Estudio geotécnico in Vilavella, the

In La Vilavella, the subsoil is formed mainly by slates and schists, high-cohesion metamorphic materials that account for more than 90% of the ground. Owing to their compactness and low surface fracturing content, these soils usually exhibit an adequate bearing capacity for conventional construction, although their low permeability can favour surface water retention. Fine sands and silts occur only residually, so they rarely condition the foundation design, which will generally be able to be founded directly on the main substratum, always verifying the absence of any surface decomposition or localised alterations.

The recorded seismic activity is high, with more than 200 events over 30 years and a maximum magnitude of 4.7, which implies that seismic action must be considered in the analysis and structural design of new buildings. There are no risks associated with karst processes, nor any problems arising from expansive clays in the ground, since the substratum is predominantly non-clayey. Therefore, the most relevant constraint in geotechnical studies in La Vilavella is behaviour under seismicity, and the adequate characterisation of the strength and deformability parameters should be prioritised to ensure structural safety.