ᐅ Cracks in Load-Bearing Walls – Normal or Cause for Concern?

Hello, I am new to the forum. I am buying an apartment from the developer. I already have the notary appointment scheduled for next week. My building (a multi-family house) will be constructed in two years. Other multi-family buildings are currently being built by Bonava (formerly NCC) on the same construction site. A few days ago, I was quite shocked because you could see cracks in the cellar walls made of precast concrete hollow-core elements, where the cracks appeared along the joints pressed with metal rivets. The developer said this is normal and that these cracks can occur. What do you think? How dangerous is this? The building has not been constructed yet and has not settled, but already there are cracks. Although this is not the building where my apartment will be, I am worried if the developer is working like this.

Looking forward to your reply,
Dimitriy

Dimitriy schrieb:
You could see cracks in the walls made from precast hollow-core elements in the basement, caused by joints compressed with metal dowels.

Linguistically, I find it hard to follow: cracks caused by metal dowels being compressed – what exactly should one imagine here?

What I think I have understood is: there were walls (or rather formwork panels that will become walls once concrete is poured in); and these formwork panels showed cracks. This is indeed hardly entirely avoidable and poses no risk to the building’s structural stability.

A construction site is neither an operating room nor a girls’ boarding school. When wood is planed, shavings will fall.

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Thank you for your response! I’m sorry if I wasn’t able to clearly describe the situation. I am sending a photo from the construction site. To me, it looks really strange, but I am not an expert at all. The basement walls are made from double-layer precast hollow core wall elements with a concrete core. It is correct that the formwork is filled with concrete. The formwork shows cracks. However, together with the concrete core, they support all six floors of the building. If they are already showing cracks now, is there a risk for the building?

Hmm.... I don’t think that’s normal. I haven’t seen anything like that before.

Dimitriy schrieb:
I am buying an apartment from the developer. I already have the notary appointment next week.

You should cancel that appointment if I understood correctly that you want to buy from the builder of the house shown in your photo (so in a different building, but from the same developer). I can

Bau-Schmidt schrieb:
say that this is unusual. I have never seen anything like it.

only fully agree. Now I also understand what the rivets in your sentence were supposed to indicate.

Dimitriy schrieb:
If there are already cracks now, is there a risk for the building?

From your picture in #3, I clearly see the risk that the building authority will issue an immediate demolition order if they conduct an on-site inspection. Hats off to the highly original improvisation, but even with a tolerant attitude, this does not comply with building regulations anymore.

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