Cinder block foundation cracks advice needed

[Catdad1635]

All the walls but this one had anchors installed, soil is terrible clay. There is a big straight horizontal on the left and a jagged one on the right, think from previous owners dumping downspout 1 foot away from house and clay pushing against wall.

Ive dug down to the footer and looking for the best way to fill and seal. Planning on putting gravel down then topsoil over it

 

[Dobish]

i had a similar situation, except that i could not dig down to the footer (if there even was one) because they poured concrete over it. Yours looks like it is cracked, but not bowed out too badly. Re-directing the gutters and putting some gravel in there will help for sure. its amazing how much damage a gutter pouring into the side of the house will do.....

 

[semipro]

I don't see how putting any gravel in can help unless you're trying to redirect flow to a french drain below. Installing gravel will only allow the water to flow downward more freely to your cracked wall.
I see that you have three choices; install a footer/french drain that exits by gravity to daylight; install some sort of sump with a pump; or backfill and work aboveground to redirect water away from that area. All of these options would include first repairing and sealing the cracked wall.

 

[Buzz Saw]

At least you don't have to lay up new walls.


I had to excavate old walls, pour a footer(used form a drain) layer up new walls. Every wall was replaced in my basement in this manor.

The walls where pushing in because of no stone backfill, just clay. When the water would freeze it pushed the walls in.

Now how to fix your wall. Grind out crack, tuck point with mortar then waterproof.

I used "tuff -n-dri" system br Tremco. It's a waterproofing(watchdog?) & insulation system. Comes with a 30 year warranty.

Good luck.

 

[semipro]

Based on the photo I'd say that wall failed because it lacked steel reinforcement and concrete fill. I realize that wall is probably old but current codes/practices require that some portion of the block voids be filled with both concrete and re-bar.

A friend had a similar problem with bowing walls that was fixed by installing concrete and re-bar into the existing wall from above. Of course, his weren't nearly as bad as those shown in the photo.

 

[Buzz Saw]

Your partiality right . Walls were layer up in 1900, before concrete block walls.

The wall that was under a concrete porch was pretty straight because no water got next to it freeze and push the wall.

In my area (all clay ) if you backfill with dirt even with your walls cored every 32" they will push in because of the intense pressure from freezing water.

Edit : Cored = hole in block filled with 1/2" rebar and concrete or mortar.

 

[semipro]

Hmm. I'm skeptical of freezing soil being the primary cause for a few reasons.
1. The heat lost from the basement through un-insulated walls would heat the soil.
2. The frostline in your area is probably around 42", and that's a worst case scenario.
3. Freezing water whether in gravel or clay will expand. While clay does shrink and swell with changing water content independent of freezing, water will freeze and expand whether its in clay or gravel. Of course if the gravel is actually allowing the water to drain away to a french drain or deeper depths then that could impact damage from freezing water.

Soils settle over time because of ambient vibration, ground traffic, water infiltration, and other factors. Gravel too will settle with time despite compacting during installation. Walls have to be built strong enough to resist these forces.

 

[Buzz Saw]

A few years ago during the polar vortex side walk slabs were heaving 2-4".
*The neighbor had his slab outside his garage heave up and push the metal trim/ flashing up and off his building.
* Local parts store couldn't use two of thier entrance doors because the slabs heaved and pushed on the doors. They had foot traffic going through thier office
* The road I used to live in heaved 12" or better in the center of the road. The county had to close the road and dig out the heave and fill with stone.

All of these issues were caused by bad /inadequate drainage.

Another thing to consider a freeze to 2' below grade would be about the center of an 8' basement wall. The top two blocks are above grade and 2 coarses is about 2' So at 2' of freeze pressure is on the weakest part of the wall. Stone backfill is something to not be overlooked(as well as proper construction)

I would guess if you have a some what modern home you have stone backfill about 18"-24" below grade. We use #57's limestone up here.