“TECHNIQUES TO REPAIR CRACK”

A Thesis Submitted to
Rai University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the
Bachelor in Civil Engineering

Prepared By
Harsh Patel – U4200003056

Rudresh Pandya – U42000003055

Jay Vyas – U42000002521

Memon Mo. Ashfak– U42000003031

Utsav Patel – U42000002709

Guided by
Miss. Vaishali Mahavar
Assistant Professor,

Civil Engineering Department

DEC-2022

RAI UNIVERSITY
Saroda, Dholka Taluka,
Ahmedabad- 382260, Gujarat, India.
 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that research/project work embodied in this dissertation titled

“Techniques To Repair Crack” was carried out by Harsh Patel
[U42000003056] at Rai School of Engineering, Rai University for partial
fulfillment of Bachelor in Civil Engineering in Civil Engineering Department
to be awarded by Rai University. This project work has been carried out under
my guidance and supervision and it is up to my satisfaction.

Date:

Place:

I/C Head Of
Supervisor:
Department:

Miss. Vaishali Mahavar

Assistant Professor Dr. Sailyesh Iyer

Civil Engineering Principal

Department Rai School of
Rai School of Engineering
Engineering Rai University
Rai University

1
 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that research/project work embodied in this dissertation titled

“Techniques To Repair Crack” was carried out by Rudresh Pandya
[U42000003055] at Rai School of Engineering, Rai University for partial
fulfillment of Bachelor in Civil Engineering in Civil Engineering Department
to be awarded by Rai University. This project work has been carried out under
my guidance and supervision and it is up to my satisfaction.

Date:

Place:

I/C Head Of
Supervisor:
Department:

Miss. Vaishali
Mahavar
Dr. Sailyesh Iyer
Assistant Professor
Principal
Civil Engineering
Department Rai School of
Engineering
Rai School of
Engineering Rai University

Rai University

2
 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that research/project work embodied in this dissertation titled

“Techniques To Repair Crack” was carried out by Jay Vyas
[U42000002521] at Rai School of Engineering, Rai University for partial
fulfillment o a Bachelor in Civil Engineering in Civil Engineering Department
to be awarded by Rai University. This project work has been carried out under
my guidance and supervision and it is up to my satisfaction.

Date:

Place:

Supervisor:
I/C Head of
Miss. Vaishali Department:
Mahavar

Assistant Professor
Dr. Sailyesh Iyer
Civil Engineering
Principal
Department
Rai School of
Rai School of
Engineering
Engineering
Rai University
Rai University

3
 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that research/project work embodied in this dissertation titled

“Techniques To Repair Crack” was carried out by Memon Mo. Ashfak
[U42000003031] at Rai School of Engineering, Rai University for partial
fulfillment of Bachelor in Civil Engineering in Civil Engineering Department
to be awarded by Rai University. This project work has been carried out under
my guidance and supervision and it is up to my satisfaction.

Date:

Place:

Supervisor:
I/C Head Of
Miss. Vaishali Department:
Mahavar

Assistant Professor
Dr. Sailyesh Iyer
Civil Engineering
Principal
Department
Rai School of
Rai School of
Engineering
Engineering
Rai University
Rai University

4
 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that research/project work embodied in this dissertation titled

“TECHNIQUES TO REPAIR CRACK” was carried out by UTSAV
PATEL [U42000002709] at Rai School of Engineering, Rai University for
partial fulfillment of Bachelor in Civil Engineering in Civil Engineering
Department to be awarded by Rai University. This project work has been
carried out under my guidance and supervision and it is up to my satisfaction.

Date:

Place:

I/C Head Of
Supervisor:
Department:

Miss. Vaishali
Mahavar
Dr. Sailyesh Iyer
Assistant Professor
Principal
Civil Engineering
Department Rai School of
Engineering
Rai School of
Engineering Rai University

Rai University

5
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I express a deep sense of gratitude to my Guide Miss. Vaishali Mahavar, Assistant
Professor, Civil Engineering Department, RSE, Rai University, Ahmedabad and for their
constructive support, constant encouragement; guidance, and challenging my efforts in the
right direction without which this Project - I would not have attained the present form.
I would like to thank Dr. Sailesh Iyer, Principal of Rai University, Ahmedabad for
their precious input and help throughout this research work.
Finally, I would like to thank my Faculty members Mr. Dhruv Trivedi and Mr.
Naman Bhavsar, and my friends for their moral support and for providing the necessary
healthy environment to work hard throughout the support and encouragement they always
give to move forward in life.

