Estudio geotécnico in Pamplona/Iruña

In Pamplona/Iruña, the predominant substrate is made up of carbonate materials such as limestones, dolomites and marbles, accounting for almost 75%, which provides good conditions for load transfer and allows direct foundations on competent rock in most cases. Fine sands, silts and, to a lesser extent, gravels appear in isolated locations, which may introduce some local variability in the geotechnical parameters, especially with regard to bearing capacity; quantifying them in situ is therefore recommended to avoid differential settlements in specific areas.

Seismic activity in the area is very low, with only 7 events over 30 years and a maximum recorded magnitude of 2.7, which implies that standard structural design does not require specific seismic considerations. In addition, no karstification-related phenomena of interest have been recorded that could affect the stability of the foundations. As regards the risk of expansivity, the presence is identified mainly as non-expansive or dispersed clays within a non-clayey matrix, which represents a low expansivity risk, although it should be assessed if point accumulations are found. The main geotechnical constraint for building in Pamplona/Iruña is fundamentally the accurate characterisation of the near-surface carbonate materials and the identification of any possible isolated zones of less compact subsoils.