Cracks at CMU Walls

Cracks at concrete masonry unit (CMU) walls can occur for many reasons. These include impact, overloading, inadequate or adversely affected support (settlement), shrinkage and thermal movements, or a combination of these. Two of the most common causes of cracks in CMU walls are presented in the tabs below.

The photograph below shows a settlement crack in a CMU privacy wall, with significant displacement across the crack: