How to ensure better consideration and mitigation of the shrinkage–swelling risk of clays?

Abstract

For several years, climate change in Luxembourg has increasingly resulted, among other things, in precipitation deficits, which causes damage linked to the phenomenon of shrinkage–swelling of clays, affecting both buildings and infrastructures. The south of Luxembourg, with its predominantly marly and clayey Triassic and Jurassic rocks, is particularly at risk. While the usual stabilisation methods are often used, such as underpinning or injecting under the foundations, they have several drawbacks. As an alternative, innovative rainwater reinjection methods have been tested by our office, with encouraging results, and could help to prevent the occurrence of damage to structures. At the same time, the establishment of a hazard map and the development of technical regulations specifying the parameters to be determined and the tests to be carried out would allow better management of the risk by all stakeholders, as well as the limitation of related costs.

Keywords

• climate change