Crack in brick pier

[Andrew M]

Hi Tony,
2 summers ago we completed a new driveway, front path & front wall with railings to our house & gained a tremendous amount of knowledge from your excellent website. The works were completed by a professional landscaper & we have been delighted with the results.

The front wall consists of a 9" wall with 4 piers (2 either side of driveway entrance and 2 either side of pedestrian entrance leading to front door. 3 of the piers are attached to walls. The 4th is free standing as we have planted a yew hedge from the pier upto the house defining the boundary. The pier is 14" square & 17 courses high with a red tile crease.

Yesterday at the base of the free standing pier, I noticed a major horizontal crack along the whole mortar joint base along 3 sides. The whole pier was slightly off plane by 3 or 4 mm especially on 2 sides & I was able to slide it back into position. The crack travels along on the top mortar joint on the 1st course & half way along drops down a vertical mortar joint onto the bottom mortar joint of the 1st course. I have no idea how this has happened but guess someone has deliberately pushed against it???

I would greatly appreciate your opinion on whether you feel it can be rectified (& if so how) or needs to be totally rebuilt? (Obviously safety is a major concern.)

Thanks v. much . . . Andrew

[Dave_L]

Have you got a picture of the damaged pier, Andrew?

[lutonlagerlout]

andrew the gaffer (tony ) is not around ,but i can answer your questions
the pier is 13 1/2 inches square not 14
really freestanding piers this size should be ok ,i suspect a vehicle has give it a knock
also any shrubery i.e, trees bushes etc can cause movement in walls and piers
it may be possible to bed it back on if it is in 1 piece,but you will need assistance
a photo would be handy
cheers LLL

[Andrew M]

Thanks Dave and LLL,

I don't have a photo yet & that may take a some days as I am travelling around on business & I will need to borrow a digital camera.

There is only one tree in the vicinity but the whole area was excavated by a mini-digger and sound foundations were made. The yew hedging are young plants. I could see no signs of a car impact on the brickwork.

Fortunately it is in 1 piece. The crack is very neat now that I have moved it back into position. I will call the contractor who did the job for his opinion & assistance with possibly bedding back on - he was a sound chap & v. helpful. I will let you know the outcome.
Thank you . . . . Andrew

[Andrew M]

I still haven't got a photo. But the contractor who did the job has been to look at it and the pier is loose with the crack going straight the way through.

I thought about tilting the pier and removing as much as possible of the mortar bed and then bedding onto new mortar. Whereas he suggested raking out the mortor and re-pointing while still in position - I am concerned about the strength of this solution.
What do you think?
Thanks . . . . . Andrew

[lutonlagerlout]

if you cannot bed it back on whole then you will need to demolish it and rebuild with new bricks and most important make sure the mortar is the same gauge as the original
repointing it wont addres the issue of the crack ,water will ingress and when it freezes the pier will become unstable again
cheers LLL