This home had a 1/4" vertical crack at the corner of the concrete foundation walls in the basement. Would this be a typical crack that can be filled or would it be a cause for concern that a structural engineer should look at?
Edit: I didn’t notice any efflorescence.
I would not be recommending a SE for that, I would however call out the crack, any signs of leaks if present, and recommend a qualified foundation contractor make repairs as needed.
It looks slightly wider at the top which is concerning. I’d be checking ultra-closely to see if either wall it tilting one way or the other. If that’s truly 1/4" wide in places that’s worthy of some further evaluation as that is much larger than a typical shrinkage or hairline crack.
Did you tell your customer that the crack in the picture is 1/4" wide?
(for reference, a stack of four pennies is less than 1/4" thick.)
I have not finished the report. I measured it.
It is of my opinion, when a vertical poured concrete foundation crack is located closer to, or at the corner of a foundation, and is wider than a 1/8" inch, it is probably not due to poured concrete shrinkage but indicates a more serious foundation issue and should be further evaluated by a licensed professional foundation repair contractor. There would be no need of a structural engineer unless other visual anomalies are present in the structure.
Questions.
1: Was there a downspout dispersing roof water in close proximity to the corner of the poured concrete foundation?
2: Is that an angle iron on top of the foundation shelf?
3: Is there embossed impression marks from the forming material on all corners of the foundation or just the side with what appears to be an angle iron on the foundation shelf?
It appears to be an older crack. Since you don’t mention other cracks and observations, it looks like something to document in your report but not requiring further evaluation. Most of the time, stresses build…get relieved with a crack…and the foundation is happy.
I’ve been with a SE a few times on similar cracks and so far, they have not been concerned if that is the biggest concern, but these cracks are a piece of the puzzle that we assemble. By itself, rarely a big deal. If it is one of several gapping and displacing cracks or one of many other structural concerns, then the puzzle pieces start to show us a structural concern.
Looks like a good candidate for epoxy injection.
