Estudio geotécnico in San Vicente de Alcántara

In San Vicente de Alcántara, the predominant subsoil is composed of slates and schists, which account for 72.53% of the soils, accompanied on occasion by granite, gneiss and other igneous rocks, with small proportions of clays and hard marls. These materials exhibit a high level of cohesion and are considered suitable for shallow foundations, providing good bearing capacity, while also allowing relatively stable excavations thanks to their structure and compactness. Permeability is generally low, which necessitates paying attention to surface drainage and to the possibility of shallow aquifers in certain areas.

Seismicity in the municipality is considered notable, with 52 events recorded over the last 30 years, although with a maximum magnitude of 4.4, which implies that a seismic assessment must be carried out in structural design, particularly for sensitive buildings. The non-clayey substratum rules out the risk of expansiveness, and there are no signs of karst processes. The main geotechnical limiting factor is the stability of the slaty materials and the need to take seismic action into account, adapting the foundation type to these characteristics.