Fix a cold joint in concrete foundation?
wsuverkropp
| Posted in Construction Techniques on
All,
My home inspector informs me that our 1959 house has a cold joint in the foundation. According to him, this may have been caused by poor pouring technique, or the pour not being finished in one session. There is some effluvient around the seams, which are about halfway between the floor of the crawlspace, and the joists. Since we live in an earthquake area, I’m considering repairs.
Are there techniques you can recommend for or against? Should we consider injecting some sort of glue into the seams?
Thank you for your comments,
Wouter
Replies
I have seen miles of cold joints in concrete work of that vintage and older. If it doesn't leak, what is there about it that makes it a problem?
There is probably a good mechanical bond between the two surfaces preventing them from shearing in a bump. Coimpression strength is not affected. Concrete has nearly no tensile strength to be affected. Is it really a problem?
Ron
If you're going to have a bump that moves the wall at the joint, I'd be worrying about a lot more since probably roads will be impassable, etc, etc.
why?
I think you probably meant efflouresence -- some salt deposits blooming at the joint. It's harmless.
Really, if it has not moved since 1959 there is just no reason to mess with it.
We live in an earthquake area (San Francisco bay area), and are doing a check on the house for earthquake resilience. Hence the question.We're going to get a structural engineer to check the house, specifically to look for areas that may require seismic updates. Thank you all for your comments.
A cold joint on hard ground is nothing to worry about. When the Bay area had its last damaging earthquake, the damage was only limited to the areas that were filled ground and soft dirt. There are old loose unre-enforced brick buildings in Los Angeles that went thru 2 major earthquakes. I saw a map of damage chimneys in Los Angeles, the damage followed the line of an old riverbeds or ravines.
The areas that suffered damage: Mission District-filled ground, Mexico City-filled in Lake, Taiwan-alluvial fill, Japan-alluvial fill and San Fernando Valley-bowl of loose sand (alluvial fill).
When a bus or truck goes by your house and it rattles and shakes--your on loose ground.
If your house is on solid ground you cold joint will not open up. Look around your neighborhood, is there cracks in the curbs and gutters? Your "Expert" needs to discuss with you the soil type in your area.