Student Name
Harsh Patel -U42000003056
Rudresh Pandya -U42000003055
Jay Vyas -U42000002521
Memon Mo. Ashfak -U42000003031
Utsav Patel -U42000002709

6
 ABSTRACT
Building cracks are the most common problem found in any type of building.
We all love to have a house that is structurally safe and beautiful but it is not
so easy, one has to overcome natural calamity, soil failure, construction faults,
improper design, and inadequate joints causing to develop cracks in the
building. Though the cracks in concrete cannot be prevented entirely they can
be controlled by using adequate material and technique of construction and
specific design criteria. On timely identification of such Cracks and the
adoption of preventive measures are essential. Active cracks cause a serious
problem and they need special attention as they are structurally hazardous. So,
it is important to understand the types of cracks, crack patterns, and their
causes and the preventive measures to be taken to control the cracks.

Table of Contents
SUBJECT PAGE NO.

CERTIFICATE 1

ACKNOWLEDGMENT 6

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 10

1.1 PRINCIPLE TO INVESTIGATE CRACKS 11

1.2 UNDERSTANDING THE CRACKS 12

1.3 CASE STUDIES 14

CHAPTER 2: CAUSES AND PREVENTION MEASURES 16

CHAPTER 3: MONITORING AND MEASURING MOVEMENT 18

OF CRACKS

3.1 CRACK PLOTTING 19

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CHAPTER 4: “TECHNIQUES TO REPAIR CRACKS” 20

REFERENCES 22

LIST OF TABLES

SUBJECT PAGE NO.

Table 1.1 Structural Cracks Form On Beams, Columns 13

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 LIST OF FIGURES

FIGURE NO PAGE NO.

1. CRACKS IN BEAMS 13

2. IMAGE OF CRACKS 14

3. DIFFERENT TYPES OF CRACKS IN WALL 14

4. CRACKS DUE TO WEAK FOUNDATION 15

5. CRACKS ON BEAMS AND COLUMNS 15

6. CRACKING DUE TO TREE GROWING NEAR HOUSE 17

7. CARBONATION AND CHLORIDE - CAUSING CRACKS 18

8. GLASS TELL-TALE OBSERVING AND MEASURING THE 18

MOVEMENT OF CRACKS

9. CRACK MONITORS: PRECISION CALIPER AND TELL 19

TALE

10. PLOT THE CRACKS ON THE DRAWINGS AND NOTE THE 20

CRACK WIDTHS IN MM.

11. PROCEDURE FOR APPLYING EPOXY 20

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12. PROCEDURE FOR ROUTING AND SEALING 21

Chapter 1: Introduction

Cracks in the building is a universal problem faced throughout the world.

Building components develops cracks whenever stress in the components

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exceeds its strength. Stress in the building components could be caused by
externally applied forces such as dead, live, wind, seismic loads or foundation
settlement or could it be induced by internally due to temperature variations,
moisture changes and chemical actionsCracks affects the building's artistic
look and it destroys the wall integrity, affects the safety of structure and even
reduces the durability of structure",

1.1 PRINCIPLES TO INVESTIGATION OF CRACKS

STEP 1: Discussion With Client/Owner Of The Building One of the simplest and most
important things is to discuss with client or owner about the cracks on the building and
gathering

information from them. Ask them:

i. When was the building constructed? Date and year of construction?

ii. Ask for building drawings? And the details of constructions if available.

iii. Ask them when the cracks first appeared? Or how long was the cracks seen ?

iv. Check whether the client makes complaints about pieces of concrete falling,
excessive deflections,large cracks, staining, water leakage ?

v. Ask them whether any repair work was carried out if yes, what was the result?

STEP 2: Visit The Site

i. When you visit the site, always carry proposed building drawings. Check
whether the building is constructed as per the plan.

ii. Check its present use of the structure or any change in the usage of building.

iii. Photograph the cracks and number them

iv. Mark the width of crack

v. Check for any tilting of walls or tilting of any structural members, deflections,
staining, water leakage, spalling, and corrosion.

vi. Collect the samples from the site.

