Why Top Floor Flats Cracked?

Do you intend to reside on the top floor? Do you wish you could purchase a flat in a tall building? Then picture this: Cracks in the walls and roof leaks greet you when you purchase the apartment with great affection. I am telling you this because my brother’s flat was quite similar to what I just told you. And at that time I had the same question, why top floor flats cracked?

Cracks can appear for a number of reasons, including chemical reactions in building materials, foundation movements and settling of structures, temperature and climate changes, and environmental pressures such as nearby train activity, earthquakes, etc. Cracks can be produced by faulty and defective design, subpar materials, improper construction techniques, bad weather, and heavy wear and tear.

Top floor flat sidewall cracking

Cracks commonly form in the brick/block mortar plaster of walls, slab-beam-column joints, beam-wall joints, foundations, and several other areas of the building structure. Yes, evaluating cracks in a building is a difficult task; as a result, seek the assistance of a qualified individual who can correctly identify them.

1. Initial Shrinkage

Materials used in construction, like concrete and brickwork, initially contract. Part of this shrinkage cannot be recovered. The use of less rich cement mortar in the masonry and the suspension of plaster application on the brickwork surface, essentially when the masonry has gone through most of its initial shrinkage and has dried well after proper curing, can both lessen shrinkage cracks in construction walls.

1. Thermal Movement

All building materials swell in the heat and shrink in the cold. Daytime and seasonal changes in India typically range from 0°C to 25°C and 5°C to 20°C, respectively. Seasonal changes are predictable, but daily changes happen more quickly and with a greater degree of harm. On the other side, creep causes pressure to be greatly reduced during seasonal fluctuations.

1. Elastic Deformation

Unevenly loaded walls experience extreme variations in stress, which leads to wall cracking. Differing shear stresses in various materials cause cracks at the junction when two construction materials (masonry, concrete, steel, etc.) with vastly different elastic characteristics under the impact of load are placed together.

1. Chemical Reaction

Building materials undergo chemical reactions that increase their internal tension and volume, which causes fissures. Chemical processes cause the materials to weaken.

1. Permeability Of Concrete

The penetration of various aggressive chemicals initiates the deterioration process in concrete, which is a primary contributor to wall cracks. In essence, it determines how long concrete will be able to withstand weathering, chemical attack, or any other degrading process. Low permeability is hence the primary contributor to concrete's durability.

1. Structural Design

Another glaring factor contributing to concrete work cracks is poor or inadequate structural design and standards. In order to create a correct, sturdy design for the foundation, the designer must take into account all environmental factors, including soil investigations.

1. Poor Workmanship

Cracks in the walls, slabs, beams, and other construction components are a result of poor mixing of building materials including sand, cement, and aggregate. Inadequate oversight, ignorance, carelessness, negligence, and many other factors, alone or in combination, may lead to poor craftsmanship.

1. Poor (Or) Lack Of Maintenance

You should constantly take good care of your home, which you can do by performing routine maintenance tasks. This extends the building's lifespan and guarantees the building structure's integrity.

1. Natural Forces

Building cracks can be brought on by earthquakes, tremors, winds, rain, flooding, the Kerala Havoc, and many other natural disasters.

I hope now you know why top floor flats cracked.