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Challenging restoration of Leuven’s quay walls
This spring, the Flemish Environment Agency (VMM) started with the renovation of the most damaged walls along the Dijle River in Belgium. Because the Dijle River has several side branches flowing through the city centre, construction work is spread all over Leuven. Several areas along the third side branch and the main water course have already been renovated. Due to the renovation works, the water level has temporarily been lowered in the construction areas, allowing the workers to manoeuvre more easily within the water course.
This spring, the Flemish Environment Agency (VMM) started with the renovation of the most damaged walls along the Dijle River in Belgium. Because the Dijle River has several side branches flowing through the city centre, construction work is spread all over Leuven. Several areas along the third side branch and the main water course have already been renovated. Due to the renovation works, the water level has temporarily been lowered in the construction areas, allowing the workers to manoeuvre more easily within the water course.
The walls along the Dijle River characterise the historical image of the city centre of Leuven. Some of these walls are old and several spots are seriously damaged. The renovation of these quay walls is important for the people’s safety and to guarantee the proper flow of the Dijle through the city centre.These operations in the middle of the city centre often demand great creativity from the contractor. A huge dam is required at certain spots in order to keep the water out of the construction zone and allow the workers to get on with their work. They frequently have to work from a scaffold, because the water level in the side course cannot be lowered or blocked.
Historical look preserved
Most of the damage is very similar and starts horizontally with the water line. The bricks tend to loosen due to frost in the wintertime. 
Consequently, the support for the higher bricks starts to break down and as a result the whole wall begins to collapse stone by stone. There is, however, a very effective restoration method used to repair this kind of damage and retain the historical look of the walls. Each situation requires a suitable repair method which takes both the aesthetic aspects and the wall’s visibility into account.
Most of the restoration tasks within this project are relatively small. However, a much bigger challenge is still waiting at the first side branch, which involves restoration of a 22 m length of the wall. A total of 76 different zones will be restored and the entire renovation project is scheduled to be completed by March 2012.
Figure 1 and 2: renovation work on damaged walls, source: Flemish Environment Agency
Consequently, the support for the higher bricks starts to break down and as a result the whole wall begins to collapse stone by stone. There is, however, a very effective restoration method used to repair this kind of damage and retain the historical look of the walls. Each situation requires a suitable repair method which takes both the aesthetic aspects and the wall’s visibility into account. Most of the restoration tasks within this project are relatively small. However, a much bigger challenge is still waiting at the first side branch, which involves restoration of a 22 m length of the wall. A total of 76 different zones will be restored and the entire renovation project is scheduled to be completed by March 2012.
Figure 1 and 2: renovation work on damaged walls, source: Flemish Environment Agency
