UNIT 2

BUILDING CRACKS AND MOISTURE

PENETRATION
 COURSE OUTCOMES
1. Describe the maintenance and repair strategies.
2. Identify the various patterns of cracks and
moisture movement internally and externally.
3. Suggest the suitable repair materials for different
deterioration.
4. Recommend right techniques to eliminate
distressing in concrete and steel structures.
5. Suggest suitable repair techniques for different
deterioration.
 Syllabus
• Building cracks: Causes -Diagnosis -Remedial measures
Thermal and Shrinkage cracks -Unequal loading -
Vegetation and trees -Chemical action -Foundation
movements. Moisture penetration: Sources of dampness
-Moisture movement from ground -Reasons for ineffective
damp proofing course -Roof leakage -Pitched roofs-
Leakage of concrete slabs-Dampness in solid walls -
Condensation -Hygroscopic salts.
 What Is Damp Proofing?
o Dampness is a common problem in

buildings.

o It refers to access and penetration

of moisture Content into buildings

through its walls, floors, roof etc.

o It is important to take measures to prevent dampness.

o Such measures is called Damp Proofing.

 CAUSES OF DAMPNESS

Dampness in the building is due to one or more of the

following causes:

o Faulty design of structure

o Faulty construction or poor workmanship

o Use of poor quality material in construction

 SOURCES OF DAMPNESS
The moisture entering the building from foundation
and roofs, travel in different directions further under the
effect of capillary action and gravity. The various
sources that create dampness in the buildings are as
follows:
o Rising of Moisture from the ground
o Action of rain water
o Rain penetration from tops of walls
o Condensation due to atmospheric moisture
o Miscellaneous sources
1. Rising of Moisture from the Ground:
The foundation dampness is caused when the building structure
are constructed on low lying water – logged areas, where a sub
soil of clay or peat is commonly found, through which dampness
will easily rise under capillary action unless properly treated.

2. Action of Rain Water:

Whenever the faces of walls are not suitably protected from
the exposure to heavy showers of rain, they become the sources
of dampness in a structure. Similarly, poor mortar joints in
walls and cracked roofs also causes dampness to enter a
building structure.
3. Rain Penetration from Top of Walls:
All parapet walls and compound walls of the building, which have not
been protected from rain penetration by using damp-proof course or by
such measures on their exposed tops, are subjected to dampness. This
dampness in building is of serious nature and may result in unhealthy
living condition or structural unsafe condition.

4. Condensation due to Atmospheric Moisture:

Whenever the warm air in the atmosphere is cooled, it gives rise to
the process of condensation. On account of it, the moisture is
deposited on the whole area of walls, floors and ceilings. This source of
dampness is present in places where
very cold climate exist.
5. Miscellaneous Sources:

The various other sources which causes dampness in

buildings are,

i.Poor Drainage of the site,

ii.Imperfect Orientation,

iii.Construction Dampness and

iv.Dampness due to Defective Construction.

CAUSES OF
DAMPNESS
 EFFECTS OF DAMPNESS
o Softening and crumbling of plaster.
o Ugly patches on walls and ceilings.
o Materials used for wall decorations are damaged.
o Stones and bricks disintegrate due to efflorescence.
o Floor covering like Tiles may be damaged.
o Timbers get disintegrated.
o Corrosion of metals used in building.
o Electrical fittings are damaged,
o Dampness leads to breeding of
mosquitoes, growth of termites and
germs causing unhygienic condition
in buildings.
General principles to be followed in damp proofing are,
o Mortar bed prepared to receive damp-proof course should be
leveled.
o The horizontal damp proofing course should cover the full width of
wall excluding rendering.
o If sheets or mastic asphalt are used, the gap should not be less than
100mm at any point.
o At joints and corners, Damp proof course should be continuous.
o Damp proofing course should not be kept exposed on the wall surface.
o At vertical and horizontal junctions, damp proof courses should be
continuous and a cement mortar fillet of about 75mm should cover
joints.
 PREVENTION OF DAMPNESS
The various techniques and method, adopted to prevent
the defects of dampness are,

o Uses of damp proof courses or Damp-proofing membranes,

o Waterproof or Damp-proof surface treatments,

o Integral damp proofing treatment

o Cavity walls or hollow walls

o Guniting or shotcrete and

o Pressure grouting or cementation.

