1986/68. Preliminary report on building cracking at the Tasmanian State Institute of Technology campus at Newnham.

Widespread cracking is occurring on many of the buildings on the T.S.I.T. campus at Newnham. This cracking is reported to have started in 1982-1983, the drought years in Launceston, and is continuing. It is thought to be related to foundation movements caused by differential ground movements from an underlying expansive clay. Two auger holes at two proposed building sites showed thin permeable river terrace gravel and silt overlying very highly plastic and expansive clay. Within the clay are minor beds and lenses of sandstone, sandy clay etc., some of which are cemented. The selective nature of the cracking is possibly due to the differences in lithology and thickness in the underlying sediments, aided by the large number of trees growing so close to the buildings. Little to no detailed subsurface information of the campus site is available and it is recommended that a subsurface investigation, including drilling and soil testing, be undertaken to establish the cause of cracking. This investigation should be undertaken before any remedial work on the cracking is contemplated