House Foundation Wall Tilt

[jjeng2]

I'm going back to look at a masonry house basement wall. Its approx. 8' high. It is leaning in towards the house. I had limited access the first time but was able to determine it was not plumb. They took the paneling down and Im going to have full access to the wall. It seems to be in good condition and I have no idea how long it has been leaning or if it is moving. I basically need to give them an opinion of whether or not they will need to replace the wall. What methodology would you use? I can calculate the difference in the posistion of the top and bottom and apply a moment due to that and use standard soil and floor loads but I dont think i have enough info to be comfortable estimating soil loads and i can only assume the wall is 12" unreinforced. Is there any rules of thumb or guidelines anyone would suggest?
Thanks

 

[SperlingPE]

There are soil loads that can be used when a soils report is not available. There are also allowable bearing pressures.
Your approach seems correct to assess the existing load condition on the wall.
Take a look at other conditions to assess what may be the cause of wall leaning inward.
Does grade slope away from the foundation? Are all the down spouts in place with blocks to direct flow away from house? Are there any visible cracks from the outside or inside? How do the connections look at the top of the wall? What is the condition of the basement slab? Are soils expandable in your locale? Has the weather been dry/wet/average over the last 2-3 years? Is there any history available on the house (construction permits pulled, repair records, existing plans)? Are there any large trees near the house foundation wall? Are there plants near the house foundation wall? Are there automatic sprinklers ( what is their spray pattern?)?