BUILDING

DEFECTS
Theoretical Presentation and
Live Case Study Analysis

Khu 020 C ARPrajakta Sahare Raunak Raj Shruti Tare

shaliNak 030 C ARC 041 ARC 050
Aga ka Pad 033ARC 038
rwal Vineman Pranita Varma Samriddhi Khare Shubham Kumar
etha abh ARC 046 ARC 052
aG ARC 039 Shashwat Saxena Sonali Samad
AR
C AR Rahul Batwal ARC 048 ARC 055

ARC 040
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Introduction
2. History
3. Reasons for Building Defects
4. Types of Building Defects
5. Live Examples
6. Repair of Building Defects
7. Conclusion
8. Bibliography
INTRODUCTION
 A defect in the building or design is the mistake that reduces the value of the
building .
 It makes the project dangerous , unsafe or causes real damage to the consumer .

 The defect can arise due to many factors , such as poor workmanship or due to
inferior materials .
 HISTORY
 One of the earliest recorded failures of structure was the collapse of the
Colossus at Rhodes. The statue stood for 54 years until Rhodes was hit by the
226 BC earthquake, when significant damage was also done to large portions
of the city, including the harbor and commercial buildings, which were
destroyed. The statue snapped at the knees and fell over onto the land.
 Circus Maximus succumbed to flames and flooding consistently, before
being put out of use.
REASONS FOR DEFECTS IN THE
BUILDING
• Design deficiencies:
Problems are typically encountered due to design complexity.
• Material deficiencies:
Problems occur if specifications for the material are not followed.
• Construction deficiencies:
Common example is water infiltration through some portion of the building . Other problems
include cracks .
• Sub surface deficiencies:
Problems such as improper settling of ground , the structure moving or shifting , flooding
can be experienced.
REASONS FOR DEFECTS IN
THE BUILDING
 Defects may arise in a building when the building is not being used for
the purpose it was designed for.
 Defects may arise where there is improper maintenance.
 Some defects are a result of natural calamities such as earthquakes or
tsunami.
TYPES OF BUILDING DEFECTS
STRUCTURAL DEFECT
Any defect that attributes to the defective
design , faulty workmanship or defective
material .
Structural defects can be categorised as :
• Cracks in foundation
• Cracks in floor or slab
• Cracks in walls
Structural defects can occur due to
deterioration , poor maintenance
overloading .
They can be avoided by following the
exact specification and design.
TYPES OF BUILDING DEFECTS
NON STRUCTURAL DEFECTS
These are caused due to internally
induced stress in building
material.
They include :
• Defects in brickwork
• Dampness in old structure
• Defects in plaster work
STRUCTURA
L DEFECTS

