How to Detect, Diagnose, & Evaluate Foundation Movement, Cracks, Damage InspectAPedia® -
How to Evaluate and Diagnose Foundation Movement by Type & Location of Cracks, Bends, Leans, or Shift in Foundation Components
How to distinguish foundation bulging from foundation leaning
Different causes of foundation leaning, bulging, cracking
How to recognize foundation impact damage
How to recognize foundation creep or footing movement
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This chapter of the "Foundation Crack Bible" discusses in detail the recognition of different types and causes of building foundation
movement and foundation damage. We distinguish among vertical movement, horizontal movement, leaning, tipping, bending, differential and
uniform settlement, earthquake and storm damage, and other foundation damage patterns.
Our "Foundation Crack Bible" document, of which this web page is a chapter, describes how to recognize and diagnose various types of foundation failure or damage, such as foundation cracks, masonry foundation crack patterns, and moving, leaning, bulging, or bowing building foundation walls.
See FOUNDATION CRACK EVALUATION for a discussion of the diagnosis of specific crack patterns in masonry foundations, and see FOUNDATION BULGE or LEAN MEASUREMENTS which explains a simple method for determining how much bulge or lean is present in a foundation or wall, then see FOUNDATION MOVEMENT ACTIVE vs. STATIC which helps determine if the foundation
movement is ongoing, and see FOUNDATION DAMAGE SEVERITY for a discussion of just how much foundation movement is likely to be a concern. At BUCKLED FOUNDATIONS due to INSULATION? we discuss the causes of foundation damage in areas of freezing, wet soils, and clay soils, as well as offering suggestions to avoid foundation collapse from these forces.
To be used properly, this information must be combined with specific on-site observations at the particular building in order to form a reliable opinion about the condition of that building's foundation. Anyone having concern regarding the structural stability, safety, or damage of a building, foundation or other components, should consult a qualified expert. Photographs of types of foundation cracks and other foundation damage: we have a large library of photographs which
we're in process of adding to this document. Pending completion of that work, contact the author if assistance is required.
Use links just below or at the left of each page or the links just below to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.
Detailed articles on types of foundation movement are listed just below. The sketch is courtesy Carson Dunlop.
Vertical movement in foundations, in the most general cases, is caused by downwards movement of the wall or wall footings such as when a wall
footing sinks in soft soil, or by an up and down movement of the wall or wall footings such as when a wall is disturbed by frost in a freezing
climate or by expansive clay soils which expand or shrink as their water content increases or decreases.
We discuss types of vertical foundation movement in detail at VERTICAL MOVEMENT IN FOUNDATIONS. Here are some classes of
vertical foundation or building wall movement which we illustrate and discuss in more detail below:
Differential foundation settlement: one portion of a building foundation or wall moves up or down separately from its neighbor. See Differential vs. Uniform Settlement Cracks. Differential settlement will damage the foundation or
wall by producing (usually vertical, possibly diagonal or stair stepped) cracks and other symptoms of wall movement. The large
foundation crack in this poured concrete wall was caused by differential settlement in a new foundation wall. All of this movement
occurred during the first 13 months after the home was built.
Uniform building settlement: an entire building moves up or down together, causing little or no foundation cracking or damage,
though there could be important damage to mechanical connections to the building and even dangerous gas line leaks.
Building tipping or leaning: an entire building tips or leans out of level. For a detailed discussion of the diagnosis of specific crack patterns caused by wall bulging and leaning in masonry foundations, and see
FOUNDATION BULGE or LEAN MEASUREMENTS
Vertical shrinkage cracks in foundation walls: If a vertical crack is fairly uniform in width we pose that it was produced either by a non-sloping vertical settlement of one section
of the footing or foundation wall, or the crack was produced by shrinkage (in some wall materials like concrete) not by
vertical movement at all. We discuss the types of crack or movement patterns produced
by shrinkage, expansion, and settlement further at
SHRINKAGE vs EXPANSION vs SETTLEMENT.
Earthquake or Storm Damage to Buildings: can cause complex building movement in multiple directions, as we illustrate at Foundation Movement due to Earthquake.
