Detached Garage Foundation Issues.... Fix or...?

[Arizona_928]

Looks like I'm getting a new garage but with the back corner having significant structural issues. Is it possible to fix or just run with it?

[Tim Hancock]

I can't tell you exactly how to fix it but if it were me, I would likely buy some block and a bag of mortar and patch it up. way less time/money to fix some block vs tearing down and rebuilding an otherwise fine building.

This of course assuming the majority of the rest of the building is still solid.

[stomachmonkey]

What is that pipe coming in from the left?

Just a random piece of unused pipe or is there water discharge from it?

[A930Rocket]

Can we get a picture from for the back for perspective?

A few questions I have are:

Is the block core filled?

What’s on the other side of the block, garage space or is a backfilled?

How much weight is on it? 1, 2 stories? Just a roof?

It looks like it’s not only settling down. It’s moving out.

[Arizona_928]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

What is that pipe coming in from the left?

Just a random piece of unused pipe or is there water discharge from it?

Random piece of trash conduit

[flatbutt]

I'm no builder so.... is that a pillow block in the corner? It doesn't look like a corner cinder block that would have had the core containing mortar. Or did the corner block crack?

edit nvr mind I can see the full block from the other angle.

[Arizona_928]

Originally Posted by A930Rocket

Can we get a picture from for the back for perspective?

A few questions I have are:

Is the block core filled?

What’s on the other side of the block, garage space or is a backfilled?

How much weight is on it? 1, 2 stories? Just a roof?

It looks like it’s not only settling down. It’s moving out.

I won't be back there until this weekend. But i can.

Not too much weight. It's a single story 1 car garage.
Not sure about core filled.
Other side is garage space.

I'm thinking it's due to a new roof with a lack of gutters...

[911 Rod]

I'd dig down, remove the blocks and replace.
That is assuming there is foundation to put the new blocks on.

[Scott Douglas]

Did the upper portion move or the lower?
Kind of hard to tell from the pics.
How far up the wall does the zig zag crack go behind the plant?
Seeing this from the inside would help I would think.

[Arizona_928]

From the inside you can see just these blocks pushed out. So it seems like the lower corner moved out and everything else is good.




I can get more pictures this weekend.

[Scott Douglas]

Do you know if the 'floor' of the garage is cracked at the interface of those blocks in the corner?

[Scott Douglas]

I'm finding it interesting that the 'mortar' between the blocks doesn't look like it adhered to the upper blocks at all in the circled area.

Could a car possibly bumped the wall from inside?

Just trying to get to the root cause.

[Bill Douglas]

I think the floor has sunk. seems odd as it's probably a concrete slab.

If the slab has sunk, or broken and sunk, there is some expanding foam that is put under concrete to lift it. Sorry, no idea what it's called but I've been fascinated by the ad' on TV where foot paths, concrete floors etc are levelled.

[A930Rocket]

I’m no engineer, but think a couple options are to lift the block up by lifting the footer up, assuming it has a footer.

Used the existing footer, replace the block as needed, and core fill the cells with a grout mix.

Any way to find out if this is something that happened over time or something bumped it from the inside, as mentioned?

Once you repair it, you can get small plastic gauges that adhere to either side of the crack and it measures the gap over time.

[Scott Douglas]

I'd like to know how the wall moved as shown with the red arrow pointing to the right.
And, how did the lower portion of the wall move without causing a fracture along the red rectangle line?

[Zeke]

No one has asked if there is fill behind this wall. Kinda changes the approach if this is a foundation wall with the garage on top.

Scott, the mortar on blocks is not all that structural laterally. Lateral reinforcement is what rebar and grouting is for. Apparently that corner is light on rebar.

[Arizona_928]

Originally Posted by Scott Douglas

I'm finding it interesting that the 'mortar' between the blocks doesn't look like it adhered to the upper blocks at all in the circled area.

Could a car possibly bumped the wall from inside?

Just trying to get to the root cause.

It's a small garage. So it's completely possible to be pushed from the inside. The current tenant has the back filled with stuff.

[A930Rocket]

I did 🙋🏽

Originally Posted by A930Rocket

…..What’s on the other side of the block, garage space or is a backfilled…..

Originally Posted by Zeke

No one has asked if there is fill behind this wall. Kinda changes the approach if this is a foundation wall with the garage on top.

Scott, the mortar on blocks is not all that structural laterally. Lateral reinforcement is what rebar and grouting is for. Apparently that corner is light on rebar.

In addition to grout and rebar, I don’t see any ladder wire.

[Arizona_928]

Tenent had a suv in the garage. The agent ended up just sending these pictures. Back of the garage is flush.

[ltusler]

See if there is a basement repair company in your area that will jack it back in place support it, install rebar in the block voids then pump in very wet concrete. Just had this done at out lake place. the lakeside wall had 1.5" of deflection.