In the spring of 2003, Picco Engineering was asked to examine cracking of the brick veneer on a Barrie residence under construction. The client's initial claim was that the cracking was due to differential settlement of the footings. Site conditions are sometimes the most difficult design problems to solve - not because of complex calculations, but because of lack of information.

Design Challenges:

The key to an accurate site assessment is the ability to recognize available data and determine its relative quality. When non-destructive inspection methods are used, decisions and hypotheses are sometimes based solely on indirect data. In this case, frost heave due to ice lensing was strongly suspected because of these factors: climactic data, exposure to low indoor temperatures, depth of footing, and availability of water in the soil. 

Picco Engineering recommended removing as many of the active factors as possible, then monitoring the crack width over time. Once the indoor temperature was raised mechanically and outdoor temperatures returned to above freezing, crack width reduced as the footing settled.

Services Provided:

Inspections and Field Review

Picco Team Members:

Michael Picco, P.Eng., President
Jazz Alvarez, P.Eng., Structural Engineer

Please contact us for additional information.