Effects of adfreezing

Structure · Problems · printed page 39 (PDF page 40)

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Book index entries

Adfreezing Footings – and Foundations Foundation – and Footing

Text in the illustration

ice lenses adhere to foundation wall, lifting top portion of foundation and house above
ice lenses
horizontal crack develops (often with top portion of foundation wall kicking inwards)
the crack tends to open in winter and partially close in summer
frost line
ice lenses expand over time (expanding the soil with them) this is particularly common in silty soils

Generated explanation

The illustration shows a house foundation in section, with foundation walls supported on footings and a floor slab between them. Ice lenses in the soil above the frost line adhere to the exterior of the left foundation wall. Arrows show upward lifting of the upper wall and house, along with inward movement at a horizontal wall crack. The annotations explain that expanding ice lenses enlarge the surrounding soil, particularly in silty soils, and that the crack tends to open in winter and partially close in summer.