Cause # 1.

Formation of Cracks:
All the building materials, in general, have their
structures in the form of intermolecular spaces. The
member undergoes expansion due to attraction of
moisture by the pores and shrinks on drying. These
movements are reversible, i.e., cyclic in nature.

Certain materials undergo some irreversible

movement due to initial moisture changes after their
manufacture or construction.

Clay bricks (or other clay products) are burnt in kilns

at high temperature (900C 1,000C). Due to high
temperature, not only intermolecular water, but also
water that forms a part of molecular structure of clay
is driven out.

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On cooling, temperature of the finished bricks falls
down, the moisture- hungry bricks start absorbing
moisture from the environment and undergo gradual
expansion, but bulk of this expansion is irreversible.

The crack is due to the short return wall.

Walls A and C due to expansion cause rotation of wall

B and vertical crack at X is developed. Such cracks
can be avoided, if the return wall B is not less than
600 mm in length (three bricks length). In that case,
movement in long walls would be accommodated in
the joints between units of the return walls.

Initial Shrinkage:
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Materials like concrete, brickwork, etc. shrink initially.

This shrinkage is partly irreversible. Shrinkage cracks
in wall masonry can be minimised by using less rich
cement mortar in masonry and by delaying application
of plaster on the brickwork surface, when the masonry
has undergone most of its initial shrinkage and has
dried after proper curing.

To minimise shrinkage cracks in rendering/plastering,

mortar for the plaster should not be richer than what is
necessary for providing resistance to abrasion and
durability. Composite cement lime mortar of 1: 1: 6 or
weaker, for plaster work is less liable to shrinkage
cracks as compared to plain cement sand mortar.
Cause # 2. Thermal Changes:
All building materials more or less expand on heating
and contract on cooling. Magnitude of movement
depends on their molecular structure and other
properties.

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In India, diurnal and seasonal changes are generally

of the order of 5C to 20C and 0C to 25C,
respectively. Daily changes are rapid and have
greater damaging effect than seasonal changes,
which are gradual. In seasonal changes, stress gets
relieved to a considerable extent on account of creep.

Coefficient of thermal expansion of brickwork in a

building in the vertical direction is 50% greater
than that in horizontal direction due to reasons:
i. There is no restraint to movement in vertical
direction,

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ii. There is no scope for any inter-adjustment of

movement between brick and mortar, and

iii. In horizontal direction, effect of thickness of mortar

which has higher thermal coefficient than brick is
greater.

Expansion of brickwork in vertical direction is

reversible, but in the horizontal direction it is
reversible, only if the structure does not crack. Cracks
generally get filled up with dust and formation of grit in
the crack, etc. and do not close with drop of
temperature. For a brick masonry wall of 10 m length,
variation of length between summer and winter could
be of the order of 2 mm.

Cracks due to thermal movement could be

distinguished from those due to shrinkage or other
causes. The former open and close alternately, while,
in other cases, the cracks are not affected due to
variation of temperature. Concrete has high drying
shrinkage when done in summer, during high ambient
temperature.

Contraction due to drop of temperature in winter and

drying shrinkage act in unison and there is a
possibility of greater cracking.
Cause # 3. Elastic Deformation:
Structural components of a building e.g., walls,
columns, beams, slabs generally built of materials like
masonry, concrete, steel, etc. undergo elastic
deformation due to load, in accordance with Hooks
law. The amount of deformation depends upon elastic
modulus of the material, magnitude of loading and
dimension of the components.

This deformation, under circumstances, causes

cracking of the component:
i. When walls are unevenly loaded, wide variation in
stress in different parts cause excessive shear strain
in the walls;

ii. When a beam or slab of large span undergoes

excessive deflection and there is not much load
above the support to offer restraint, ends of beam,
slab curl up causing cracks in supporting masonry;
and
iii. When two materials, having widely different elastic
properties, are built side by side, under the effect of
load, shear stress is set up at the interface of the two
materials, resulting in formation of crack at the
junction.

These cracks are due to differential strain in the

internal and external load bearing walls to which the
cross walls are bonded.
Cause # 4. Movement Due To Creep:
Creep of a material is defined as the property due to
which the material continues to deform with time
under sustained stress.

Mechanism of creep is not yet clearly understood. At

low stress, it is thought to be due to seepage and
viscous flow and at high stress it may be due to inter-
crystalline slip and micro cracking.
Creep increases with increase in water and cement,
water-cement ratio, and temperature. It decreases
with increase in humidity of the surrounding
atmosphere and age of material at the time of loading.
Cause # 5. Chemical Reactions:
Certain chemical reactions in building materials result
in appreciable increase in volume, developing internal
stresses which result in outward thrust and formation
of cracks. The materials involved in reaction also
become weaker in strength.

Sulphate attack on cement products, carbonation in

cement based materials, corrosion of reinforcement in
concrete and brickwork, and alkali aggregate reaction
are the common chemical actions on building
materials.

Electrolysis:
Passage of direct electric current through concrete or
reinforcement can cause rapid and serious corrosion.
This may happen if there is electrical leakage of direct
current and the electrical system is not effectively
earthed.
Cause # 6. Foundation Movement and
Settlement of Soil:
Shear cracks occur due to large differential settlement
in foundation.

Building constructed on expansive soils which are

susceptible to swelling on absorbing moisture and
shrink on drying due to change in moisture content of
the soil. These are extremely susceptible to cracking.
Special measures are needed to prevent the cracks.

Cracks occur due to foundation movement of a corner

on an end of building they are usually diagonal in
shape. These cracks are wide at top and decrease in
width downward. These cracks can be easily
distinguished from those due to thermal or moisture
movement.

Settlement of building built on made-up soil may

occur when water due to heavy rains or floods gets
into the foundation and causes settlement in the soil
under load of the structure. Such settlements are
generally not uniform in different parts and cause
cracking.
Cause # 7. Cracking Due To Vegetation:
Existence of vegetation may be the cause of cracks in
walls due to expansive action of roots growing under
the foundation or in brick masonry.

Plants take root and begin to grow fissures of walls.

When soil under the foundation of a building happens

to be shrinkable clay, cracking in walls and floors of
the building may occur either due to dehydrating
action of growing roots on the soil which may shrink
and cause foundation settlement or due to upward
thrust on portion of the building.
When old trees are cut off, the soil that has been
dehydrated earlier by roots, swell up getting moisture
from some source such as rain and may cause crack
in the foundation. The cracks are wider at top and
narrower downward. The cracks pass through D.P.C.
and extend up to foundation.