CRACKING
CAUSE OF CRACKING
•Moisture Changes

•Temperature Variation

•Elastic Deformation

•Creep

•Chemical Reaction

•Movements of Ground

•Vegetation
MOISTURE
CHANGE
We use concrete, mortar, bricks, and
timber, etc. for constructing a house.
All the materials of construction
expand on absorbing moisture and
shrink on drying which set up the
stress in components of house.
Hence develops the cracks in walls
due to change in moisture.
The change in moisture condition of
the construction materials is also
known as moisture movement.
Moisture movement depends on the
porosity (intermolecular space) of
the building materials.
TEMPERATU
RE
CHANGE
We use the materials like concrete,
mortar, burnt clay bricks, stone
and timber, steel, etc. for the
construction of house. They
expand on heating and contract on
cooling depending on their
properties. Due to the expansion
and contraction of materials,
internal tensile stresses are set up
in the component of the house.
Hence it develops the wall cracks
due to change in temperature. The
change in temperature of materials
is also known as thermal
movement.
ELASTIC
DEFORMATI
ON
The materials of construction
undergo deformation due to
load under “Hook’s law”.
Hence develops the cracks due
to elastic deformation. The
amount of deformation depends
upon elastic modulus of the
construction material. It also
depends on the magnitude of
loading and dimension of the
components.
Dead loads and live loads are
the primary cause of elastic
deformations in any structural
components of a building.
CREEP
The construction materials
result in deformation due to
sustained load. The stresses are
developed in the component of
house due to gradual and slow
time-dependent deformation
and hence develops the cracks
in walls. The tendency of the
materials to deform
permanently under stress is also
known as creep movement.
CHEMICAL
REACTION
Due to chemical reactions,
materials of construction results
in the appreciable increase in
the volume of materials. The
internal stresses are set up in
construction materials which
may result in outward thrust and
hence forms the wall cracks.
The materials involved in
chemical reaction also get
weakened in strength.
MOVEMENT
OF
GROUND
•The movement of foundation and
settlement of soil causes the shear
cracks in the house.
•The cracks in walls occur due to
unequal bearing pressure on the
structure or due to bearing pressure
on soil which is greater than SBC
(safe bearing capacity).
•The frequent drying and wetting
of soil underneath the foundation
cause the change in the volume of
soil and hence due to the
foundation movements, cracks
appear in the house.
•The sudden forces of natural
disasters (like flood, earthquake, or
hurricane) also result in cracks, if
the structure is not properly
designed for shear forces.
 VEGETATION
Due to fast growing trees near the
structure, it causes cracks due to
growing (spreading) of roots under
the foundation. The plants begin to
grow in the fissures of walls, and If
these plants are not removed well in
time, it develops the wall cracks in
house.
Cracks also occur due to the upward
thrust on a portion of the building,
when old trees are cut off, and the soil
that had been dehydrated earlier by
roots swells up on getting moisture
from rain.
NON-
STRUCTURA
L DEFECTS
•Plastic Settlement

• Plastic Shrinkage

• Early Thermal Expansion and

Contraction
•Long Term Drying Shrinkage

• Crazing

•Due to corrosion of Steel &

concrete 
•Blisters
PLASTIC
SETTLEMEN
T
Cracks caused when
the settlement of
fresh concrete is restrained by
reinforcement or
formwork. Plastic
settlement cracks can form in
young concrete, within the first
few hours after placing. As
water moves upward through
the mixture, the denser
constituents move downward.
PLASTIC
SHRINKAGE
Plastic shrinkage cracks
appear in the surface of
fresh concrete soon after it is
placed and while it is
still plastic. These cracks
appear mostly on horizontal
surfaces. ... Plastic
shrinkage cracking is highly
likely to occur when high
evaporation rates cause
the concrete surface to dry out
before it has set.
EARLY
THERMAL
EXPANSION
AND
CONTRACTI
ON
The principle cause of Early
Thermal Cracking is the
release of Heat of Hydration
from the binder,
usually cement paste
in concrete. Heat of Hydration
causes
differential expansion within
the section leading to an
internal restraint or an external
restraint which will
restrict contraction during the
cooling or curing.
 LONG TERM
DRYING
SHRINKAGE
Drying shrinkage is defined as
the contracting of a
hardened concrete mixture due
to the loss of capillary water.
This shrinkage causes an
increase in tensile stress, which
may lead to cracking, internal
warping, and external
deflection, before
the concrete is subjected to any
kind of loading.