1. Use of Damp Proofing Courses:
o These are layers or membranes of water repellent
materials, such as cement concrete, mortar, plastic
sheets, stones, etc. which are interposed in the building
structures at all locations wherever water entry is
suspected.
o Basically, D.P.C is provided to prevent the water
rising from the sub-soil or ground.
o In case of buildings without basements, D.P.C lies at
the plinth level or in case of structure without plinth
should be laid at least 15cm above ground level.
2. Waterproof surface treatment:
o The surface treatment consists in filling up the pores of the
material exposed to moisture by providing a thin film of
water repellent material over the surface. These surface
treatment can be either external or internal.
o Pointing, plastering, painting, distempering are given to the
exposed surface and also to the internal surface.
o Commonly used treatment is lime cement plaster of mix
(1cement: 1lime : 6sand) proportion. Some water proofing
agent in surface treatment are: sodium or potassium
silicate, aluminium or zinc sulphate, soft soap and alum.
3. Integral Damp Proofing Treatment:
The integral treatment consists of adding certain compounds
to the concrete or mortar during the process of mixing, which
when used in construction act a barriers to moisture
penetration under different principles.
compounds like chalk, talc, fuller’s earth, alkaline, silicates,
aluminum sulphate, calcium chloride act mechanically and
chemically to fill the pores present in the concrete and make
them denser and water repellent.
Soap, petroleum oils, fatty acid compounds added in the
water to be used for preparing the mortar, which makes it
sufficiently damp proof.
4. Cavity Walls:
A cavity wall consist of two parallel walls or leaves of masonry
separated by a continuous air space or cavity. The outer wall (10cm
Thk.) which is the exterior part of the wall, the cavity (5cm to 8cm) and
inner wall (Min. 10cm Thk.) which is the interior part of the wall.

The provision of this continuous cavity in the wall efficiently prevents

the transmission or percolation of dampness from outer wall to the
inner wall.

This cavity type of construction is more desirable as it offers many

advantages such as better living and comfort condition, construction
economy and preservation of building against dampness.
5. Guniting or Shotcrete:
Guniting is the process of forming an impervious layer
of rich cement mortar(1cement : 3 sand) for waterproofing over
the exposed concrete surface or over pipes, cisterns, etc. for
resisting the water pressure. By this technique an impervious
layer of high compressive strength (560 to 700kg/cm2) is
obtained and hence, this is also very useful for reconditioning
or repairing old concrete works, which have deteriorated
either due to climatic effects or inferior workmanship
6. Pressure Grouting or cementation:
Cementation is the technique of forcing the cement grout
under pressure into cracks or voids present in structural
components. Foundations which are reliable to moisture
penetration, are consolidated and hence made water repellent
by this cementation process.

In this process, holes are drilled at selected points in the

structure and cement grout of sufficient thin consistency to
ensure complete penetration is forced under pressure. This
makes the structure water tight and restores its strength and
stability to certain extent.
Requirements for ideal damp proofing material should be,
o It should be impervious, flexible and dimensionally stable.
o It should be strong and durable, and should be capable of
withstanding both dead as well as live loads without damage.
o It should be free from salts like sulphate, chlorides and nitrates.
The material commonly used for D.P.C are,
a) Flexible Materials : Hot Bitumen, Bituminous felts, Bituminous
sheet, Plastic sheet and Metal sheets of lead and copper, etc.

b) Semi-rigid Materials: Mastic asphalt or combination of materials

or layers.

