STRUCTURAL

INVESTIGATION
REPORT ON
CRACKS FOUND AT
AL RAZI HEALTH
CENTER

SOUTH BATINAH

07 December 2016
LOCATION

: Al Razi Health Center , South Batinah

DATE OF INSPECTION
SUBJECT

: 01 December 2016

: Structural Investigation and Recommendation Report

SITE DESCRIPTION

Construction Hand over

: 1995

Make

: Reinforced Concrete Frames with Concrete Beams and Columns

with External Insulated Concrete Masonry Walls
: 200 mm thk Internal CHB Wall with plaster ,
: Health Center

Walls
Usage

INSPECTION NOTES

Below are the building conditions noted and have been recorded as follows :
Part A

Wall Cracks on the Left Side Part of the Building Inside ( at Male Toilet )
Crack
No. 1

Crack
No. 3

Crack
No. 2

Item No.1 Medium Sized Cracks No. 1 at Door of Male Toilet ( Left Side of the Health
Center Building ).
Description No.1 :
Visible are cracks on the inside of male toilet with crack widths of
approx. 3.0mm to 5.0mm near the door of the male toilet horizontally and stepping
up as shown at an estimated height of 1.70m more or less from the floor slab.
Similarly , there are also cracks on the other side on the same portion though hairline
in widths.

Item No.2 Medium Sized Cracks No. 2 on walls running horizontally at 0.50 m above toilet
floor
( Left Side of the Health Center Building ).

Description No.2 :
Visible to naked eye are cracks on the inside of male toilet on wall tiles with crack
widths of approx. 1.0mm to 2.0mm running horizontally from end under lavatory to
the other end of wall at a height 0. 0.50m from the floor slab. There is slab
settlement at the bottom of this wall.
Item No.3 Narrow Sized Cracks No. 3 at the top of the Wall ( Intersection with Slab Soffit )
Inside of Male Toilet
( Left Side of the Health Center Building ).

Description No.3 : This is a crack that seem to separate the wall plaster from the slab
soffit plaster with approximate widths of 1.00 to 2.0mm.
Part B
Toilet )

Wall Cracks on the Right Side Part of the Building Inside ( at Female
Crack No.
5

Crack No.
4

Item No.4 Narrow Sized Cracks No. 4 at Arch Near Female Toilet ( Right Side of the
Health Center Building ).
Description No. 4 :

Visible are hairline cracks on the arch near male toilet

measuring approx. 0.30mm to 0.50 mm using the crack
door of the male toilet running horizontally as shown.
found on both sides of the wall though narrow sized.

with
crack
widths
width gauge near the
These hairline cracks are

Item
No.5

Medium Sized Cracks No. 5 at the Door of Female

( Right Side of the Health Center Building ).

Toilet

Description No. 5 :
Visible are medium sized cracks on the tiles measuring approximately 3.0mm to
5.0mm wide as confirmed running horizontally across the wall tiles .
Diagnoses for Item Nos. 1, 2, 3 , 4 and 5 :
All the Cracks Nos. 1-5 in the above seem to point out there was uneven settlement
in the vicinities of these toilets. The toilet slabs also showed mild settlement as seen on
the floor tiles and most likely caused by presence of water and differential settlements
in wall footings. Of course , the mild wall settlement through the years could also have
been accompanied by thermal contraction and expansion of the plaster .
Fortunately, these medium sized crack types are not prevalent everywhere. Also ,
there are no critical cracks seen on the main R.C. structural elements like roof slab ,

beams and columns . Also , as these cracks are found inside the building , they are
not subject to external weather conditions and therefore can be repaired effectively .
AS A WHOLE , THE HEALTH CENTER BUILDING STRUCTURAL FRAME IS INTACT AND
NOT STRUCTURALLY DAMAGED AND THESE CRACKS WILL NOT AFFECT IN ANY WAY
THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE BUILDING.

Recommendation to Item Nos. 1, 2 3, 4 and 5 :

We need to remove ONLY wall tiles and finishes ( plaster ) with cracks for the
intent of uncovering the extent and severity of the cracks as well as exposing the
surface of the CHB or concrete.
Then we suggest concrete repair at cracked surface of CHB or concrete as stated
below.
ALL OF THE THESE WALL CRACKS at the moment require only epoxy resin type
flowable grout just to close the hairline and medium sized cracks in the WALLS.

As an example only, consider the technical specifications of , say Toughbond

SBR Latex Waterproofing repairs by Fosroc or ISOLA Plexigrout by Arabian Chemicals
or approved equivalent flowable grout from Sika or Henkel which may be used to
repair these cracks in the walls. Please refer to flowable grout supplier installation for
guide.
Please consider that if the cracks are 4.0mm or more in width , we may need to
chip off a V-cut groove on the cracks to expose them before we apply the above
flowable chemical grout.
After concrete repair had been done , attach chicken wire to the concrete and
replaster with an approved bonding agent for the new plaster to adhere to
neighboring old plaster.
Finally , retile or repaint . If painted only , repainting should be done for the
whole wall section properly to perfectly match the color and texture of the existing
paint of the whole room or else the repaint would be more aesthetically distracting
than the crack itself.

NOTE :
Since the cracks are not that critical structurally and minor in nature, we
recommend that the repair works be undertaken by the local regional maintenance
group through the supervision of the Rustaq South Batinah Governorate Engineering
Maintenance Department.

Prepared By :

Engr.

Wilfredo

Structural Civil Engineer

MOH Headquarters , Al Khuwair

Noted By :

Engr Usama