top of page
  • Building Forensics International

Concrete Cracking Project Description


The project consists of six basketball courts, including painted-on court striping, an adjacent approach ramp, and basketball pole and hoop structures. Based upon a number of indicators, the play courts were apparently cast in three or four principal, separate placements, in counter-clockwise fashion with the north-east first, north-west second and southern section last, in one or two placements.

The perimeter of each concrete placement is distinguishable by the style of joint and tooled edge. Examination of these tooled edges reveals that there is no filler material within any of the joints, whether tooled construction joints or saw cut or tooled control joints. While there was considerable variation in the width of the joints from joint to joint, the average joint width was considered fairly wide. It appears that there is no reinforcing through the joints to connect the separately cast slabs to each other. Minor variations are present in the color, texture and slab finish throughout the project. Some variations are excessive.

Each basketball hoop is supported by its own steel pole which is located several feet from the edge joint of each slab. Thus, the poles are not located on joints or edges, they are located within the field of the concrete slab. Prior to casting the slabs, the installation of these steel poles is accomplished by blocking out a formed square area within the slab, creating an opening in the slab so that the pole can be installed to its required excavation depth later. The play courts exhibit random cracking. In particular, cracks, where present, usually originate off comers of these boxed out square areas around the steel poles. Attempts have been made to repair some of the cracks. Repairs made have only served to magnify the width, length and visual severity of the cracks. In addition, some cracking is present at some slab comers; some of the joints display minor joint raveling, as well. The most significantly cracked section is the north west basketball court: the court to its immediate south, which was cast at the same time, shows slightly less cracking. The striping material itself is in poor repair, being scraped off and showing wear.Play court striping is in a white color. The stripes are of variable width and are frequently not linear or perpendicular to each other. Stripe edges often fail to be continuous.

27 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All
bottom of page