Geotechnical map of a coastal and industrialized urban area (Avilés, NW Spain)

Abstract

Geotechnical mapping of urban environments is usually constrained by the scarcity of outcrops during fieldwork. Such is the case of Avilés, a coastal Spanish city that has been heavily industrialized since the middle of the last century. This research approaches the study of its urban subsoil through the development of a Geographical Information Systems-based relational database containing thousands of unpublished ground data, partially extracted from geotechnical reports. This allowed analysing the distribution and changes of thickness of the superficial deposits and lithostratigraphic formations as well as the evaluation of their main geotechnical properties. Thus, 14 geotechnical units were differentiated (hierarchically displayed in three categories) depending on lithological, geotechnical and constructive criteria. As a result, this investigation provides a geo-engineering map at scale 1:25,000.

Keywords

• Avilés
• coastal city
• geotechnical mapping
• GIS
• industrialized environment