Cracked and Leaking Foundation

A house may "settle" on average between 8-10 years after being built depending on the stability of the soil.

In my experience there is three possible problems here:

1. The concrete was not the proper hardness. This can be tested by a professional.
2. The house was built on unstable soil that not compacted enough to hold the weight of the house. This also can be tested.
3. Improper drainage around the house is creating pressure and movement.

All these problems are caused by the builder.

All of these problems should have been picked up by an inspector.

For the first two, Unfortunately the fix is expensive. (replace the foundation)

The third requires the drainage to be replaced.

Techno,

I agree with you.

_________________

To landslide, the OP:

I would just like to add that some minor cracking is common in poured foundations and slabs, and will typically show up in the first few years. Cracks spreading in length are, while a bit unnerving, common and no real cause of concern.

HOWEVER, cracks that exhibit any degree of vertical or horizontal displacement between the concrete adjacent to the crack is cause for much concern, and if the displacement continues to increase, a MAJOR structural problem is indicated relating to soil stability and/or a hydrostatic (water) pressure condition, possibly also involving the freeze/thaw cycle. You seem to have indicated that this is the case, especially regarding the garage floor. You also have water seepage/flow.

Consult with neighbors in the area as to what their own experience is. Discuss your situation with the local building department (because they performed inspections and also issued the Certificate of Occupancy). Engage the services of a Professional Engineer specializing in foundations and soil mechanics. (Many PE's have minimal knowledge outside their chosen specializations.) Additionally, sometimes the state or county have knowledgeable engineers on staff that can offer some advice, or you might try one of the nearby universities that has a Civil Engineering program. But in the end you may likely need a signed opinion of a practicing PE to carry weight in going forward, because if, as it sounds, you have a major structural problem then you have to pursue whatever means of recourse is available. Typically, the responsible parties are the local government, who approved the original site and building plans, performed inspections and certified everything by issuing the CO, and the builder who actually built and sold it. You will need documentation of all your correspondence and complaints, and may have to involve government consumer affairs agencies at various levels, and or even the help of a politician at some level.

Normally, redress will be obtained from the builder or his insurer, with the local government denying any wrongdoing on their part, but assisting you against the builder.

I am speaking as a former general building contractor, and professional building inspector (albeit many years ago).

Regards, Greg

have you recently had a long dry or wet spell

drying of the soil will cause cracks

wetting more in some parts and not others will cause soil to lift

my 5 cents

http://www.malsce.org/

http://www.icivilengineer.com/Local_Guide/local.php?id=boston

It appears that your house is build in some sort of wetland.

The soil seems to be saturated with water resulting in 2 possibilities.

1. the soil may be expanding and thereby pressing upwards.

2. The heavier parts of the structure may be sinking into the ground.

I would propose to attempt to stabilize the water table at a lower level.

This can be achieved by digging a deep trench fill it up with stone and cover it up with soil. provide for water to flow away.

The other possibility would be to dig a few sumps and use a dewatering pump with a float switch.

More info about the terrain would be helpful.

Rock formations, soil type, slope, history of site, other problems in the area. Source of water supply (a burst pipe in the neighbourhood might be responsible)

Answering your specific question, it's probably a very good idea to get independent engineering advise from farther away--in case the local guy is in be with local builders. Other than soil, because of the location, wind is another aspect that should be looked into. Sometimes houses are value engineered and as a result don't really wind up withstanding applicable design loads for prevailing winds. Just a thought.

Get a second opinion, quick!

I recall answering your query re the garage floor, you should send some of that water over to Sydney, we could sure use it.We are having cracking of walls on slab-on-ground brick veneer construction because our 100 yr drought is drying the ground out severely.

Have a look at the cracks running vertically, are they wider at the top - usually means the slab is rising vertically in a convex mode, wider at the bottom usually means the slab is sinking in a concave mode, can give you a rough idea as to what's happening overall. Both times in this thread you have leaking water, sounds like your house is on a slope which is a sub ground watershed, dig a few test holes on the up side of your house & see if they fill with water fairly quickly, you may have to stop the water uphill from your house & divert it down both sides, hire a petrol {gasoline for U guys } post hole digger, much quicker & easier on the back to dig the test holes . Fairly low cost to see if this is a problem.

