How to measure a settlement 3

[StrP88]

A building has been flooded and there is no visual evidence of settlement like one side lower than the other side.

How do I check if the building has settled or not?

Any tools to check for settlement? any methods?

Thanks

 

[dik]

If you have no prior data, it is difficult. You can establish a couple of benchmarks and measure current locations to see if there is any movement.

You can also examine the existing building for signs of distress or movement. Do doors swing without binding? Are there any signs of prior binding or sticking of doors? Are parts of the frame or door worn away? Any fresh movement? Same with windows; look for new and old 'wear and tear'. Any cracking at corners of door frames? window frames? Anything look out of place? Any fresh cracking of walls? Do floors slope? marbles are good testing items.

Lots of stuff...

Dik

 

[oldestguy]

Assuming you have a part of the structure that likely is stable and can serve as a bench mark measuring settlements can be done by two different methods. You can set up a surveyor's level (transit then go around the area with a leveling rod for reading elevations (assuming you can get this and know hoe to use it). Likely you won't get far due to walls.

More likely you can use a length of garden hose with about 3 feet of clear plastic hose attached to each end. Get fittings from a hardware store. You need two yard sticks or metric sticks. Fill the hose with water and eliminate bubbles. Make sure that the two clear hoses standing side by side have equal water levels. Then keep one end with the yard stick at the bench mark and go around to various places to take readings. Record both readings of elevation and subtract each shot from the BM reading. BM reading will change at each shot due to hose configuration, so do this for each reading.

 

[WARose]

Some good ideas presented here.....an old trick of mine (that I learned from others): if the settlement has been fairly recent and the structure has a masonry/brick veneer, you can at least establish how much the wall footing has settled by digging back a bit where the dirt goes against the masonry and seeing where the "stain line" is at. Especially for masonry in clay soils, it will show if it has been in contact with the soils long enough.

Another trick with masonry (with differential settlement): you can measure the gap(s) that show up in the classic "stair" type settlement. (I.e. a staircase shaped diagonal line that runs through the masonry veneer in running bond. There will typically be a gap between the brick/block and the layer of grout on top of the next course down.)

 

[StrP88]

Thanks everyone

However the structure is a pre-engineered building on grade beam and floor slab

 

[gravityandinertia]

A two person job possibly, but you could use a laser, level and a measuring tool of some sort on the other side of the building. Point the laser after leveled at the measuring tool and have your assistant read the difference.

 

[ahypek]

No preconstruction survey available?

 

[oldestguy]

strP88: So its built that way, you still can use the water filled hose. Take it to any floor and it works. Precision easily to 1/8" reading bottom of meniscus.

 

[cvg]

simple method and does not require any high tech methods or sleuthing - use a golf ball or handful of marbles, place on the interior floor at different locations and see which way they roll. this method assumes that the floor was generally level to begin with

 

[XR250]

I use a cheap Bosch laser level in the center of the building and just take spot elevations by myself. They make ones that send the laser through a prism so it spreads the beam out for faster measurements. Still tough to know if it was ever built level.