What is a scharnierpand (hinge building)?
A scharnierpand (literally “hinge building”) is a Dutch term for a building in a terrace that stands between two neighbouring buildings settling by different amounts. If the house on one side sinks more than the house on the other, the building in between is dragged along and tilts out of level. It rotates around an imaginary hinge, hence the name.
If both neighbours settle equally, there is in theory no tilt; the middle building simply sinks evenly with them. A hinge building can also sit between two houses that are themselves level but have ended up at different heights.
The problem is common in old town centres on soft ground, such as Amsterdam and other Dutch cities, where terraced houses stand on timber piles or shallow foundations. Those foundations deteriorate at different rates through pile rot, bacterial decay or uneven settlement.
Application
The term matters mainly in foundation surveys and foundation repair in terraces. Repairing one house affects its neighbours: if one house is underpinned and the neighbour keeps sinking, the repaired house can become the hinge building.
Warning signs:
- tilting facades, floors and window frames (measurable with a spirit level or laser);
- cracks in party walls or where the house meets its neighbours;
- sticking doors and windows.
Tips:
- Look at the whole block: have foundation surveys carried out across several houses at once where possible.
- Coordinate repairs: agree solutions with neighbours or allow for a transition structure between repaired and unrepaired sections.
- Monitor over time: a single measurement says little about the rate of settlement; repeated readings show whether movement is ongoing.
Related Terms
- Settlement
- Foundation
- Underpinning
- Pile foundation
- Subsidence
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