[I'm currently building a 3.6m X 7.2 m "studio" in our back yard I had the option of slab on ground or piers, I chose to use the conventional brick piers 230x 230 on double courses of 350x 350, bearers, joists, platform construction, our area is bad for termites, to termite proof a slab cost a mint to comply with local ordinances & ABC.]

Brien.

Do neighboring houses have a similar problem? Has this builder built other houses nearby? Does the builder have any written correspondence from his foundation contractor that there were any extraordinary conditions within this building site? Excessive water for example.

Is your house moving laterally if you are on the side of a hill? Are there any signs of a gap or depression between the earth and your foundation walls on one side vs the other.

I'm sure you have asked the builder about this. What does he say?

The other posters are generally on the right track. It could be any of a number if things: settlement, ground water hydrostatic pressures, frost action, etc. In some parts of the country, soil heaving due to moisture causes problems, but in the Massachusetts area this is not a likely issue. Often water table and drainage issues are the chief cause of basement cracking problems, and these usually can be remedied by installing subsurface drainage . It will require a site visit by a geotechnical professional to investigate and design appropriate remedial action. By looking at the crack patterns, one can get an idea whether it is structural, settlement, drainage, etc. Subsurface knowledge, soil type, water table, and also general foundation loads imposed by the structure are required, too. Also existing surface grading information is necessary, too as this can help determine if surface runoff is a problem, also surface grades affect the design of drainage systems (you need a place to "daylight" the drainage to.). This will require test pits or borings, supplemented if possible with local knowledge from contractors, well drillers, etc. Generally, residential structures with properly designed basements impose very little net additonal loads on the foundation bearing layer , once one accounts for the weight of the soil removed to make the basement. But unusually heavy loads, such as masonry chimneys, and or very weak soils can cause stability problems. Where soils are weak, there are various methods of soil stabilization by injection grouting and other methods that are effective. Once the cause (s) of the cracks has (have) been found and corrected, etc, then the cracks themselves can be repaired with epoxy or urethane injection. Too bad you aren't closer, I am a geotechnical engineer and at the geotechnical engineering/subsurface investigation company where I used to work for we did this sort of investigation and remediation design all the time.

This is an interesting presentation. I need a little bit more information.

From your description it sounds like the cracked foundation walls are in an unfinished basement. Is this true? Are the walls constructed of cast in place concrete (this best fits your description), reinforced HCMU, or panelized precast concrete?

Is there any lateral displacement of the wall? If there is lateral displacement does it appear "bowed" near mid-height, pushed inward at the top, or sheared off at the floor slab?

If water enters the basement through the cracks in the wall does the water enter near the floor, near the top of the wall, or near the middle?

What is the unbalanced fill height? (that's the difference in elevation between the floor inside and the top of the soil outside)

Is the site steeply sloped, moderately sloped, gently sloped, or generally level? Do the finished grades route surface water runoff away from the structure? Do the cracks appear on all sides of the foundation in equal proportions or is one side worse than another? If the presentation is worse on one side does this correlate with the greater unbalanced fill height, or finished grades that slope toward the house?

You described the cracks as getting bigger. Are they getting longer, or wider, or both? You described them as "spider" like. Is there a predominant orientation - more horizontal than vertical (when looking for a predominant orientation neglect those cracks that are within 4-5 feet of a corner or intersecting foundation wall).

I suspect that the cracks that exhibit a predominantly horizontal orientation would most likely be found in the middle third of the height of the wall and that the these are the cracks the ones that appear to be growing wider (in comparison to the others). Is this true?

Is the garage slab at the same elevation as the basement floor, or at a higher elevation?

If you can provide these answers, or maybe even a digital photo I might be able to help you diagnose the proximate cause. Then we'll talk about what you might consider for a remedy.

To start, the installation of a sump pump would help

Maybe a sump pump could relieve some of the hydrostatic pressure if the soils have a good permeability rate and the water can flow readily into the sump. If leaking is significant then it would suggest limited permeability and the absence of a functioning foundation drain system - in which case a sump would have limited effectiveness, relieving an area within a short radius of the sump location.

