Cracks in concrete block walls

Started by Mudball, July 16, 2006, 05:10:36 PM

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Mudball

Well we are building a concrete block wall house (basement house). The footer is 2 foot wide, 12 inches deep and filled with 4000 psi steel fiber mix along with two runs of rebar around the perimeter of the house footer. The footer concrete is also poured on very hard (chert dirt) ground. The concrete block was motored and stacked last summer. I just noticed this morning that there are already small cracks in the walls through or around where all the window openings are. The cracks are the widest at the top and travel almost all the way down to the footer. The cracks are only where there are opening for the future windows. There is not a roof on yet either.
Can someone tell me if this is normal settling of things or what ?
Thanks

glenn-k

Concrete block walls don't have much strength until they are grouted-- filled with concrete--  there should be runs of rebar about every 2 feet vertically and I think they are usually every 4 feet horizontally.

I work around them quite often.  Even bumped one one time and knocked part of it over.  Some are not poured solid but will have sections solid and a bond beam with rebar around the top.  Cracking in mortar joints is common but the concrete holds it together.


Mudball

Sounds great. I will be sure to correct the problem. Thanks for the help.