STEP3: Understand The Cracks And Its Causes

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 i. Find the type of crack -Is it live or dead crack.

ii. Find the causes of cracks : Is it permeability of concrete, corrosion of

reinforcement, moisture variation, temperature variation, poor construction practices, poor
structural design and

specifications, elastic deformation, creep, chemical reaction, foundation

movement & settlement of soil ,growth of vegetation, additional alternation of structures.

STEP 4: Monitoring And Measuring The Movements Of Cracks i. Using tell-tale ii.
Crack width gauge iii. Precision calipers

STEP 5: Finding The Suitable techniques To Repair Crack

i. Epoxy injection

ii. Routing and sealing

iii. Stitching

iv. drilling and plugging

v. gravity filling

vi. drying packing

vii. polymer impregnation and underpinning

STEP 6: Formation Of Report

1.2 UNDERSTANDING THE CRACKS

Generally, cracks can be divided into two types: Structural cracks and Non-structural
cracks.

1. Structural Cracks: Structural cracks may rise due to various reasons such as
incorrect design, and overloading of the structural components. Structural cracks endanger
the stability of the building and maybe difficult be rectified.

Table 1.1 Structural Cracks Form On Beams, Columns

Beams Columns Slabs

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 Flexure Cracks Horizontal Crack Flexure Crack

Shear Cracks Diagonal Crack Corrosion Crack

Torsional Cracks Corrosion Crack Shrinkage Crack

Corrosion Crack

Combination of the
above cracks

Fig No.1 Cracks On Beam

2. Non-structural cracks(Hair cracks): Non-structural cracks are generally due to

internal forces developed in the building materials due to moisture variation, and
temperature changes and suitable remedial measures can be taken to control it.

Cracks may appreciably vary in width from very thin hair cracks barely visible to naked
eye to gaping crack. Depending upon the crack width, the cracks are classified as :

➢ Thin Crack -less than 1 mm in width.

➢ Medium Crack -1 to 2 mm in width.

➢ Wide Crack -more than 2 mm in width.

➢ Crazing -Occurrence of closely spaced fine cracks at the surface of a material is called
crazing.Crazing is the development of a network of fine random cracks on the surface of
concrete

or mortar caused by shrinkage of the surface layer.

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 Fig No. 2 Images Of Crack Width

1.3 CASE STUDIES

1. Cracks On Walls

Fig No.3 Different Types Of Cracks on walls

Step cracks, stairstep cracks or stepping cracks all refer to cracks that follow the mortar
joints in a block wall. The cracks step up or down along the mortar. In many cases, this
type of crack is caused by minor movement of the footing, shrinkage or wall movement,
and by itself is not a major cause for concern; however, wide cracks or step cracks
combined with other cracks and movement indicate a problem.

Foundation Movement and Settlement of Soil

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Shear cracks in buildings occur when there is large differential settlement of foundation
and it may be either due to the following reasons

1.Unequal bearing pressure under different parts of the structure

2.Bearing pressure on soil being in excess of safe bearing strength of the soil

3.Low factor of safety in the design of foundation Thin Crack Medium Crack Wide Crack

4.Local variation in the nature of supporting soil Preventative Measure: The design of
foundation should be based on sound engineering principles and good practice

Fig No. 4 Cracks Due To Weak Foundation

2. Cracks On Beams And Columns

Fig No. 5 Cracks On Beams And Columns

This type of failure occurs when a material strains under stress. When two materials (having
different elastic properties) built together under the effect of load then different shear
stresses in these materials create cracks at the junction. Dead and live loads are the main
cause of elastic deformation in any structural components of a building.

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 Preventive Measures: Create slip joints under the support of concrete slab on walls.
Provide horizontal movement joints between the top of brick panel and reinforced cement
concrete beam/slab.

Chapter 2 : Causes And Prevention Measures

1. Thermal Movement: Most materials expand when they are heated, and contract
when they are cooled. The expansion and contraction with temperature changes occur
regardless of the structure’s cross-sectional area. It is one of the most potent causes of
cracking in buildings which neeneedstention. Preventive Measures: Joints should be
constructed like construction joints, expansion joints, control joints, and slip joints. The
joints should be planned at the time of design and be constructed carefully.

