Estudio geotécnico in Herencia

In Herencia, calcareous soils predominate, consisting mainly of limestones, dolomites and marbles, which favours a high bearing capacity and allows for shallow foundations directly on these competent materials. Compact gravels and sands, although less frequent, also present suitable conditions for founding, provided that any possible presence of finer, more homogeneous strata is controlled. It is essential to identify and avoid the poor-competence layers of deltaic muds and peats, which are not suitable as a bearing stratum due to their low strength and high potential settlement. In addition, the occasional presence of gypsum, anhydrite and salts implies a risk of dissolution, which may affect the medium- and long-term stability of the foundations.

From a geotechnical point of view, seismicity in Herencia is moderate, with 13 events over 30 years and a low maximum magnitude (Mmax 1.8), so it does not represent a significant threat to structural design. However, the occurrence of karst-related phenomena associated with calcareous materials requires a detailed verification prior to carrying out any foundation work, since the possible existence of cavities can seriously affect stability. The non-clayey substrate rules out expansivity risks, positioning karst development as the main factor to be studied in the geotechnical works in the area.