HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE ON BASEMENT WALLS
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HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE
Hydrostatic pressure is the pressure exerted by the weight of a fluid at rest. Therefore, regarding a fluid at rest, the only existing pressure is the hydrostatic pressure. On the other hand, moving fluids cause additional hydrodynamic pressure related to fluid velocity.
HUMIDITY AND URBAN BUILDINGS Some houses have been built at a low ground level and comparatively high underground water table level. This is because the vast majority of big cities and towns are located along river channels, coastal deltas, and other geographical areas where soft soil and marine sedimentary strata exist. For this reason, problems associated with hydrostatic pressure are common in cities, and they often cause property damage due to water intrusion in basements and crawl spaces.
BASEMENT FOUNDATIONS
In the same way, issues in basement foundations can be associated with hydrostatic pressure being exerted on the basement walls. It is important to highlight that hydrostatic pressure increases with subsurface depth. It means that the deeper the foundation, the greater the risk for structural damage.
THE WATER TABLE The “water table� is the level at which water naturally sits, and it will vary depending on the location. The height of the water table can be affected by proximity to large bodies of water. Likewise, the water table can rise when heavy rain or snowmelt occurs, and the soil near the surface becomes saturated. In these cases, hydrostatic pressure increases and forces water through any small cracks in the foundation.
THE SOIL
Before building a house, the soil is the most important factor to consider because the whole structure rests on it. There are also several measures to prevent water from entering the basement foundation, as well as measures to divert water that has entered the foundation: Interior wall and floor sealantsIndoor water drain Exterior drainage Exterior waterproofing coatings Box-type waterproofingBasement Crack Injections
In poured concrete foundations, cracks and pipe gaps are the most common entry points for seepage. These openings can be sealed from the inside. Epoxies and urethanes can be pressure injected into these openings, thus penetrating the base from the outside to stop the filtration.
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