Horizontal Movement in Foundations & Masonry Building Walls
Horizontal movement in building foundations or walls is generally caused by an external lateral or "sideways" force applied to
some portion of the wall. Depending on the construction materials used and the strength of a foundation wall, a force applied to the
wall can cause it to move in any of several ways which we discuss in detail at HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT IN FOUNDATIONS.
Bulging foundation wall movement: the wall may bend or "bulge", tending to bulge away from the force (usually inwards into the building from earth, water, or frost
pressure), with the greatest amount of inwards movement at or near the point of greatest pressure or force being applied.
Leaning foundation wall movement: the wall may lean away from the force being applied (usually into the building from the same forces listed above).
Shifting or creeping foundation wall movement: a foundation wall, or portions of it, may remain close to vertical, without leaning or bulging, but forces
applied to the wall may cause the entire wall (or a portion of it) to move horizontally. We see horizontal shift or creep
occurring in several cases:
Complex foundation wall movement: most of the drawings we see at seminars on foundation damage or used by companies
offering foundation repair products are clear and helpful for understanding the concept of foundation damage and movement,
but often they do not describe what we actually find in the field.
Combinations of Foundation Wall Movement, Horizontal & Vertical Crack Patterns Occurring Together
We discuss the inspection and analysis of foundation damage which shows a combination of different movement directions, forces, or crack patterns in detail at COMBINATIONS OF FOUNDATION MOVEMENT including the following examples of combination foundation damage:
Step cracks combined with bulging walls
Combinations of foundation wall movement during foundation collapse
Combinations of foundation wall movement due to earthquake, flood, impact, or explosion
Step cracks combined with leaning foundation walls
How to distinguish between a "bulged" foundation wall and a "leaning" foundation wall, and why we care
Understanding the location and pattern of
foundation wall cracking or movement may help us diagnose its cause and thus may help us understand what actions
are needed to stop further foundation movement. We discuss how and why we make this distinction between bulging and leaning foundations in detail at BULGED vs. LEANING FOUNDATIONS.
Even a concrete wall which is bulged is likely to be cracked horizontally, though perhaps not in
such a straight line.
But a bulged reinforced concrete wall would be very rare unless perhaps the concrete wall bulged, or its
forms bulged, during the time that the concrete was being poured and was still wet. It's more likely that a reinforced concrete
wall will be caused to lean or to shift horizontally while a masonry unit wall or stone wall is likely to be bulged and
cracked by the same external forces.
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Additional technical contributors & reference sources for this article are listed below.
Use links just below or at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.
"Concrete Slab Finishes and the Use of the F-number System", Matthew Stuart, P.E., S.E., F.ASCE, online course at www.pdhonline.org/courses/s130/s130.htm
Sal Alfano - Editor, Journal of Light Construction*
Thanks to Alan Carson, Carson Dunlop, Associates, Toronto, for technical critique and some of the foundation inspection photographs cited in these articles.
Thanks to Alan Carson and Bob Dunlop, Carson Dunlop, Associates, Toronto, for permission to use illustrations from their publication, The Illustrated Home which illustrates construction details and building components. Carson Dunlop provides home inspection education, publications, report writing materials, and home inspection services. Alan Carson is a past president of ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors.
A.B. Chance foundation repair systems, helical piers, foundation repairs www.abchance.com
Dwyer of Florida, supplier of Helical Piles, foundation repair, and concrete restoration in Florida, exclusive dealer for Magnum piering. This company provides helical piles, foundation settlement repair, concrete restoration, shotcrete, pressure grouting, and slabjacking for residential and commercial buildings. 1-866-900-PIER www.dwyerflorida.com
Arlene Puentes, ASHI, October Home Inspections - (845) 216-7833 - Kingston NY
Greg Robi, Magnum Piering - 800-822-7437 - National*
Dave Rathbun, P.E. - Geotech Engineering - 904-622-2424 FL*
Ed Seaquist, P.E., SIE Assoc. - 301-269-1450 - National
Dave Wickersheimer, P.E. R.A. - IL*
*These reviewers have not returned comment 6/95
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FAILURES by FOUNDATION MOVEMENT TYPE
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