Lateral Cracks in Tunnel Ceiling Cracks in Girder

CRAZING
Crazing is the development of
a network of fine ran- dom
cracks or fissures on the surface
of concrete or mortar caused by
shrinkage of the surface layer.
These cracks are rarely more
than 1/8 inch [3 mm] deep and
are more noticeable on steel-
troweled surfaces.
DUE TO
CORROSION
IN STEEL &
CONCRETE
The spalling of
the concrete parts and rusted
steel reinforcement are clearly
seen in these structures. These
are the examples of distress
failures in concrete structures
which are caused
by corrosion of the steel
reinforcement. Low
permeability can also reduce
the corrosion rate.
BLISTERS
A blister is a small pocket of
body fluid (lymph, serum,
plasma, blood, or pus) within
the upper layers of the skin,
typically caused by forceful
rubbing (friction), burning,
freezing, chemical exposure or
infection. Most blisters are
filled with a clear fluid, either
serum or plasma.
EXAMPLES OF
BUILDING
DEFECTS
IN VNIT
CAMPUS
 REPAIR OF BUILDING
DEFECTS
Defective concrete/ concrete spalling 
(i) Patch repair
a. It is the most common repair method for minor concrete defects
such as surface spalling.
b. After all defective concrete has been hacked off, rusty
reinforcement bars should be properly cleaned, and primed with
suitable cement/epoxy based primer matching the mortar used for
patching
c. And thereafter substrate should be patched up with appropriate
repair mortars such as cementitious mortars and polyester modified
cementitious mortar or Resin-based mortars such as epoxy resin
mortar and polyester resin mortar. 
(ii) Replacement of reinforcement bars
d. The process involves identification of the type of existing
steel bars
e. Assessment on the required replacement/ supplement of
reinforcement bars and the required lapping of the new and
old bars. 
f. Structural calculations may also be required. 
 REPAIR OF BUILDING
DEFECTS
Repair of Structural cracks in Concrete
After identifying and addressing the problem causing the cracks
a. The repair of the cracks is usually done by pressure injection of non-
shrinkage grout 
b. Epoxy resin 

c. By open up and refill/recast with concrete.

Repair of external walls 
(i) Wall/tiles finishes 
d. Proper preparation of the exposed surfaces after removing loose parts
of the existing wall for a physical key with the new mortar
e. Use of suitable bonding agents or adhesives for the mortar
f. Special adhesives for the tiles are essential means for this purpose. 
(ii) Cracks 
g. Cracks should be repaired by injection of specially designed chemicals
or through open-up and repair by mortar.
 REPAIR OF BUILDING
DEFECTS
Waterproofing External Walls 
(i) Common sources of leakage
 Apart from sleeves, common sources of leakage in
external walls are:
a.  Deep cracks/crevices penetrating the finishes
and the body of the wall.
b.  Defective concrete found in the wall. 
c. Defective or loss of external finishes to protect
the wall from direct attack of rain. 
(ii) Common repair methods 
d.  Can either be repaired by chemical injection or
opening up followed by repair with
waterproofing mortar. 
e. Weak points in the wall such as holes,
honeycombs, dirt and foreign matters should be
removed and patched up by suitable
waterproofing mortar. 
DISCUSSION OF CAMPUS
RELATED DEFECTS AND THEIR
REPAIR
Major issue identified: Dampness/Water logging
Physical:
 Inserted by cutting in or during rebuilding.

 Can cure rising damp but this drastic method is usually inappropriate.

 Drawbacks: possible major structural problems; potential damage to historic finishes internally;

unsuitable for randomly coursed walls; access difficulties; deterioration sometimes of masonry
below damp proof course where moisture is concentrated.
Chemical:
 Walls impregnated with chemical solution through holes at bottom to create waterproof barrier.

 Drawbacks: drilling holes inadvisable in flint, granite, etc; hard to form proper barrier in rubble
walls with voids; holes unsightly; deterioration sometimes of masonry below damp proof
course where moisture concentrated.
Ceramic tubes:
 Holes drilled to receive porous siphons approximately 50mm in diameter that absorb damp and
evaporate it from each tube.
 Drawbacks: salt accumulation in tubes may increase moisture; air-flow sometimes inadequate;
tubes commonly set in hard cement mortar; unsightly.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/287517311_General_Building
_Defects_Causes_Symptoms_and_Remedial_Work
 https://www.nbmcw.com/tech-articles/tall-construction/29714-defects-
in-buildings-causes-and-remedies.html
 BARRYs Advance Construction of Building
 Building Construction Handbook by Roy Chudley and Roger Greeno
 www.Wikipedia.com