This small project was completed on behalf of a major insurance Company. The homeowner became concerned when cracking was noticed in the property and contacted his house insurance.
Cracking in walls is the most common sign of foundation movement and may form within or between components. However, most superstructure cracking does not relate to subsidence. Subsidence cracking tend to be concentrated where the maximum structural distortion and structural weak points coincide.
Despite the width of any crack, a key aspect of any crack investigation is to determine if movement is ongoing or not. Although a lot of information can be gained from a simple present condition survey, in some instances it may not be clear if the movement is historic (has finished) or progressive (has not finished). This is where crack monitoring comes in.
An engineers report outlined that the cracking was mostly superficial and typical of a property of its age. However, crack monitoring and other measures was specified to confirm if movement was on going and could be linked to foundation movement.
Part of the brief was to install five nr crack monitors in locations prescribed by the Consulting Engineering. Substruck Ltd. is listed as a local expert by the originators and global suppliers of gauges for the monitoring of crack in buildings and civil engineering structures, Avongard. We regularly complete subsidence investigation for all types of clients all over Ireland on a regular basis.
We installed the monitors and completed readings over a specified time and on completion; a factual report was provided to the Consulting Engineer.