Estudio geotécnico in San Fernando de Henares

In San Fernando de Henares, the surface geology includes a significant proportion of water bodies, together with the occasional presence of slates, schists, gravels, compact sands, and, to a lesser extent, limestones, dolomites, marbles, as well as gypsum, anhydrite and salts. These materials affect the ground’s bearing capacity: gravels and compact sands are favourable for shallow foundations, whereas localised concentrations of gypsum and salts may entail a risk of dissolution, conditioning the durability and stability of the foundations. The presence of discontinuous aquifers with moderate permeability also requires detailed characterisation to rule out potential problems such as undermining or lowering of the water table.

With regard to geotechnical hazard, seismicity in the municipality is very low (5 events over 30 years and maximum magnitude of 3), so it does not represent a relevant constraint for structural design. However, it is essential to verify the existence of karst in areas with limestones, dolomites and gypsum before selecting a foundation solution, due to the risk of subsidence or hidden cavities. The subordinate presence of expansive clays, combined with areas lacking a pronounced water deficit, reduces the risk of expansivity, although it should not be completely ruled out in specific areas. In conclusion, the main geotechnical precaution in San Fernando de Henares is to confirm and control the karst phenomenon and the possible dissolution of gypsum, which requires an appropriate preliminary geotechnical study before proposing any foundation.