The original posting did not give much information regarding inleakage, so it is not really possible to know how much significance the water really plays in the overall scope of this particular situation.

It is possible that "techno" has a situation that could result in catastrophic failure, or he could just be overreacting. I look forward to his response to my questions.

Assuming you have a poured-in-place foundation, I'm thinking that the cracking may stem from your builder trying to scrimp on the installation of reinforcing steel in the concrete. With rebar in the concrete, cracking will tend to stay minor because it will be held by the rebar. You should also get some clear definitinition of what "minor" cracking is--to one person, a minor crack might be 1/4" separation at the widest point. To another, this 1/4" might be a canyon.

For a first go-around, I would get the local building inspection authority involved and if they are concerned, then drag the builder into it.

Pay real money after that because if the builder won't help you, you will need to either get it fixed yourself or start getting documentation from independent structural engineers in preparation for a court battle. You might check with your home insurer to see if they cover this kind of problem.

Jon.

I've been following this thread from the start and I can say, as a practicing geotechnical engineer, the advice has been very good and comprehensive. What really pleases me though, is the number of professionals out there who are willing to help..

Landslide, when you have isolated the problem, let us know what it is. I think that the problem may be complex that is, both building materials and site related. Thanks in advance

Somebody mentioned catastrophic failure. Sinkhole comes to mind. maybe landslide should look for temp housing elsewhere. I wish he would respond to all these posts with answers to the questions. I think there are a lot of concerned people out here.

This is a problem that can't be diagnosed over the web. You need someone with the proper experience, maybe an engineer to assess your situation and help you decide if you need to proceed with more investigation. If you have a homeowner's warranty, you may be able to get some help (but I wouldn't count on it.) If it turns out to be a serious problem, you will probably need an attorney.

As you see from the responses, this could be normal for the construction practices in your area or it could be a major structural problem. You have an opinion from one engineer but choose not to stop with that. You may have learned that engineers are expensive, and picking the wrong one makes it more expensive to do it again.

From your description, you find that it's not easy to make repairs to cracks in the foundation. The most effective repairs a homeowner can make usually are simple, using a polysulfide crack sealer available at most Home Depots, Lowe's or similar stores. If there's water involved, you need a professional.

You may have something as simple as broken plumbing or a sump that isn't working well. You'll need a plumber to diagnose this problem. It could be rain, domestic water or sewage, all may show up the same way. All the engineers in the world won't fix a plumbing problem.

In some areas, you can expect ground water seeping through the foundation below grade. The builder could have installed features that would prevent or minimize this during construction, but it's expensive after the fact. If you're seeing water coming through the foundation above grade (floor or walls) then you need a professional. This really can't be diagnosed over the web.

If your foundation is placed in a cut (excavated area below the original grade) your symptom of water seeping through the cracks is common. Proper grading around the house, proper fill material, good compaction, drainage structures, moisture barriers are required to prevent problems like this. Builders normally don't provide much in the way of preventing this problem since it costs extra. Codes set the minimum standard and inspectors make builders meet code, so a lot of problems are common. Most homes are built on fill to avoid some these issues.

Good luck.

Landslide do not trust the local experts because they seem to maintain that it is normal.

To enable help over the web please remove our blindfolds and advise us of the detail. Or at least classify the problem.

If it is not serious you should consider turning it into a water feature.

Moderate problems could be managed but expert advice is advisable.

From your name it is presumed that the house is situated on a slope and that the house and retaining walls may be impeding the normal sub surface flow of the water. The solution would then be to divert the water around the structures and to allow for drainage at the bottom retaining wall.

If the situation is or becomes critical expert advice must be obtained.

I've gone back and looked at the original thread regarding the concrete slab. Based on your original description it sounds that the vertical displacement might have been caused by hydrostatic pressure resulting in heave.

If interstitial water flow is occurring then it might not matter how much compactive effort had been employed with a granular subgrade. Granular materials allow water to pass pretty freely.

As the flow of water is established all sorts of movement can occur as internal erosion begins and causes voids to develop.

