Partnerships and scientific innovation against RGA

How does public research contribute to preventing RGA?

Since the 2000s, several national research programs have been launched to structure knowledge and responses to RGA:

This work has produced concrete results:

• •Precise mapping: identification of several million homes located in low, medium or high hazard zones
• •Predictive models: modeling tools to anticipate ground movement based on climate and geotechnical data
• •Construction recommendations: gradual evolution of standards and recommendations (DTU, technical guides) to better factor in RGA constraints (foundation depth, tie-beams, vegetation distances)
• •Innovative solutions: exploration and assessment of alternative or complementary solutions to micropiles, including water regulation and clay soil moisture management

What role does public research play in managing RGA?

Areas of contribution

1. Mapping and data:
   • RGA hazard map at a 1:50,000 scale, freely accessible on Géorisques
   • Subsurface database (BSS): hundreds of thousands of referenced boreholes with lithological and geotechnical data
   • Regular map updates based on new data and climate evolution
2. Research and development:
   • Modeling work on climate change's impact on ground movement
   • Development of predictive tools to anticipate at-risk areas over different time horizons
   • Experiments at test sites to better understand soil behavior and assess different stabilization solutions
3. Support and dissemination:
   • Training geotechnical engineering firms in risk assessment methodologies
   • Publishing technical guides and recommendations for local authorities and homeowners
   • Participating in regulatory discussions (RGA-related texts, factoring the phenomenon into urban planning documents)

Scientific fields involved

• •Geology and mapping: identifying clay formations, establishing the national hazard map
• •Hydrology and agronomy: research on soil-climate-vegetation interactions, hydrological models, clay soil water behavior
• •Climatology: drought data, soil moisture indices, regional climate projections
• •Applied geotechnics: technical guides for builders and local authorities, spreading good practices
• •Building standardization: contributing to the evolution of construction standards and technical evaluation of innovations

How does TerraStab fit into this momentum?

The emergence of solutions like TerraStab can be understood in three main stages:

Phase 1: Public fundamental research (2015–2018)

During this period, national public research conducted major work on the hydro-geotechnical understanding of clay soils: behavior based on moisture, shrink-swell modeling, soil-climate-vegetation interaction. This research laid the scientific groundwork for water stabilization and soil monitoring. TerraStab did not take part in this research but relies on this published knowledge to design its technology.

Phase 2: Experiments and public demonstrators (2019–2022)

During this phase, research bodies conducted experiments at test sites, demonstrators and comparative studies between solutions (mechanical, water-based, vegetation-based). They helped better understand the potential of water regulation and other approaches to limit ground movement in certain contexts. TerraStab did not take part in any of these experiments: we only use publicly released results to structure our approach and define our application ranges.

Phase 3: Technology transfer and TerraStab implementation (from 2022)

It is only at this stage that TerraStab steps in: by translating knowledge from public research into a solution that can be installed at homeowners' properties. Our contribution is to industrialize the method, develop robust sensors, a reliable control unit, a monitoring platform, and a simple, reproducible installation protocol. TerraStab does not claim any label or specific approval from public bodies: we align with their scientific findings to offer a concrete, pragmatic solution.

Scientific validation and grounding in technical literature

The credibility of hydro-stabilization rests first on the scientific and technical work published by public research and the geotechnical community. TerraStab relies on this foundation to build its solution:

• •Documented physical principles: clay soil behavior based on water content, the role of drought and rehydration cycles, described in specialized literature.
• •Public experimental results: field feedback and technical studies mentioning the value of controlling soil moisture in limiting certain damage.
• •Regulatory compliance: adherence to the broad lines of applicable standards and recommendations (DTU, drainage best practices, water management, vegetation distances).
• •Field feedback: progressive improvement of TerraStab protocols based on geotechnical diagnoses and medium-term monitoring of installations.

This approach sets TerraStab apart from purely empirical approaches: the solution is designed to remain consistent with the scientific state of the art, while clearly acknowledging its application limits. Hydro-stabilization isn't presented as a universal solution, but as an option particularly suited to a large proportion of RGA damage cases, leaving micropiles as the reference solution for the most critical situations.

What are the current and future research directions?

The main ongoing research directions include:

• •Fine-grained climate modeling: integrating regional climate projections to better anticipate risk evolution at the territorial scale
• •Decision-support tools: using advanced algorithms to cross-reference soil data, climate history and field observations
• •Next-generation sensors: developing more autonomous, robust and affordable sensors to facilitate long-term soil monitoring
• •Hybrid solutions: combining water regulation, building adaptation and vegetation management to better control ground movement.

This research involves multidisciplinary teams and benefits from various forms of public support (national research programs, European cooperation, scientific partnerships).

Frequently asked questions