Cracks in Walls

Hi, I recently bought a 10 yr old house. I have noticed a series of cracks both on the external walls and some on internal plaster boards. There seems to be a general pattern to all of them (most of them are around the rear part of the building) I suspect that it could be structural specially since there is some heavy earth digging happening to lay some train tracks nearby (20 mts). I need some professional to have a look and give me remedial advice. Does anyone offer such a service ? Any info will help
Thanks
Vishal

Holy moley! I'm gathering they weren't there when you purchased the house? 20m from train tracks is not where i'd want to be but anyway, look in the yellow pages & call a structural engineer. Tell them your issue on the phone & they'll let you know if it's something they can do a report on. This will cost you a couple of hundred bucks but make sure you do it. If the cracking is being caused by works nearby you need 3rd party evidence.

Seriously doubt digging 20m away would cause any major structural damage. Digging 1m away maybe. You would get a lot more help and advice on you problem if you were to post some pictures or at the very least explain what the cracks look like, ie size of crack and length etc.

Thanks for the info

The crack on the left external wall runs from the ground up to the ceiling through the bricks. It is only about 3 - 4 mm wide I would say, then roughly around the same place on the interior there is a crack opening up in the roof and side wall plaster board (these had been painted on to conceal them) then on the other side of the external wall (opposite side) there seems like a wider crack that runs next to a door frame making it look like the entire wall is leaning away from the building. On the whole if one links all the cracks it looks like the rear of the building is sinking !!!

Also has anyone heard of URETEK (http://www.uretek.com.au/pages/home.asp) apparently they specialize remedying in this kinds of issues

Yes, i have heard of them. Maybe give them a ring & see if they have an engineer that can do diagnostics? It does sound like you've had some subsidence & perhaps need underpinning.

withvishalpawar, you also don't say what are the foundations like. What is the soil type? What are the contours of the block, is the site cut and fill and if yes, on which side are the cracks and on which side the wall is leaning, on which side is the rear part of the building? Any big trees, either growing or recently removed? Any water ponding issues? etc. etc. When you are looking at a problem like this, you have to start from the land, soil, foundations and footings. Cracks in internal linings like plaster, when combined with cracks in external walls, are merely the consequence of some underlying problem with footings and foundations. You need to look at the land, soil, foundations.