Estudio geotécnico in Baños de la Encina

In Baños de la Encina, the dominant geotechnical substratum is composed mainly of slates and schists, which account for almost 70% of the materials present. These lithologies, of metamorphic and compact nature, exhibit low permeability and provide an adequate bearing capacity for shallow foundations, provided they are moderately weathered/altered. From time to time, fine sands and silts may be found, which can locally reduce the ground’s shear strength; however, given their limited proportion, the overall condition for most projects is favourable. The near-surface layers, when they consist of fresh or moderately weathered slates, are suitable for use as direct support for conventional foundations.

The seismicity recorded in the municipality is very low, with only 7 events over 30 years and a maximum magnitude of M2.9, so it does not represent a relevant factor in the structural analysis. There is no evidence of karstification or of soils with significant expansivity, as the non-clayey substratum rules out any risk in this regard. As a result, the main geotechnical criterion to take into account lies in the local variability of thicknesses and the degree of alteration of the slates and schists, whereas the other instability factors usually have no impact.