ABSTRACT
All buildings move. In the majority of cases this will be for quite acceptable reasons and the amount of
movement will not adversely affect the building’s performance.
Initially, when a building is constructed, movement downwards will be caused by the new loads
imposed on the sub-soil beneath. Unless that sub-soil is particularly dense and strong (eg a rock such
as granite), a newly constructed building will suffer from initial settlement as the sub-soil beneath is
consolidated. Normally, the downward movement of the sub-soil and any resultant cracking of the
building are both of a minor nature. With non-cohesive granular sub-soils, such as sand, this initial
settlement occurs quickly and has often ceased by the time the construction has been completed.
