Estudio geotécnico in Santa Cruz de Tenerife

In Santa Cruz de Tenerife, sandstones, conglomerates and flysch predominate, covering more than 80% of the near-surface ground. These materials usually provide good bearing capacity, facilitating the development of conventional shallow foundations, although it is essential to identify the locally occurring presence of expansive white or soft clays—even if such presence is infrequent—in order to avoid localised problems related to expansivity. Interaction with perched aquifers or contact zones may influence the choice of the most suitable foundation depth and type for each project.

The seismicity in the area is moderate, in line with the existing records (11 events in 30 years, Mmax 2.2), so seismic action does not represent a relevant structural constraint in design. There is no karst risk and no problems are detected arising from significant expansivity in most of the municipality, since the dominant substrate is not clayey. The main aspect to consider for geotechnical studies in Santa Cruz de Tenerife will be the proper characterisation of the soil type and the management of the potential presence of groundwater associated with the permeability of the predominant formations.