Geotechnical study in Hondón de los Frailes

The municipality of Hondón de los Frailes shows a clear predominance of fine sands and silts, with these lithologies representing almost 80% of the substrate, which implies good drainage capacity but generally moderate bearing capacity that may require specific solutions in the design of shallow foundations. Limestones, dolomites and marbles occur occasionally, providing locally more competent zones; however, the low frequency of these rocky materials limits their overall influence on the choice of foundation type, which must be adapted primarily to the conditions of the dominant fine soils.

With regard to the associated risks, regional seismicity is very low, with only 9 recorded events over 30 years and a low maximum magnitude, which reduces the need for additional structural requirements for this reason. On the other hand, the presence of carbonate massifs implies the possibility of karstic phenomena, so it is essential to verify the existence of cavities before carrying out the foundation, in order to avoid future subsidence processes. The non-clayey substrate rules out the risk of expansivity; the main controlling factor is the possible development of karstic processes in the area.