Identification and Mitigation of Subsidence and Collapse Hazards in Karstic Areas: A Case Study in Alcalá de Ebro (Spain)

[EN] Sinkholes are a severe problem in urban areas located in karstic regions, especially where evaporitic rocks such as gypsum exist. Identification and proposal of mitigation measures are needed to reduce this geo-hazard effect on buildings and social urban living. This paper presents a case study...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Gracia, Alberto, Garzón-Roca, Julio, Pérez-Picallo, Miguel, Alonso-Pandavenes, Olegario, Torrijo, F.J.|||0000-0001-6048-6792
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2023
País:España
Institución:Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV)
Repositorio:RiuNet. Repositorio Institucional de la Universitat Politécnica de Valéncia
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:riunet.upv.es:10251/204402
Acceso en línea:https://riunet.upv.es/handle/10251/204402
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Collapse hazard
Sinkhole mitigation
Gypsum karst
Alcalá de Ebro
Injections
Geogrid
Evaporitic rocks
Finite element analysis
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Descripción
Sumario:[EN] Sinkholes are a severe problem in urban areas located in karstic regions, especially where evaporitic rocks such as gypsum exist. Identification and proposal of mitigation measures are needed to reduce this geo-hazard effect on buildings and social urban living. This paper presents a case study of the town of Alcalá de Ebro (Spain), which is located in the highest sinkhole risk region of Europe. The identification and mitigation of a series of sinkholes that appeared are analyzed. The former involves a geological investigation, including boreholes, field tests and geophysics. The latter is addressed by the use of geogrids, mortar injections and polyurethane injections. A complementary finite element analysis is carried out to set the ground behavior associated with the sinking process and assess its future evolution. The Ebro River appears to be the main cause of sinkholes, and results show that ground treatments applied were successful in their purpose, as there are no apparent deformations indicating that the subsidence or sinking process is still active in the area. The use of different techniques depending on the size of the sinkhole, the objectives pursued and the element affected is discussed.