Good day, knowledgeable ones.
Does anyone know if there are tables on how much a (load-bearing) foundation wall is allowed to settle over the years? What is considered normal settlement.
Regards
Does anyone know if there are tables on how much a (load-bearing) foundation wall is allowed to settle over the years? What is considered normal settlement.
Regards
There is likely no table for this, but generally for beams, dimensioning usually involves a deflection of <L ⁄ 300. This could be applied to a core wall consisting of one or several beams with different supports. For a more solid core wall without major openings, one should normally not experience L ⁄ 300n visible settlement
https://www.traguiden.se/konstrukti...iska-deformationer/deformationsbegransningar/
https://www.traguiden.se/konstrukti...iska-deformationer/deformationsbegransningar/
Can you elaborate a bit on what you're after?
I'm skeptical that there is a widely accepted table for how many mm or percent a wall or column can settle per year or decade.
Whether a settlement is "acceptable" or not depends more on the consequences it brings.
If it's a wall supporting a roof in an attic without any interior, it's mostly a cosmetic issue as long as it doesn't affect angles in the rafters etc. too much.
If it's a wall with an exterior door that no longer closes or if the floor on the upper floor starts to tilt, it might require action at significantly smaller settlements.
And then there's the question of material.
Is it a wooden house that can absorb the settlements without significant problems, or is it a brick house that develops cracks, or perhaps a one-step plaster facade that has started to crack...
I'm skeptical that there is a widely accepted table for how many mm or percent a wall or column can settle per year or decade.
Whether a settlement is "acceptable" or not depends more on the consequences it brings.
If it's a wall supporting a roof in an attic without any interior, it's mostly a cosmetic issue as long as it doesn't affect angles in the rafters etc. too much.
If it's a wall with an exterior door that no longer closes or if the floor on the upper floor starts to tilt, it might require action at significantly smaller settlements.
And then there's the question of material.
Is it a wooden house that can absorb the settlements without significant problems, or is it a brick house that develops cracks, or perhaps a one-step plaster facade that has started to crack...
As @myrstack pointed out, deflections are allowed at about L/300, depending a bit on the building component. If, for example, you replaced your wall with a beam in the ceiling, you would accept a deflection of a few millimeters. However, this is something different from a settlement. In a newly built house, such a settlement would never be accepted. It's a construction error if the floors start to tilt or there are large gaps in the ceiling.
In an old house (from the 50s or older), however, it is something you can expect. Walls and floors are rarely completely straight there. But often nothing to worry about.
BUT, if it sinks a few millimeters every year, it is very serious. There are no allowances for an ongoing settlement, regardless of the house's age. It must be addressed "ögonaböj".
In an old house (from the 50s or older), however, it is something you can expect. Walls and floors are rarely completely straight there. But often nothing to worry about.
BUT, if it sinks a few millimeters every year, it is very serious. There are no allowances for an ongoing settlement, regardless of the house's age. It must be addressed "ögonaböj".