Clay deposits in Germany
Loamy soils can be found all over Central Europe. They are typical of former glacial valleys and end zones of glaciers from the Ice Age. In Germany there are hardly any regions without clay. In the foothills of the Alps, the Magdeburg Börde or the glacial valley of the Elbe dominates Clay soil. The areas with the lowest proportion of clay in the subsoil include the low mountain ranges as well as the Middle Rhine and the edge zones of the Alps. In the heaths, the soils are very loose and rich in sand. They have negligibly low concentrations of clay.
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Soil test for clay content
Wait until the next rain to determine the type of soil. If puddles form on the surface that do not seep away for a long time, the soil is loamy. The material has a compact structure and hardly lets any water through. You can shape some garden soil with the palm of your hand while it is moist to determine the type of soil:
- Clay: can be shaped into a smooth and sticky sausage
- Silt: smooth sausage, the ends of which cannot be joined
- sand: disintegrates into crumbs when trying to shape
Buy clay
Gravel pits are the first point of contact for natural clay. They offer the excavation for an average of around ten euros per ton. The costs vary depending on the region. There is building clay at the natural building yard.
Pit clay
This raw material counts Clay soilthat was taken from the pit and not processed. In this form, the substrate is used as a raw material for earth building techniques or in the manufacture of earth building products. It occurs as by-products in gravel pits.
Building earth
Mine clay that has been prepared and cleared of stones is called construction clay. This can be used directly for building or in the garden. In this form, the material is filled into earth-moist big bags, which, depending on the manufacturer, contain between 500 and 1,000 kilograms. Clay powder was also sieved, dried and ground. It is available in bulk packs or 25 kilo bags and can be used like lime or cement.