Centimetre-long cracks in the facade, creaks and cracks in the floor: houses that crack due to the shrinking clay soil on which they are built are a growing problem. Dozens of families were affected by dry summers, especially in West Flanders, but houses were also torn apart in the Flemish Ardennes and Flemish Brabant.
CARD. View here how great the risk of subsidence and cracks in the walls due to clay soil is in your area
The Flemish Environment Department has now published a ‘sensitivity map for plastic soils’. It shows Flanders colored from green to red. In red zones, the clay soil is more at risk of shrinking and swelling. This happens during wet or dry periods, which are becoming more common due to climate change. (Read more below the photo)
Merelbeke, Gavere and the Flemish Ardennes turn a lot redder, but a red zone can also be seen in Ghent. — © Flemish government
The more sensitive the soil is to this, the more risk there is of subsidence and cracks in houses. The map has been drawn up based on previous damage cases, but also with data from soil samples, soil measurements and laboratory tests. Measurements were taken up to five meters deep in the ground.
-Red spot
With green and yellow tones, low and moderate sensitivity, Ghent is largely spared the risk. Only an area on the south side turns red. This concerns approximately the region between the Ringvaart and the small ring road, with the Stationsbuurt, the Miljoenenkwartier, Nieuw Gent, the Stropbuurt and part of Ledeberg. The sensitivity to shrinking and swelling is very high.
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This does not mean that houses in the red zones will now subside en masse, or that it is better not to build there anymore. The main intention is to see where vigilance or additional measures may be required, such as extra deep foundations or drainage. “Every use requires a thorough and critical interpretation,” says the Environment Department.
The map can be viewed via www.dov.vlaanderen.be/page/plastische-gronden
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