
- Nature of the soil, Soils with poor load bearing capacity have regular occurrence of soil settlement and if an inappropriate foundation is selected can lead to differential settlement of the foundation
_ Strength of the concrete which is influenced by the mix ratio either 1:2:4 (24N/mm2) , 1:3:6(15N/mm2)
- Trees...The roots of trees apart from having direct physical confrontation with the foundation can have moisture effect causing shrinkage of the soil.
Generally Selecting the wrong foundation for a soil with a specific load bearing capacity can have disastrous effect on your building,coupled with poor workmanship, weak concrete.

k

Ok

Ask Buhari

I guess it from a weak foundation.

Differential settlements of soil

settling foundation. a ground beam during construction could have saved you the stress.

I tire o

so many factors could be responsible, 1.Mason 2.Inexperience contractor or Engineer 3.Fake materials.

I think some factors were overlooked while building, factors such as effects of load on beam which is also subject to daily expansion and contraction due to the weather of that area , the reinforcement is also a like factor I.e the sand to cement ratio .

...

fake contractors extorting a lot of money and buying cheap building materials.
other than this,folks that manageably assist build a room somewhere suddenly become glorified and certified building engineers,parading themselves just because of a single and inexperienced work they assisted in constructing.

Settlement. I wont be too worried