Vertical Concrete block foundation Crack 1

[CivilTom]

Slightly worried about the vertical crack identified in the attached photo. The cracks widest point is .2 inches. My research suggested this may be due to temperature fluctuations since it is located in my boiler room and shouldn’t be of concern. But there’s also a drain line running perpendicular to the wall about 3’ away from the crack and now I’m thinking maybe there is a crack in the drain and water is displacing soil causing foundation settlement.

The 2 flat sits on a slab no basement. This block wall is the first floor.

 

[RabitPete]

CMUs on both sides appear on the same level, so does not look like differential settlement. More like expansion crack due-to temperature. I bet there are no expansion joints in the wall and hardly if any horizontal reinforcement.

 

[gte447f]

I assume this is a basement wall below grade? Has the crack always been there? It looks to me most like a shrinkage/restraint crack due to the vertical orientation and no significant differential vertical movement on either side of the crack. Most likely causes are changes in moisture content and/or temperature.

 

[Ron]

CivilTom....this is a shrinkage crack. Has nothing to do with settlement.

 

[MIStructE_IRE]

My money’s on shrinkage. What’s the distance between joints (if any)?

 

[Tmoose]

Got a picture of the crack down at the floor to wall interface ?