I would like to know how much flow has been observed, and I would like some of my earlier questions answered too.

In general, stay away sealants, coatings, or toppings. If hydrostatic pressure is great enough to cause heave, then sealing it up may cause it to heave up even more, destroying all the efforts and wasting all the money.

Hello. Where does your water main run into the property? Just a thought. Can you hear runing water at night. The other thing is try poking a small hole in the garage floor so you can see how thick the concrete is and how hard it is. It will show up if the builder cut any corners with the mix, too much sand, or two much cement. Either fault will cause problems; also if the weather was too cold frosty when the slab and construction took place it will degrade very fast. Ice crystals form and prevent the correct chemical bonding. Provided there are no deep penatrating cracks that start to run; it may be that a surface bonding treatment will help. You just have to find the source of the water first. Have you had a lot of rain in the last few weeks? Is the house built on clay? This can swell up and cause the same conditions. Get hold of your local building inspector and find out what the soil profile is. Check your buildings insurance out just incase you need to make a claim.

landslide

it seems you should do some tests to reasch the faulty reason.

fisrt you can delegate a professional institution to appraise the Concrete Strength;

if Concrete Strength confirms the specification, you must test the infrastructure of the house. if the fundation is built on the wet soil, chemical injection treatment will be use in China.

I am a civil engineer from China,I want to learn the project practices and procedures on the site in U.S.

I have search the WEB in China ,there is no pertinet information. Is there anyone who can recommend me the WEB which contains construction project courses?Audio-visual course will be best.

Thanks

Jackey

I don't think cracks with pieces of material splintering of and water oozing out within 3 years can be normal. a thorough investigation is required.

Landslide please say something even if it just good by!

Amen

I was pretty vague about what is happening. So let me start by saying, that the house was built on flat land and higher ground than the garage. There is no water in the basement floor and is completely dry. Some of the vertical cracks leak when it rains. We have gutters and downspouts with a dry well for runoff the land around the house and is supposed to be graded away from the house. There is some question if the contractor had a engineer for the foundation work?? It is a long foundation with six vertical cracks in the walls from the top to the bottom. Cracks around and under some windows. All four corners have a crack. There are cracks in the bulkhead walls and leak when there is a lot of rain. The cracks that leak are cracked through to the outside. We are wondering if there is a problem with the cement and how to find out about it???? Any help would be appreciated. Thank all of you.

Each Participant would-I am sure-love to offer the best possible suggestion----after they have seen the photos of the Cracks .

<It is a long foundation with six vertical cracks in the walls from the top to the bottom. Cracks around and under some windows. All four corners have a crack. There are cracks in the bulkhead walls and leak when there is a lot of rain. The cracks that leak are cracked through to... >

Please take a bit of trouble sending us a dozen close-up photos + easy titles.

Thanks

The house was probably built when it was hot without making provision for some expansion / contraction joints. The cracks seems to provide for the omission.

The weakest point is usually around widows and doors.

Roof beams may also cause cracks.

My suggestion would be to fill the cracks with a soft compound like silicon to allow it to breathe.

The surface of the crack can be covered with fine mesch and covered with a soft plaster.

If the walls seem to tend fall away to the outside you may have to strap it together.

2 - 12mm rods can be placed outside and inside of the wall above ceiling height on the short sides and bolt it together.

Watch the foundation and horizontal cracks

My previous reply is based on local believe that it is not serious.

The material / workmanship / design may not be up to standard. Watch it carefully.

My house was built on dolomite 35 years ago. with proper planing and management the only real crack in the house is above the corner of the teenager-slam-door.

this happens due to settlement of soil and if water body is high it adds fuel to fire

firstly you need to diver water source by creating path for water to flow away from your building this can be achived by making 4-6 feet deep drains all along with waterproofing done on the side facing your building and also from floor of drain this is becuase the collected water should not go back to soil and get rechaged once you diver the water the pressure on structure comes down regardig cracks you need to bandage the concrete using epoxy and 5 mill thick fibreglass cloth after filling the crack with epoxy mastic bandgae will not only try to hold the crack close but will also reinforce the foundation.