Estudio geotécnico in Santa Marta

The municipality of Santa Marta has a subsoil mainly formed by sandstones, conglomerates and flysch—materials that usually provide adequate strength for shallow foundations and good bearing capacity. Occasionally, overconsolidated clays and marls are also recorded, along with gravels, compact sands, slates, schists, limestones, dolomites, marbles, granite and gneiss, which implies a lithological variety that is favourable from a geotechnical point of view. The minor presence of deltaic silts and peats indicates that these should not be considered suitable for supporting foundations due to their low bearing capacity and high settlement.

Seismic activity in Santa Marta is very low, with only one recorded event over thirty years and a low maximum magnitude, so seismicity does not constitute a relevant constraint for structural design. The non-clayey subsoil rules out the risk of expansivity, facilitating the stable behaviour of the ground in response to moisture variations. However, since there are calcareous formations, it is essential to verify the possible presence of karst features before defining the foundation solution, as there could be voids that would compromise the safety and functionality of the structure. In short, the main geotechnical constraint in the area lies in the need to check for the existence of karst-related phenomena.