Thread: Stress crack below beam pocket

This is a house build in the 1950's with block walls.

The walls were in great shape overall but there was some vertical cracking below one of the beam pockets.

Should this have an additional support added at the beam or just note a minor stress crack and be done with it?

I was thinking that it is not likely to get any worse but then again, I don't know when the crack occurred.

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May be just my view, but, I see a bulge under that beam and it appears it is coming from outside pressure.
Me, I would be taking pictures from the sides along a 10 foot straight edge to determine if in fact there is a bulge and also of outside area and how it may be affecting the wall.
That has the potential to be a very expensive fix and your last word should of course be to have a structural engineer check it further.

Originally Posted by wayne soper

May be just my view, but, I see a bulge under that beam and it appears it is coming from outside pressure.

No bulging, just cracks.

I believe a crack like that in the middle of a block wall is due to lateral pressure. The wall has enough compression strength to hold up that beam. WS gave good advice IMO. Did you put a 4ft level on the wall to check for movement?

I agree with WS....that is a bulge. The crack is opening up from the bulge.

I definitely would not call it a minor stress crack, verbally or in the report. That stair step crack split the a block and the separation is visibly wider at the top. It appears some settling or heaving took place somewhere along that wall.

How did the grading look on the exterior side of the wall?
Any large trees in this area of the exterior?
Any cracks, separation, or evidence of patching on the walls or ceilings in the rooms above it?

Originally Posted by Nick Ostrowski

How did the grading look on the exterior side of the wall?
Any large trees in this area of the exterior?
Any cracks, separation, or evidence of patching on the walls or ceilings in the rooms above it?

The grading looked good and there is an attached garage slab that begins just to the left.
No trees.
No cracks at the walls.

This is the only visible area of anything unusual and there was really no bulging that was obvious to look at.

Jon

Without being there I would have to agree with others that does not look like a stress crack caused by that beam. From those pictures I would look into the possibility of some other source.

$ .02 worth.
If bulge is optical delusion on our part, ok.
I would question if the beam and the wall to the right has stayed static and the wall & foundation to the left has dropped from right to left. The split block would indicate to me that the beam load was concentrated through the block and thus causing the fracture from stress as the wall settled to the left.

Not knowing when crack occurred I would suggest erroring on the side of caution. Pass off to SE, to cover your self yes but to also cover the client. More money now may be big savings later or at least forewarned of possibilities.

It appears that the block may not be filled or reinforced, although you cannot tell from a visual inspection. Is the home a single or two-story? Are there any defects above this point such as sloping floors, uneven door reveals, drywall cracks, etc? If there are then the crack may be even more serious than it appears and you should recommend an inspection by a licensed professional.

Originally Posted by DANIEL SNYDER

It appears that the block may not be filled or reinforced, although you cannot tell from a visual inspection. Is the home a single or two-story? Are there any defects above this point such as sloping floors, uneven door reveals, drywall cracks, etc? If there are then the crack may be even more serious than it appears and you should recommend an inspection by a licensed professional.

Small single story home built in the 50's
No other defects were found. All framing was in great condition both in the basement and attic.
No sloping floor or binding doors. No cracking in the walls or ceiling.

It looks like you got some uplift in the slab. The crack seems to be wider/larger at the top than the bottom. Is this below grade or above? If it is below then there should be or will be some moisture penetation. Even above grade will eventually allow moisture into the structure.
This looks like a major repair and I would recommend:
1) structural engineer evaluation/further investigation
2) repair estimates