2. Chemical Reaction: Chemical reactions may occur due to the materials used to
make the concrete or materials that come into contact with the concrete after it has
hardened. Concrete may crack with time as the result of slowly developing expansive
reactions between aggregate containing active silica and alkalis derived from cement
hydration, admixtures, or external sources Preventive Measures : sulfatete content in the
soil exceeds 0.2 percent or in groundwater exceed 300 ppm, use very dense concrete and
either increase richness of mix to 1:1/5:3 and to prevent cracking due to corrosion in
reinforcement it is desirable to specify concrete of richer mix for thin sections in exposed
locations.

3. Shrinkage: Most of the building materials expand when they absorb moisture from
atmosphere and shrink when they are dry. Shrinkage can be of plastic or dry. The factors
causing shrinkage in cement concrete and cement mortar and their preventions are as
following.

1) 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.

Preventive Measures: Use minimum quantity of water required for mixing cement
concrete or cements mortar according to water cement ratio. Cement concrete is never
allowed to work without mechanical mix and vibrator .

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4. Quantity of Cement:As a general rule, the richer the mix is, the greater the
shrinkage/drying will be.

Preventive Measures: Do not use excessive cement in the mortar mix.

5. Earthquake: Crack may occur due to sudden shift in 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 continuous movement.

Preventive Measures: 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.

6. Vegetation: Fast growing trees in the area around the walls can sometimes cause
cracks in walls due to expansive action of roots growing under the foundation.The cracks
occur in clay soil due to moisture contained by roots.

Fig No.6 Cracking Due To Tree Growing Near House

Preventive Measure: Do not grow trees too close to the building. Remove any saplings
of trees as soon as possible if they start growing in or near of walls .

7. Poor Construction practices: There is a general lack of good construction

practices either due to ignorance, carelessness, greed or negligence.For a healthy building
it is absolutely necessary for the construction agency and the owner to ensure good quality
materials selection and good construction practices.

Preventive Measure: Proper monitoring and use of good quality of materials is

required at the time of construction .

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8. Corrosion Cracks: Under normal conditions, the pH level of concrete is high. The
high pH ofconcrete allows an inactive layer of ferric oxide to form around the
reinforcement, preventing rust [4].There are two major causes of corrosion in the
reinforcing steel: chloride penetration and carbonation. Chloride penetration reduces the
pH level of the concrete when oxygen, chlorides, and moisture all penetrate the concrete[5].
Chlorides can be found in potable water, which should never be used to mix concrete.
Carbonation occurs when carbon dioxide and moisture infiltrate the concrete, reducing the
pH level of the concrete..Both causes of corrosion end similarly. The pH level is the
concrete’s last barrier against corrosion, so the reinforcement begins to rust. Rust expands
the steel to 10 times the volume, which can cause major problems in the structure

Fig No. 7 Carbonation And Chloride – Causing Cracks

Preventive measure: Use adquate covers as per IS 456-2000. Dont use salt water in
mixing concrete.

Chapter 3 : Monitoring And Measuring The Movment Of

Cracks

At any stage, crack width can be measured, sometimes it is necessary to find out whether
cracks live or dead , whether they increase with respect to time or not. Glass Tell-Tales: A
commonly used method of doing so is to fix tell-tales consisting of strips of glass about 2
to 3 cm in width an 10 to 12cm in length across a crack with some quick setting, mortar or
adhesive .

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 Fig No. 8 Glass Tell Tale Observing And Measuring The Movement Of
Cracks

If the crack widens, the tell-tale will crack. In case the crack closes instead of widening out,
the glass strip will either get disjointed at one end or will crack by buckling. When it is
thought necessary to observe the rate of widening of a crack and to measure the extent of
widening in relation to time, instead of one glass strip, two glass strips are used side by side
fixing them to the background only on one side at opposite ends. A line is drawn across the
two glass strips after fixing, and as and when any widening or narrowing of the crack takes
place, lines on the two strips move relatively to each other and distance between them at
any time could be which would indicate the extent of movement up to the time of making
the observation.

Fig No.9 Crack Monitors: Precision Caliper And Tell Tale

Cracks commonly occur in corners at the junction of walls. Use the type of gauge that is
hinged. Most corners are not built precisely to 90 degrees and this type will fit snugly into
a corner of any angle, even a bay window corner of 45 degrees. If the gauges are used in
pairs and“handed” movement in three dimensions can be monitored .

