Cracked brick wall, suspect foundation moving, any structural engineer to recommend in Sydney ?

This method does work for re-levelling houses, but having the right specialist contractor doing the process is important. We dealt with re-levelling a lot of earthquake damaged houses in Christchurch using this methodology, and they generally get buildings back within 2mm tolerance of level. Unless the cracking was caused by something other than ground settlement, most times the cracks/gaps close up.

If the settlement is widespread through the property, it is likely that holes would have to be drilled through the slab to address it.

Depending on the severity of the movement and/or cracking noticeable in walls/cladding, there's a reasonable possibility of cracking in the slab as well which would need to be addressed - epoxy (grout if very serious) and waterproofing.

 

so is it not applicable to properties on traditional , older style foundations etc

Cliff

 

I would've expected more from you @datto

 

@Kangaroo - b&p would have revealed a lack of articulation joints (allows the brickwork to move without additional cracking).

Get an engineer to prepare a scope of works and a bricky can have a crack at it.

 

I had a brick veneer house in Sydney that had a crack as described in one corner.

As best as I could work out, it happened during a period of drought, the clay underneath the house dried out. When the rains came the cracks closed right up again ... Still visible, but really tight.

I have no idea what sort of rain you've had as I don't live in Sydney anymore ...

 

The usual type, wet rain.

 

For properties purely on stumps, the Uretek or re-levelling resin/grout method is irrelevant (you'd be looking at re-stumping or jack and pack in those cases). It can be used locally on buildings on stumps which have the brick veneer sitting on a perimeter strip footing.

I haven't seen it used on the older properties pre-1900 where the standard of footings is often questionable or non-existant.

 

Ours is full brick so all the brick walls go down to a concrete strip foundations with Brick piers under the wooden floors in between .

Cliff

 

We specialise in this type of cracked brickwork repair

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That is a very common occurrence in the inner west of Sydney, Croydon Park etc. I have dug new foundations for garden walls and just below the surface hit pure clay.

 

It is what is colloquially called brick growth. Insufficient construction joints during installation. They look horrible but don't get any worse once done. Not structurally an issue.

Very common in 80s ethnic retro mansions in Sydney's west.

 

Hi, we offer a great solution for cracks in Masonry please visit helicalsystems.com.au and see what we,re about..

 

You show me your crack and I'll show you mine

Seriously, We had major cracks through double brick walls, verticle, scary stuff, practically put your fist through it.

Limestone footings rolled out due to water flowing into footings for about 25 years this was a federation home.

We had structural engineer, architect, builder view the property all with different solutions, at the end the builder provided the most practical and cost effective solution.

Try not to overthink it, I would go registered builder, they should know the cause and have the solution

 

I'd go the engineer first up then the builder to sanity check for buildability.

 

I think OP must have stopped panicking by now, or it has been fixed.

 

Hi all, not sure if it's ok that I continue on this topic. I'm interested in a level 1 unit in a 2 storey apt complex. However, there are vertical cracks found on the brick walls both at ground level and level 1 inside the building kinda between the 2 units. The cracks are bigger on top and seems finer at bottom. Attached are the photos of the ground floor crack. The crack at level 1 is vertical close to the ceiling but getting finer and travelling to the right when going down to the floor and kinda disappear. Would anyone have experience withthis type of crack? Ta

20170715_113707 by Alexmark posted 16th Jul, 2017 at 5:26 AM

20170715_113659 by Alexmark posted 16th Jul, 2017 at 5:25 AM

 

No permissions to view your files. Can you try the "Upload a File" option instead?

 

Sorry here they are

 

@Helicrete or @john cannon products could be used under engineer's direction however the cause should be investigated in the first instance before progressing to a repair.

 

I had a unit on the market & was in a real dry patch of weather, a few days before first open the whole building moved and multiple cracks much longer and bigger than that opened up, not much you can do but patch and re paint if on a rendered wall, on the wall you show, I would not even worry about it at all, it is such a small amount of movement.