Geotechnical study in Quartell

In Quartell, fine sands, silts and carbonate materials such as limestones, dolomites and marbles predominate, which gives the municipality a varied subsoil with good bearing capacity in areas where compact materials outcrop. Compact gravels and sands provide additional stability, although the significant presence of white or soft expansive clays requires analysing their location, as they affect the uniformity of the ground response. The decision on the type of foundation should be adapted to local conditions, prioritising isolated strip footings or raft foundations in compact soils and deep foundations or ground improvement measures where limestones or poorly consolidated clays and silts predominate.

From the standpoint of geological hazard, seismicity in Quartell is very low, as reflected by the small number of recorded events in the time interval analysed and a maximum magnitude of less than 2, so it does not significantly influence structural design. Due to the karstifiable nature of the carbonate materials, it is essential to verify the presence of cavities or possible dissolution before any foundation works. The subsoil is not predominantly clayey, so the risk of expansivity is ruled out as the main conditioning factor. Control of karst processes and identification of the type of substrate at the site will be the key issues of the geotechnical study in this municipality.