Estudio geotécnico in Níjar

In Níjar, slate and schist substrata predominate, in addition to a significant proportion of fine sands and silts. These materials exhibit contrasting properties in terms of bearing capacity: the slates and schists provide moderate strength, whereas sandy and silty deposits may show some compressibility and sensitivity to erosion. The minor presence of gravels and compact sands provides localised areas suitable for shallow foundations, but aquifers of moderate extent imply attention to the possible rise of the groundwater table. If there are lenses of limestones, dolomites or marbles, their assessment is essential because of the potential appearance of voids associated with them.

The area of Níjar shows a notable level of seismicity, with 110 events over 30 years and a maximum magnitude of 4.6, a factor that must be incorporated into the parameters for structural design calculations for foundations. Furthermore, the existence of limestone and dolomitic formations introduces the karst variable, whose thorough verification is mandatory before proposing any foundation intervention, due to the inherent risk of cavities. Since the dominant soils are not clayey, the risk of expansivity is ruled out, leaving the main precaution as control of karst-related phenomena and the ground’s seismic response.