cracks due to horizontal shear transfer (CMU block wall)
cracks due to horizontal shear transfer (CMU block wall)
(OP)
Thank you for reading. I have an 8-inch CMU block basement wall (see attached pic). Wall length shown is east to west w/ first floor joists shown in yellow that span north to south and rest atop the wall on a wood plate. No anchor bolts are visible through the wood plate that the joist sit upon. An impact from a car affected the northeast corner of the house and the load primarily transferred transverse to the east-west wall as displayed by the yellow arrow in Photograph 1.
Historic settlement cracks (stair step) exist that have been exacerbated by the horizontal force transferred along the top of the wall (Photograph 2 shows fresh crack edges). If no settlement cracks preexisted the impact, what crack characteristics would you expect to see from impact alone? I am thinking you would expect to see some type of horizontal separation of the vertical mortar joints? Please opine and describe the load path along the length of the wall and resulting cracks.
thanks.
Historic settlement cracks (stair step) exist that have been exacerbated by the horizontal force transferred along the top of the wall (Photograph 2 shows fresh crack edges). If no settlement cracks preexisted the impact, what crack characteristics would you expect to see from impact alone? I am thinking you would expect to see some type of horizontal separation of the vertical mortar joints? Please opine and describe the load path along the length of the wall and resulting cracks.
thanks.





