Dampness: Analysis of Building Defects Ransom 1987

9/14/2014
Analysis of building defects
Ransom 1987
Dampness
Dr Chitrarekha Kabre
• Water entering during construction • Rising damp from ground
1
1
• Ground water
2 • Penetrating damp through
2 walls
3 • Rain and snow
• Moisture from human activities
M i f h i ii 3 • Extraneous causes
Extraneous causes
4
1
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Solid walls with DPC absent
• Foundation is always damp, moisture rises into
the brick or stonework by capillary attraction and
unless
l addamp-prooff course is i provided
id d above
b
ground level the moisture will rise causing
considerable dampness to walls and floors.
• If there is no damp-proof course, dampness will
show along bottom of both external and internal
faces causing discolouration, mildew and peeling
decorations.
Dampness
• The damp will rise in a wall or partition to a height
RISING DAMP FROM GROUND att which

hi h th
there iis a b
balance
l b
between
t th
the rate
evaporation and rate which the damp can be
t off
drawn up by capillary attraction.

• The line of dampness due to the absence of DPC
is usually continuous and fairly horizontal and in
severe cases can reach a height of approximately
1.5 m.
Solid walls with DPC defective Basement walls and floors

• Rising damp due to a defective DPC, • Rooms partially or fully below ground level
the cracks usually pass through the • For every 300mm below the water table the water
horizontal jjoint with a semicircular damp
p pressure increases and the outside faces of
patch internally spreading up from the
line of the DPC. basement walls may remain permanently damp
• The damp course line should be • Ground water penetration can be seasonal
checked for continuity especially where depending on the relative height of the water table.
it is stepped due to changes in floor
levels or external pavings • Basement protected by external or internal
• The condition of the pointing to the waterproof coatings (tanking)
damp course should be noted. • Damp patches on walls or floors could emanate
• The ground water usually contains from an intermittently leaking water pipe or may be
dissolved salts which form a fine deposit caused by condensation
on the wall surface during evaporation of
the water. Some of these salts are • Defective jointing of the damp-proof membrane at
hygroscopic and absorb moisture from the internal angle of wall and floor cause gradual
the air. In such cases the plaster work percolation of moisture and a head of water may
becomes contaminated with salts and
usually require replacement. build up between the two leaves of brickwork or
concrete walling. If water pressure is strong below
the floor it can cause actual flooding of the
basement.
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Heaped earth or paving against walls
and bridging of rendering
• The horizontal DPC placed nearer the
ground than the 150 mm clearance and
becomes ineffective through being bridged
by earth or paving slabs laid at a higher
level.
• In wet weather moisture may be drawn
into the wall from the soil above the DPC
• Where dampness appears on the interior
face near the floor the ground level in
relation
l i to theh DPC should
h ld b be examined.
i d
PENETRATING DAMP THROUGH
WALLS
Rain water penetration Parapet walls

• Rainwater can penetrate a 250 mm solid brick walls if the bricks • Parapets are exposed to the weather on three
sides and therefore the most vulnerable part of a
are of a porous nature and the force of the wind is behind it. building
• Protect walls from rain penetration by various forms of overhang • One brick thickness with the inner face rendered
– canopies, projecting eaves, string courses and cornices. • Copings of natural stone with throating
susceptible due to broken joints.
• Water is drawn through fine fissures by capillary attraction, and it
• Copings of brick are susceptible through the
is often assisted by internal warmth mortar joints
• If walling material not excessively absorbent, the joints should be • The external faces showing signs of decay or
examined. If mortar is of poor quality the risk of damp penetration surface flaking indicate that the wall is saturated
and sulphate attack has occurred.
is increased.
increased
• Cracks or bulging of any rendering either on the
• Dampness is often caused by using strong cement mortars which internal or external faces also indicate sever
tend to shrink, water is drawn in through the fine fissures damp penetration, these defects are usually
caused by the absence of a DPC below coping.
between mortar and brick.
• Window and door openings in solid walls, if the joint between
frame and the masonry is defective allowing moisture to
penetrate then the timber is prone to wet rot.
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Parapet walls
• DPC under the coping and at
the top of the skirting to the
rooff
• On a flat roof the DPC should
be taken right through to the
internal face of the parapet to
form a cover flashing over the
skirting.
DAMPNESS
• On the external face, the DPC
should
h ld extend
t d tto fform a smallll EXTRANEOUS CAUSES
projecting drip on the face of
the brickwork.
Leaks in plumbing systems
• Leaks from plumbing systems
or weeping
p g jjoints in sanitary
y
fittings-water entrapped under
impervious floor coverings.
Water passes through the
joints or cracks and spreads
out underneath making
evaporation almost DAMPNESS
impossible.
p
• Defective pipes buried in an INSTRUMENTATION
external wall can sometimes
give rise to damp patches on
the wall surface similar to
rainwater penetration.
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‘Survey Master SM’ moisture‐reading ‘Speedy’ calcium carbide moisture
meter meter
• This instrument is used to
• Electronic moisture-reading meter ascertain on site the moisture
• There are two main types currently in use, content
t t off particular
ti l building
b ildi
materials such as mortar, brick,
the conductivity and the capacitance type. stone and concrete.
• These meters have certain
advantages over electrical
moisture meters.
• They actually measure the water
content
t t off a samplel
• They do not automatically provide
the source of that moisture.
Electronic hygrometer
• The humidity and
t
temperature
t off a
building fabric can
be measured with
an electronic
hygrometer.

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9/14/2014

RISING DAMP FROM GROUND att which

drawn up by capillary attraction.

Solid walls with DPC defective Basement walls and floors

Rain water penetration Parapet walls

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