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| Water Freezes and Concrete Cracks |
| By Greg Vanden Berge |
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Anyone who understands the basic chemistry of water understands how powerful it can actually be. If water is heated up to high enough temperatures, it can actually create steam and steam is powerful enough to move large trains and even produce electricity. If we go in the opposite direction and freeze the water, it will turn into a solid substance which is strong enough to crack and move large boulders. When water freezes, it expands and if you're not familiar with this process, put about 6 ounces of water in a small 8 ounce plastic cup and place it securely in a freezer. Once the water freezes, you will notice that it has expanded and has even put some pressure on the plastic cup. Here's what happens to your concrete building foundation, once it becomes wet from rain or snow. After the ground has become saturated with water, this water will absorb into your concrete building foundation footings and floor slab. |
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| After the concrete and soil have absorbed enough
water and the temperatures start to drop below freezing, the water in
the soil and the concrete will start to freeze. Once this water starts
to freeze, it will start to expand and if it expands enough, it will
cause the concrete building foundation to actually crack. This problem would be more common in older homes that don't have rebar installed in them to provide additional structural support. The rebar won't eliminate all of your building foundation cracks, but it can prevent them from becoming larger. Most building codes require the bottom of your concrete footings to be well below your communities frost line.
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