They are separate structural defect types on a sewer camera report. Seattle's utility calls cracks and fractures smaller pipe breaks that are watched or repaired by severity, while a hole can let soil in and leave a void. How many and how bad matters as much as the label.
The terms on a PACP report
Geocadra, which makes a digital PACP inspection form, lists crack, fracture, broken pipe and hole as separate structural defect codes. Structural defects are those that compromise the physical integrity of the pipe wall, and each code has descriptors: cracks, for example, can be longitudinal, circumferential, multiple, spiral or hinge.
Cracks and fractures
Seattle Public Utilities describes cracks and fractures as "smaller pipe breaks" that can come from poor installation, poor soil bedding, root penetration or structural deterioration from aging pipes. It rates them like this:
| Rating | What the utility says | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Minor | Typically no effect on the working function of the pipe, but may increase in size or severity over time. | Inspect three to five years after the original inspection. |
| Moderate | May or may not be affecting the working condition; likely will increase in severity over time. | Inspect every one to two years. If the cracks are worsening, begin planning and budgeting for repairs. |
| Severe | Already has an impact on the working function or is on the verge of collapsing, leading to full structural failure. | Repair. |
Holes and broken pipe
A hole is a different situation. The utility says holes can cause soil and debris to build up in the pipe, and can let the soil around the pipe wash away and leave an empty space that may eventually lead to sinkholes. Its guidance for every hole size it shows, from a small hole with aggregate showing to a large hole with a void, is repair.
Why the count matters
The same label can carry different grades. Geocadra's examples put a multiple crack at Grade 2, a longitudinal fracture at Grade 3, and multiple fractures or broken pipe with soil visible at Grade 4. It also notes that a grade applies to an individual defect observation, not to the pipe segment as a whole. So ask how many of each defect the report lists and where, not only the highest grade.
What to ask about your report
- Which term applies to each defect, and at what footage.
- Whether the crack or fracture is at a joint, and whether roots are involved (see signs of tree roots in a sewer line).
- Whether soil is visible through the defect. That is the sign of a possible void.
- What the inspector recommends, and by when, for anything past minor.
The terms above feed into the grade. For how those grades work, see what PACP coding is. A belly or an offset joint on the same report may share a cause.
HQ can camera-inspect the line and go over the findings with you, with free estimates and upfront pricing on any repair.