Cracks in buildings are of common occurrence. Building components develop cracks whenever stress in the component exceeds its strength. Stress in a building components could be caused by externally applied forces, such as dead, live, wind or seismic loads or it could be induced internally due to thermal movements,'moisture changes, chemical action etc.
Cracks could be broadly classified as structural or non-structural. Structural cracks are those which are due to'incorrect design, faulty construction, overloading or settlement of foundations and these may endanger the safety of buildings. Non-structural cracks are mostly due to internally induced stresses in building materials and these generally do not directly result in structural weakening. Vertical cracks in a compound wall due to shrinkage or thennal movement and Plaster cracks come under this category. Though non-structural cracks do not endanger the safety of a building they look unsightly or may create an impressible of faulty work or may give a feeling of unstability.
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