3.1 Cracks Plotting

The characteristics of each crack are plotted onto a drawing or sketch of the building. The
characteristics to be recorded are width,direction,taper,frequency and location. If it is
possible it will be useful to differentiate between cracks caused by tension, compression
and shear stress. A crack on the opposite side of the wall can be shown as a broken line.
Standing back from the building and plotting the cracks can help with identifying the
overall pattern of movement. The arrows indicate increase in widths of cracks.

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 Fig No.10 Plot The Cracks On the Drawings And Note The
Crack Widths In MM.

Chapter 4 : Techniques To Repair Crack

1. Epoxy Injection: Epoxy injection is an economical method of repairing non-moving

cracks in concrete walls, slabs, columns and piers a sit is capable of restoring the concrete
to its pre-cracked strength. The technique generally consists of establishing entry and
venting ports at close intervals along the cracks, sealing the crack on exposed surfaces, and
injecting the epoxy under pressure.

Fig No.11 Procedure For Applying Epoxy

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2. Gravity Filling :Low viscosity monomers and resins can be used to seal cracks with
surface widths of 0.001 to 0.08 in.by gravity filling. High molecular weight methacrylates,
urethanes, and some low viscosity epoxies have been used successfully.

3. Routing And Sealing: In this method,the crack is made wider at the surface with a
saw or grinder, and then the groove is filled with a flexible sealant. This is a common
technique for crack treatment and it is relatively simple in comparison to the procedures
and the training required for epoxy injection. Initially cleanthe surface, the surface should
be free from paint, dirt, oil, efflorescence or any bond inhibiting agents. then apply epoxy
. To prevent epoxy flowingout insert foam breaker or rod of suitable diameter and sealent
is applied to it.

Fig no.12 Procedure For Routing And Sealing

4. Stitching: This method is done to provide a permanent structural repairs solution for
masonry repairs and cracked wall reinforcement.Itis done by drilling holes on both sides of
the crack, cleaning the holes and anchoring the legs of the staples in the holes with a non-
shrink grout

5. Dry Packing: It is the hand placement of a low water content mortar followed by
tamping or ramming of the mortar into place and also helps in producing intimate contact
between the mortar and the existing concrete.

6. Polymer Impregnation: Monomer systems can be used for effective repair of some
cracks. A monomer system is a liquid consisting of monomers which will polymerize into
a solid.The most common monomer used for this purpose is methyl methacrylate.

21
7. Underpinning: This is the best solution whereby the footings of the building are
underpinned with either concrete, masonry or piles to carry the load of the building down
to a more stable stratum (eg rock or soils below the reactive zone).This solution is usually
the most costly, particularly if there are access difficulties or if internal walls require
underpinning, which may require lifting internal floors.

References

1. SP- 25:1984 - “ Handbook On Causes And Prevention Of Cracks In Buildings”.

2. Pooja Nama, Ankush Jain, Rajat Srivastavaand Yash Bhatia Int. Journal of Engineering
Research and Applications , Vol. 5, Issue 5, ( Part -2) May2015, pp.119-12.

3. Dr.S.Seethraman and Er.M.Chinnasamy a book on “repair and rehabilitation of

structures”

4. Grishma Thagunna “proceedings of the 3rdWorld Conference on Applied Sciences,”

Engineering and Technology 27- 29 September 2014, Kathmandu, Nepal, pp130-13.

5. Khan, Mohammad S., et al (2006). Control of Cracking in Concrete. Transportation

Research Circular, Transportation Research Board, Washington, D.C. P. 1-16

6. Pirro, R. (2012). "Concrete Evaluation and Repair Techniques." Professional lecture,

Sept. 2012.

7. Roger W. Johnson Ceng. Fistructe. Fice. Mrics “The Signifigance Of Cracks In Low-
Rise Buildings.”

8. Indian railways a book on , “ Cracks in building”.

9. Kazemreza Kashyzadeh, Neda Aghili Kesheh, “ Study Type Of Cracks In Construction

And Its Controlling” International Journal Of Emerging Technology And Advanced
Engineering,Volume 2,Issue 8, August 2012

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