There are so many conditions that could cause cracks to develop in buildings. The cracks could be structural in nature, caused solely due to a flawed design. This is dangerous as it results in the overloading of the soil the building is standing on or other structural components. These generally appear on beams, columns, foundation walls, and so on. The crack could also be non-structural in nature.
It is caused due to internal circumstances such as moisture, variation in temperature, different gases, and so on. They usually appear on floors, walls, roofs, and so on. It is recommended that as soon as the crack is noticed, it must be investigated or fixed, or else, things might get ugly. The investigation processes include checking the soil condition, the age, and the pattern of the crack, looking back into the construction techniques, climatic conditions, and so on.
Now, depending on the surface the crack has appeared on, they could be considered normal up to a certain width. Under mild atmosphere, cracks up to 0.3 mm and under severe atmosphere, cracks up to 0.1 mm can be considered normal. However, if the surface serves as a water tank, is a part of a chemically hazardous area or a water treatment plant, and so on, no crack should be taken lightly.
They must be filled soon, rather, prevention should be prioritized. One of the main reasons that are responsible for cracks is bad construction practice or flawed workmanship. If the resources, materials used, design, and so on are flawed, it could cause cracks to develop in the long run. When it comes to concrete structures specifically, cracks are caused when the steel used in the foundation is not flexible or ductile enough, or when it doesn’t have the required tensile strength.
In the same way, even when the reinforcement bars are used in a restricted quantity, cracks could appear easily. These could be structural or non-structural. The most important way you can prevent these cracks is by carefully looking into the design of the building. Make sure that the right kind of steel is used, which in most cases is mild steel and inadequate quantity.
Also, there should be proper anchorage established for reinforcement bars, else, the chances of overload are really high. Proper inspection from time to time is yet another thing that can be done to identify cracks before they become a big deal and look into fixing them. Before initiating the project, it is also a good idea to look into the climatic conditions. For the highest quality mild steel, or for your other steel-based needs, make sure to contact the best steel company in Nepal, Hama Steel.
