How can they distinguish between historic and current movement?

bclark

When we bought our Victorian house our survey highlighted some historic movement, it was classed as a C on our survey.

Now we are selling their surveyor has also noted this but given it an A grading and our buyers want to have this looked into by a structural engineer. Now I am pretty confident that the building hasn't moved since we bought it but obviously I am no expert.

My question really is how will the strucural engineer be able to identify whether the movement is current or historic?

G_M

He goes on a 3 year university course, then works as an appretice and gains experience.

One metod is to mark the edges of a gap, measure the difference, then return at 3 month intervals to see if the gap is widening.

But there are many other 'clues'.

bclark

G_M wrote: »

He goes on a 3 year university course, then works as an appretice and gains experience.

One metod is to mark the edges of a gap, measure the difference, then return at 3 month intervals to see if the gap is widening.

But there are many other 'clues'.

Well this one is coming on Tuesday and submitting his report on Friday so the return visit method isn't going to happen.

I know that there are ways, I am not implying it's quackery or anything, I was wondering about what they look for, how reliable it is etc?

desthemoaner

Thats a very good question, and I personally would love to hear the answer from someone who knows.

In general terms, ongoing movement can be tested for by monitoring the cracks over a set period of time to test whether they open up again. Cracks can be filled in and disguised with paint, but they'll soon reopen if the building is still moving. Not sure if they still do this, but surveyors used to test for movement in a building by bridging cracks with small pieces of glass, fixed to the brickwork either side with epoxy resin. Glass has little strength under tension, so the sections of glass would break if there was any movement.

I'm only guessing, but for a visual assessment, it may be that if external signs of movement are not repeated on the inside--ie, if the most recent internal decoration hasn't been damaged by the opening up of new cracks--they can tell that the building has stopped moving.