c) Rigid Materials: Use of I – class bricks, stones in courses,

cement concrete layers, mortar layers, etc.
Damp-proofing Treatments In
Buildings:
1.Treatment of foundations dampness from adjacent ground.
2.Treatment of foundation on poor soil.
3.Treatment of basements.
4.Treatment of floors.
5.Treatment of wall.
6.Treatment of flat roofs, parapets and copings.
7.Treatment of pitched roofs.
1. Treatment of foundations dampness from adjacent
ground:
o In case the moisture raises up the walls through the foundations where
water is percolating from the adjacent ground, this may be treated by
providing air drains and damp-proof course or by D.P.C alone.
o An air drain is a narrow dry space (20 to 30cm width) which is provided
on the outer face of the wall below the ground level. It is formed by a
thin outer wall resting on the base slab of foundation and carried little
above the ground level(by 15cm) to prevent water entering the drain.
o The top of the air drain is covered either by R.C.C slab or stone slab
and due provisions for examination and cleaning this drain are made.
Air Drain
2. Treatment Of Foundation On Poor Soil:
o Where the foundation of basements are not properly
drained and hence subjected to hydrostatic pressure, in such
cases the structure should be disconnected from the face of
the ground excavation and a trench made all around for
width of about 30cm taken down to the concrete footings.
o The bed should be provided with a good slope at each end
and trench filled with coke, gravel or stone, grated with
fines to fill the voids.
o At the bottom of trench provided a drainage pipes below the
concrete base, so that the water discharged in an outlet
outside the building.
3. Treatment of basements:
To ensure the dryness, the whole of the structure
below ground level should be provided with continuous
membrane of D.P.C either mastic asphalt or bituminous felt
supported on the inside.

This is achieved by spreading a layer of an impervious

material over the whole area of the floor and continuing the
same (i.e., Horizontal D.P.C.) through the external walls
extending vertically up, forming a sort of water-proof tank.
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4. Treatment of floors:
o If there is no damp soil, a layer of coarse sand (75-100mm
thick) is provided over the entire area under the flooring. Then
1:4:8 concrete of 100mm thickness is laid. This layer serves
as D.P.C. Then, the usual flooring is provided over this layer.

o If soil is wet, a membrane of D.P.C (i.e., mastic asphalt,

fibrous asphalt, etc.) is provided over the floor area, over
which a layer of flat bricks is laid. The usual flooring is then
provided.
5. Treatment of Walls:
o The plaster made out of cement lime and sand mixed in
proportion of 1:1:6 mat be very effective to protect the walls
against dampness in normal weather conditions.

o Horizontal D.P.C provided in the walls at plinth level in the

form thick layer of 1:2:4 cement concrete covered with
two coat of hot bitumen or a polythene sheet or metal
sheets of lead, copper or aluminum.

o Vertical D.P.C is mostly provided in the external walls in the

form of thick 1:3 cement sand plaster, coated with two
washings of hot bitumen. It is also provided to prevent the
dampness into the walls of the basements from the adjacent
soils.
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6. Treatment of flat Roofs, Parapets and Copings:
In case of flat roofs, the rain water enters either through
the defective parapet wall or cracked roofing tiles or broken
pointing, etc. The water proofing treatment given to flat roofs are
lime concrete terracing, lime concrete terracing with flat
tiles and Mud phuska terracing with tiles.

For Parapet wall and coping should be protected from

weather by providing D.P.C, covering the whole roof and then
extending up the junction against the parapet wall at least upto
15cm height. The drop courses should be properly provided and
availability of sufficient rain water pipes
7. Treatment of Pitched Roofs:
The main causes of water penetration at pitched roofs due to

i.Insufficient lap of tiles or roofing sheets,

ii.Insufficient roof slopes and

iii.Inadequacy of rain water gutters.

First two causes are taken care by proper design and

construction as per recommendation. For treating rain water
gutters, they should be of sufficient capacity, water tight and
capable of accommodating variation due to temperature
changes without leakage. The tiles should project beyond the
edge of the gutter.