ABSTRACT
The majority of residential structures in Australia are single family houses, with brick veneer construction being the common form. This form of construction has not changed significantly in the last few decades. Many house owners encounter varying levels of cracking to non-structural components such as plasterboard and brick veneer walls during the life of the structure. While this type of damage appears simple, the repair can be expensive and if the root cause of damage is not rectified, the cracks and other damage tend to reappear. This paper reports on the development of a unique database to capture damage information from detailed structural inspections of houses in Victoria. The database has been populated to date with more than 750 reports of typical damaged houses. The database shows significant trends relating damage to other parameters such as age of structure, foundation classification, vegetation, and repair costs. The database is a useful tool for managers of large housing stock to develop their maintenance programs, assess repair techniques and plan property acquisitions.
